Why does it cost so much to move? Even after you’ve drained your bank account for a down payment, closing costs, and home repairs, there’s still more you have to cover. If you’re going to settle into your new house, getting there is half the battle. Relocating, even for positive reasons, is a lot of effort. You have to somehow manage to get all of your belongings into boxes, and if you have many things, it’s not going to be easy or cheap. Luckily, you can do something about it. Following these tips can help you save tons on your next move and reduce the stress.
Planning the Move
The first mistake people make when moving is not planning. They haphazardly start packing, hire the first moving company they come across, and essentially make the move a lot more difficult. Planning not only makes the process easier to carry out, but it saves you money. Here is some planning advice:
Timing is Everything
Lots of people aren’t aware of this, but when you move makes a big difference on how much you’ll pay. If your closing date is flexible, it is best to move in the winter, in the middle of the month, or in the middle of the week. Summer, weekends, and the beginning of the month are the most popular dates and, therefore, moving during those times will cost more.
Look Beyond Cheap Services
You get what you pay for. If you’re looking to hire a moving company to help reduce the stress of moving, then you shouldn’t opt for the first company that quoted you something cheap. Let’s say you did an internet search on local movers and Allied Van Lines popped up as a possible good option. You should review their website to find out what types of services are provided and their years of experience. Then, when requesting a quote, be sure to find out what you’re getting for that quote. One company may charge a cheap rate, but their rate may not include professional movers, perhaps it only includes the truck and gas mileage. Finding out helps you to make a more informed decision about which services are actually the best bang for your buck.
Get Moving Insurance
This may look like a backward idea for saving money, but it’s quite the opposite. Moving insurance protects your belongings in the event that they are damaged during the move. Whether you’re moving around the corner, to a neighboring city, another state, or cross country, it only takes one bumpy road for something to become damaged. At least insurance saves you from having to pay out of pocket to replace it.
Consolidate Your Belongings
The more you have to move the more it’s going to cost. Not to mention, if you’ve hired professional movers, it will also take them longer to load and unload the truck, which also means more money. So, start reducing the clutter in your home. Whether its clothes, shoes, appliances, furniture or old memorabilia, if you can leave it behind, it’s best that you do. You can donate things to charity and deduct it on your taxes, ask someone to sell them at a yard sale, host your own yard sale, or just toss things that are damaged and no longer useful.
Packing
After you’ve done the planning, you’re ready to start packing. This too can be stressful and costly if you’re not aware of a few tricks. Check these out:
Find Free or Used Boxes
You can grab moving boxes from just about everywhere. From the copy room at your office to dumpsters behind restaurants and retail stores, you can grab boxes without having to pay a dime. If you can’t access free boxes, you can often find recycled ones for half the cost.
Use Your Own Supplies
Instead of spending money on bubble wrap and other moving supplies, use your own things. Blankets and linens can be used to protect large electronics and appliances and newspaper is great for securing breakables like glass and china.
Color Code
If you want to do yourself a favor when you arrive at your new place, then you should color code everything. Assign each room a color, then as you pack place that color tape on the box. This lets you and movers know where the boxes belong.
This is only a small fraction of what can be done to save money and reduce the stress of a move. You’re about to embark on a new chapter in your life, why would you do it stressed out and broke? Keeping these tips in mind during the planning and packing stages will make it a lot easier for you to settle into your new home with no problem.
