14 Moving Tips That Will Save You Money
Before we start, you have to accept the fact that moving will definitely cost you. How little or how much depends on the amount of work you are willing to do (or endure). The first question you have to answer is will you be moving yourself, or will you hire professional movers? The former will, of course, require more leg-work but will cost significantly less. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t incur savings if you hire a moving company. The key to an affordable move is resourcefulness.
That being said, here are 14 tips to help you save on your move.
1. Avoid brokers and deal directly with moving companies. I’m not saying that brokers are bad, but if you are on a tight budget consider them as your enemy. By cutting them out you’ll get significant savings.
2. Get as many quotes as you can from different moving companies. Almost all moving companies will give one for free, do a quick search online and you’ll see tons of them. Pick the best four or five that would work for you and then research their background an reliability before deciding.
3. Ask for discounts. The moving industry is very competitive. So much so that some are willing to bring their fees way down just to get a client. Try haggling with different moving companies and see where it will take you.
4. Avoid peak seasons. Moving companies are especially busy during summer, the start and end of months, and around New Year thus they charge more. If possible, schedule your move to avoid these dates.
5. Book early. It goes without saying that booking in advance has its financial benefits. Once you’ve scheduled your move, plan your trip to your new home. Find the best deals on hotels and transportation. Again, the internet is your friend here.
6. Ask your friends for help. If the idea of packing all your stuff yourself sounds like a bad idea, you are correct. This is probably a good time to give your best friends a call. That’s what friends are for, right? But before you pick up the phone, ask your moving company first because packing yourself may affect your moving insurance.
7. Borrow what you can. There’s a good chance that you know someone that’s recently moved. Try asking if they can lend you equipment like tape dispensers and markers. Speaking of borrowing…
8. Use second-hand moving boxes. Be careful, though. Moving boxes are made to be tough for a reason. Make sure your boxes are strong enough or you’ll end up with broken furniture.
9. Improvise with materials. Towels, blankets, and even old clothes can be used as padding or fillers. You can use old newspapers to wrap items as well.
10. Purchase materials in bulk. Stores, both offline and online, give a hefty discount for bulk-buyers. If you can, buy all the materials you need from just one store.
11. Schedule the termination of your utilities. Ideally, you would want your utilities (gas, electricity, water, etc.) to stop on the end of the day of your move.
12. Make sure that your new home is ready for occupation when you arrive. If not, you’ll have no choice but to store your items, and that spells additional expense.
13. Don’t make your movers wait. Time is money and if you are not ready when your movers arrive they will charge you extra.
14. Finally, have a garage sale. The more you bring on your move the more your expense will be. Sort everything that you have and decide which ones are worth bringing and which ones you can live without.
Rivers is a web consultant and a writer for E-Z Movers Inc. from Chicago Illinois. Contact us and we’ll help make your next move as easy on your wallet as possible.
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Tags: blogathon, moving
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