Moving home is a pretty sizeable effort for just about anyone attempting it. Packing up all of your belongings, transporting them to a new home, and unpacking is a lot more demanding than some might originally give it credit for. In order to deal with that effort, you want to work with professionals who can help you do it. However, if you’re not careful, the costs of the move can end up growing significantly, which isn’t something you want if you’ve just spent money buying or paying a deposit on a new home. As such, here are some of the ways you might be able to cut the costs of moving.
Set a moving budget, first and foremost
You should take the time to set up a budget so that you have a good idea of how much you’re likely to be paying to make sure that you are financially ready for the move. Some of the costs can be reduced by following some of the later tips here, but you should estimate a little higher than average just to make sure you have enough money set aside even if you aren’t able to reduce the costs too much. When creating your budget, you want to consider the expenses of working with the moving company, any packing materials, any additional services you might require (like unpacking or assembling on the other side), your own travel expenses, as well as moving insurance for your belongings.
Downsize your move
When it comes to moving via vehicle, then the more stuff you have, the more it’s going to cost to transport it all. It takes up more space and it weighs more, so the costs are going to go up. As such, one of the ways to start cutting your costs early is to look over your belongings and to ask yourself which of them is really worth bringing with you. Look at the stuff you can sell, donate, give away or otherwise dispose of to help cut down the bulk you bring with you. You might be surprised by how much of your stuff you don’t want or need any more on a closer inspection.
Book your professionals as soon as you can
If you’re able to DIY your move, then that can help you save money. However, if you need extra help or equipment that would be too expensive to source on your own, then you’re going to want to work with some professionals. If you’re booking a team of local movers, you should aim to book them as soon as possible. The closer you get to moving day, the more likely they are to be all booked up. The busier that they are, the more likely they are to charge more because there is a higher demand for them. Book them as far in advance as you can to make sure you’re getting them at their best costs.
Check that your movers are legitimate
This is not a concern that applies to most moving companies, but you should do your homework to make sure that your chosen movers are operating legitimately. If they are not licensed, then they might not really be movers and can’t be trusted with your possessions. Similarly, if your moving company is not insured, then any damage that is done to your possessions by them may not be covered and you have no recourse to get paid for what you have lost. Moving scams have been becoming slightly more common over the past few years. You want a legitimate moving team so make sure to check that they have a USDOT number to verify that they are licensed and check that they are insured. You might even want to get it in right for legal purposes.
Get free supplies where you can
You can pay for packing supplies, whether you get them from the moving company or directly from a supplier. However, when it comes to things like cardboard boxes or bubble wrap, then you should first and foremost go to any local stores and ask if they have any they would be willing to give away. In most cases, they’re planning on recycling them anyway so it’s not like they have a good reason to hold onto them. You should check online in a local swap and giveaway pages to see if anyone has boxes or the like that are going for free, as well.
Reduce the chance of accidents as best as possible
The professional movers that you rely on should, hopefully, have their own processes for preventing accidents during the moving process, but there may be a lot that you could do to help decrease the chances of injury or damaged items even further. Even if you do have insurance, you still lose money to some degree when making a claim. As such, getting rid of accident-prone elements is key. If you have any pets, it might be worth having someone look after them for the day. Similarly, if you’re moving with the kids, then a responsible adult must be in charge of monitoring them and keeping them away from the moving efforts at all times.
Prevent damage to your items as best as possible
Items can get damaged in transit pretty easily. If you’re working with a reputable moving company, they will have methods of securing items that can help offer peace of mind that your items are being safeguarded to some degree, often by paring them down. If you have to pay a little extra for additional security, it might be worth doing it. Otherwise, make sure that you are packing things smarty, using padding such as bubble wrap, or improvising with clothes or bedsheets to stop things from jostling around too much. Make sure that you set light items on top of the more dense items (but still be careful not to overload them).
If you’re moving home, you’re going to be spending money. However, the tips above can make sure that you’re not spending way more than you should be.
