The decision to move a household or a business is always a big one. It comes with a mixture of excitement and anxiety in equal measure. But of the greatest concern is the cost associated with moving. Costs often add up pretty first, which can be worrying, particularly if your moving budget is tight.
You do not need to fret. Apart from choosing the best moving company within your area, the following are ten ways to save money when moving. But before trying them out, ensure that you prepare adequately and make a detailed moving checklist.
1. Estimate the Moving Costs
First things first—saving money when moving a household or business begins with budgeting appropriately. Please do not get into it blindly. Instead, create a budget by compiling a list of estimated costs for each service or supply.
If this is your first time moving, you can leverage online moving calculators to estimate how much your move would cost. Reach out to moving companies, contractors, and other service providers and compare costs based on their quotes. This process will potentially save you from overspending.
2. Declutter Your Home before Moving
The urge to hold onto everything in your old home is hard to ignore. However, you do not need to carry everything. Getting rid of items will save you money because you will need less storage space, which comes at lower costs. Take some time a couple of weeks before the d-day to sort out your items.
Once you have everything you do not need, you can decide what to do with them. You can dispose of any items that are no longer usable. You can also donate what others might find useful or those too bulky and expensive to move. You can also host a sale and raise some cash from your clutter. The money raised will further fund your move.
3. Do Not Buy Supplies
Moving supplies such as packaging papers, wrappers, boxes, and tapes are expensive. However, you can move without buying these supplies. But this is only possible when you start early enough.
You can cut down on costs considerably by sourcing free supplies from neighbours or shopping malls and grocery stores within the locality. You can also get a little more creative by using available materials in case you do not get enough free or cheap supplies. For example, socks, sweaters, towels, and t-shirts can work as wraps.
4. Use Media Mail When Possible
Notably, this will come in handy if you have a library in your home. Books and other documents are bulky and heavy, making them among the most difficult items to pack and transport. Of course, this will mean more truck space and moving costs.
But Media Mail shipping, offered by the US Postal Service, is a solution for mailing books and other paper documents. It allows you to send up to 70 lbs. of books at just about $40. That is very cost-effective. Besides, the process is easy and stress-free.
5. Buy Sparingly for Your New Home
One of the things you should do when moving is to avoid overspending on your new home. Avoid the ‘Add to Cart” temptation and freeze your expenditure until you move and settle into your new home. You do not want to spend on things you may not need.
So, only buy what you need the most. Again, do not decorate your home in your mind before you settle. Such actions may lead to impulse buying.
6. Confirm If Your Furniture Will Fit through Access Points and Spaces
One of the greatest disappointments people make is moving items only to find that they do not fit through the access points or the interior spaces of their new homes. And this goes beyond disappointments. You will also spend more money on acquiring storage spaces.
Confirm beforehand if your couches and other furniture can pass through the doorways. You can also check if the interior spaces in your living room will hold all your furniture. You can measure them and compare them. Alternatively, your new landlord or previous owner can help you out by sending you the measurements.
7. Move during the Off-Season
Peak moving seasons start in May and end in September. Scheduling your moving during these seasons is both hectic and expensive. So, you can schedule your relocation during less busy seasons.
8. Cancel Any Utilities
Timing the cut-off of your utilities in your current home to match your move can be tricky. You could end up paying for cable, phone, and internet services in both places. Of course, no one wants to end up in such a situation.
The best way to go through this is to discontinue your utility services a few days before moving. Such action ensures that you begin afresh in your new home. Look out for utility providers who offer specials to clients taking up new plans.
9. Ask Your Company for a Reimbursement
Is your reason for moving to a new state, city, or town orchestrated by a new job station? Why not talk to your employer about paying for your moving expenses? Alternatively, ask them to compensate you for the relocation costs. If your company can consider neither of these, you can contact the accountant or your tax advisor for possible tax exemptions. This tip will help you save on costs remarkably.
10. Resort to Plan B
Finally, always have a fallback plan regardless of how much you try to ensure the moving process is smooth and successful. Be flexible on your timelines, as changes are sometimes inevitable. Plan to put up with a friend or a family member in case of delays.
The above are the ten most viable ways of saving money when moving. Good luck in your new home.