Moving in Korea is stressful. Not only do you realize how much junk you have, but you also have to navigate the whole affair in broken Korean or no Korean, just body language. Plus it can cost an arm and a leg compared to renting a U-Haul back home and bribing your friends with pizza and beer to help you move. But if you remember that time is also money, moving in Korea⸺ the “quickly! quickly!” country⸺ may prove more cost-efficient when moving from one Seoul-dong to the next.
Finding a Local Moving Company
Conduct a Naver Search. Below are some Korean Naver search terms you can try:
이사센터 - Moving Center
이사업체 - Moving Company
용달 - The blue trucks that haul things when moving, also seen at construction sites
포장이사 - Movers that pack and unpack your goods for you
사다리차 - The ladder trucks that haul your goods in and out through highrise windows
Do a Facebook Community Search
Ask friends for a referral
Go outside and get a number from the stickers on utility poles advertising local movers
Check Expat Guide Korea’s Directory of English speaking local movers
Do a Google search using the Korean Naver search terms given above
Make sure to read the Google or Naver user reviews for each company. Kind and friendly movers are just as important for your sanity on such a hectic day as the price. Make sure to conduct price comparisons by calling different moving centers and asking for an estimate. You can also do this online if your Korean reading and typing skills are decent. Try WeMatch.com for quick price comparisons. Or if you’re more confident with your Korean texting skills compared to speaking, contact the customer service center of yd114.co.kr. Look for the Kakao Talk banner at the bottom right.
Moving in Korea Price Range
Before you start calling moving companies and asking for an estimate, you may just want to know approximately how much moving will cost you. Below are rough estimates based on four common moving scenarios. Keep in mind, labor costs have been sharply escalating over the years so the below prices may be underestimated from today’s actual costs.
According to soomgo.com
Moving from a one-room (studio): About 120,000 KRW to 300,000 KRW (No major appliances, just boxes)
Moving from a two-bedroom: About 315,000 KRW to 900,000 KRW.
According to app24moa.com
Add an additional 100,000 won for each additional mover
Add an additional 100,000 won for each use of the ladder truck. Old home + New home = 200,000 won (See next subheader for more detailed information about the ladder truck)
Add an additional 100,000 won for Half-Packing option
Add an additional 350,000 won for Full-Packing option
Add an additional 20,000 to 50,000 won for TV wall mounting or AC installation
According to a Korean blogger’s research who moved from Seoul to Daegu with Full-Packing option including a ladder truck:
Estimates started from 2.28 million KRW to 3.73 million KRW
The difference was quite significant, so it’s best to do some quote comparisons before choosing a mover
A family move, according to personal experience:
Moving from a four-bedroom from Gangnam, Seoul to Suji with Full-Packing option including a ladder truck: approximately 2 million won.
The Ladder Truck and the Elevator
Price for the ladder truck is trickier than merely 100,000 KRW per use. Depending on what floor your old and new home is on, plus how much stuff you have, the price can significantly increase. The given estimates have been taken from @hotsadari, check him out on Instagram!
2nd to 6th floor with a 1 Ton truck worth of goods (see below for details on different trucks) is considered standard, at the rate of 80,000 won per use.
If you plan on using the elevator to haul your possessions, you must clearly discuss this with your landlord (if you are moving to a villa) or your apartment or officetel facility center (관리사무소). For the latter, obtaining permission to use the elevator is mandatory and there is a small fee for this advantage. For villas, it’s just common courtesy to inform the owner of what time you will be moving and that you’d like to use the elevator which will, for a few hours, cause an inconvenience for other tenants.
How to Get an Estimate
You will need to provide the following basic information to get an estimate from the moving companies:
The date and time of your move. Keep in mind, the end of the month, weekends (including Fridays) are more expensive (손 있는날 - days the devil roams: see next subheader for more details).
Whether your current home is a one-room (studio), a two-room or more, villa, officetel, or apartment.
Your current address, including what floor you live on, and whether or not there is an elevator.
Your soon-to-be new address, including what floor you live on, and whether or not there is an elevator. The further the distance and higher your floor, the higher the cost
Whether you want the movers to pack and unpack your things or if you’ll do it yourself.
Whether you need a ladder truck to move heavy items through your high-rise apartment window rather than the front door and elevator.
Whether you need temporary storage.
Whether you just need the truck and driver, one man to do the moving, or two or more men. If you’re a guy you can help the mover lift things or do it yourself. But if you’re a girl, movers do not expect you to help them move your fridge and washer (unless you’re a very strong girl). Hiring at least two men is standard unless you have no heavy appliances and you really can lift boxes yourself.
Some movers want to come by and see your possessions before giving an estimate. Make sure to get the estimate written on paper or through a text message, but keep in mind the price could still increase depending on things that go wrong during moving day. For instance, the building owner may get upset about the noise or scratches on the elevator floor and walls so now the mover has to use the stairs. He’ll charge extra. Or, you had told him you only have five boxes of goods but it turns out they are five boxes of books. Movers hate books, he may charge extra.
Moving Pointers
Minimalize your life before moving. Sell your used stuff online to make money for the movers. Or just throw out the junk you never wear or use anymore.
Send your possessions through postal service. Same-day deliveries are available or haul your boxes to your local convenience store.
Pack your own stuff. Getting movers to pack and unpack for you is much more expensive than packing on your own. Not to mention, it’s not uncommon to hear of movers being careless with goods, or items “missing” after they’ve unpacked everything.
Start collecting boxes from your home’s designated trash area and behind marts and stores.
Invest in a dolly (짐수레). Dollys help you move several boxes from the truck into your home in one trip. But it’s also useful for grocery shopping if your local mart is right around the corner. You can order one for as low as 15,000 KRW on Coupang but make sure it can carry a heavy load without breaking.
Rent a Kia Caravan or SUV from your local rent-a-car or car-sharing app like SoCar and bribe your friends with pizza and beer to help you move. Note: You must have a Korean driver’s license to participate in car-sharing apps.
Ask for just the truck and driver (trucks cannot be rented for personal use) and do the hauling on your own.
Get the Half-Packing option. If you just seriously hate packing, then instead of the Full-Packing (포장 이사) option, get the Half-Packing option (반포장 이사). The difference is with the former, the movers do everything from start to finish, but with the latter, you pack up on your own first, then the movers do the remaining steps, including the unpacking (or vice versa).
Pick a devil-free day (손 없는 날). 이사는 손 없는 날 해야 한다 is Korean superstition which means “Moving must be done on days when demons and evil spirits do not roam.” Avoid the end of the month and weekends to not only move house on a blessed day but to also save 50,000 to 100,000 KRW.
The Different Types of Trucks and Vehicles
The 1 Ton Yong-dal (용달) blue trucks are typically big enough to move a one-room to a small two-room. Or if you’re a super minimalist maybe all you need is a Damas (다마스) or Van. Refer to the photo below and make sure to pick the right vehicle for your move if you plan on just renting the car and driver. If it turns out that the car is too small and the driver has to make two trips, this will cost you much more than actually renting the proper-sized vehicle.
Tipping the Movers
Korea is not a tipping culture but movers can be an exception. For big apartment moves, it is common to offer a tip, money for lunch, or to buy the movers lunch on your own. No one is expecting samgyeopsal (Korean pork belly bbq), but at least the cost of bunsik or jjajangmyun per person is appropriate.
If your move is a small one-room move, tips are not common. But if you’re feeling generous or you noticed your mover really worked harder than you expected without being charged extra, a small tip is always appreciated. If anything, get a few cans of beverages from your fridge and offer them to your movers and say 수고하셨습니다 or 고생하셨습니다 (Thanks for your hard work). You’re likely to put a smile on their tired faces leaving them thinking, “Such a polite foreigner.” Better yet, give it to them before the move so they’ll be in a good mood before hauling boxes!
Congratulations on your new home! Now that the hard physical labor is done, don’t forget to get your paper-work in order! Do not forget to change your address for all your institutions, names on utility bills, but most importantly update your address for immigration. Plus get your new housing contract notarized to secure your massive deposit. You can read all about how to get these errands done through two articles: Signing Your One-Room Contract and Dos and Don’ts of Moving.
