Moving is an exciting adventure whether you want to cross state lines or relocate to a new country. However, the process can quickly become stressful because of logistical and budgeting issues. Zillow estimates the average cost of moving to range between $80 and $100 per hour within stages and $2000 to $5000 for interstate relocation.
Even though you can’t avoid some moving costs, you can save money in various ways. Below are moving tips that can reduce your moving costs.
1. Reduce Your Moving Estimates
Reducing the size of your luggage is the best way to reduce your moving quotes. Fortunately, you don’t have to move non-essentials or what you don’t use. Ideally, the more items you pack for the move, the more it will cost. Below are a few tips to reduce moving estimates:
Declutter Before Packing
While this may appear as an additional item on your to-do list, you should declutter your belongings to ensure that you carry only the essentials to your next house. Whether relocating locally or internationally, you should get rid of, donate, or sell your belongings as much as possible to reduce moving costs.
If you are moving internationally, sift through various household items, such as cookware, clothes, and furniture, and identify the must-haves in your new house. Most people get surprised by the size of their belongings before packing. Depending on what you downsize, you can save several dollars. That aside, you can recoup some money by selling a few items, such as furniture and nice clothing.
Eat or Donate Everything in Your Pantry and Refrigerator
You should use everything in your pantry, fridge, and freezer several weeks before moving. With this, you can save on food costs the few weeks before moving out and get rid of food items you already have. You can donate non-perishable items to family, friends, or a food bank.
2. Save Money when Packing
Packing is probably what consumes the most money in the entire process. Reduce your moving costs when packing in the following ways:
- Start packing early – if you start packing early, you can source free or cheap moving supplies. You’ll also have enough time to dispose of items you don’t require before moving.
- Find free packing supplies and boxes on craigslist, Letgo, and Offer Up – instead of buying packing boxes, you can find free options on these websites from people who want to get rid of their old packing boxes. Similarly, start searching early to accumulate enough free boxes for your move. You can find good deals from Amazon, Home Depot, and Lowe if you must buy packing supplies, such as tape guns, tape, packing paper, and mattress bags.
- Pack yourself – packing items yourself is an excellent way to reduce moving costs. While movers offer packing services, you can save some dollars by doing it yourself, especially for items you can handle. Even if you should hire professionals for large pieces like furniture, boxing small items reduces the hourly rates charged by packing or moving companies.
- Ask for help from friends and families – moving is very involving, be it packing or the actual moving. However, you can enlist help from friends and family to avoid hiring professionals. Friends or family can help with packing, sorting items during a garage sale, cleaning your old house, painting, and babysitting.
3. How to Save the Cost of Hiring Movers
The cost of hiring moving experts takes up a significant percentage of your moving budget. Hiring a professional moving company is vital for a stress-free relocation. Below are a few tips to save on the cost of hiring movers.
- Move during the off-season – moving companies often adjust their rates during peak seasons, specifically from May to August. Favorable weather conditions and the holiday makes this season the busiest for moving companies. Therefore, to save money when moving, consider rescheduling your move to October and April, when the companies are less busy. You should also move during the week to avoid weekend congestion and price hikes.
- Request the moving company for fixed rates – you should request a fixed rate when moving locally. Most companies charge hourly, which becomes unnecessarily expensive for local relocations.
- Compare multiple moving quotes – different moving companies charge differently. While you shouldn’t choose a moving company completely based on their quotes, the cost should be a consideration. Consider other factors, such as reputation and availability.
- Understand and negotiate extra fees – some moving companies charge additional fees, such as long carry, fuel, parking, and stair charges. Always confirm and negotiate with the company these additional charges.
The Bottom Line
The excitement of moving into your new home, and settling in a new city, state, or country is certainly overwhelming. Unfortunately, moving is a stressful event that requires a lot of hacks. The best way to accomplish the move seamlessly and without breaking your moving budget is to be well-prepared and organized. Consider the tips mentioned above to save on moving costs.