Approximately half of the moving-related expenses are for household goods and services, including home decorating, improvements, and repair. People who are moving spend 60 percent more on such purchases than non-movers, the study found.

The rest of the money is spent when switching to new merchants for services like banking, cable or satellite TV, telephone service, and Internet access. Movers also switch to new grocery stores, insurance companies, auto mechanics and pharmacies.

The 2006 Movers study also analyzed consumers' timeline for buying move-related products and services. It found that many buying decisions were clustered around the two weeks immediately before and immediately after a move.

The majority of people surveyed reported purchasing major appliances, home electronics, furniture, window treatments, bedding and linens, as well as home repair, lawn and garden and pest control supplies, within the first two weeks of moving in.