Moving can be expensive. Not only are you paying to rent or purchase a new home, but you have to get all of your things from the old place to the new. This often can cost a lot more than you’d think. But if you take some time to plan things out and do some research, you can save yourself time and money. Here are five ways to help you save money while moving.
Plan Out Your Budget
One of the first things you need to do to save money on your move is figure out exactly how much you intend to spend on it. If you can’t afford very much, you don’t want to plan for very much.
List out what you will need to make your move possible, like packing materials, time to pack and unpack, a truck to carry items, and people to help the move go more quickly. Mark by each item on the list whether it is something you have already or if it’s something you need to purchase or rent. Look up average prices for the items you need to acquire and mark those down next to them. Then you can figure out your budget based on those average prices, how many materials you’ll need to rent or purchase, and how much you can actually spend.
Research Your Options
If renting a moving truck or hiring a moving company is in your budget, don’t book the first one you find with an internet search. You may end up spending a lot more than you intend (or really can).
Get prices or quotes from at least three different companies. Make sure to find out all fees, taxes, and mileage costs that will be added on to the initial rate. You don’t want to book a truck or service for one amount and then find out it will cost you twice as much when you actually move.
If you don’t find a truck or company that works within your budget with the first search, search again. Don’t settle for something you can’t afford. You can also talk to the truck rental or moving company to see if they can work within the budget you have. There are often options for those with less money to spend on a move.
Consider Needs Over Wants
You may want to hire a moving company to do all of the work for you, but do you really need that? If you want to save money on your move, you need to take your needs over wants into consideration.
Do you need expensive packing materials, or to hire someone else to pack and move your stuff? Probably not. Do the packing yourself. Get previously used boxes from stores or friends and family. Move small items in your own car. Then hire movers to help with the big things you can’t do by yourself.
Pick the Time of Year
Truck rental and moving services have busy times of year where they are more in demand. This means their rates may be higher at this time, and their availability may be lower.
Do some research into when most people in your area move (oftentimes that’s in the summer) and then plan your move at a different time. You may be able to get lower rates on rentals and services. You won’t have to fight for time with other people either, and can get your move done at a pace that works better for you.
Get Help as Needed
Moving takes a lot of work. Even if you are moving from a small apartment into a large house, there will be a lot going into your move. You’ll need to plan things out, get packing materials, donate and throw away items you don’t want/need anymore, hire Allied Van Lines movers or rent a truck, and move your things. It can be a lot for one or two people to handle. So it’s a good idea to get help when you need it.
Even if you can handle the planning and packing by yourself, you’ll probably need assistance with moving boxes and furniture from one home to the next. You can ask friends and family to help you out, and usually you can pay them in thank yous and maybe dinner. But if it is in your budget, you should hire movers to do the heavy lifting for you. They can make the process much easier on you by handling it efficiently and professionally.
