Unless you don’t have too many belongings and all your stuff may fit just in a few bags, moving can be quite disastrous and expensive. At the same time, the key to the smoothest and the most stress-free relocation in your life is hiring professional movers and let them conduct all packing, loading, relocating and unloading activities. Even if you’re on a tight budget, you still need to move your stuff to your future home and make sure that nothing gets lost or damaged.
These are the tricks and budgeting hacks you may use to relocate without breaking the bank.
A lot of people who don’t minding spending their own time to carry out moving arrangements and think that the only thing they will have to pay for is renting a moving time put a lot of sweat into relocation to find out that they spent more money on the move than they could if they hired professional movers and sat back to watch them work.
Why does that happen? Well, DIY means renting a U-Haul, buying gas, renting wheel carts, purchasing packing supplies, taking time off work, etc. Additionally, when DIYing the move, you end up booking a truck for longer to be able to take your time to figure out the best way to load it. Professional movers do things faster, they bring their equipment and use packing materials more efficiently.
Scheduling the moving date wisely will help you save a good share of money on hiring professional movers. As they’re not as busy during the off-peak season, which lasts from October to March-April, the prices for their services tend to go down.
Not willing to idle without work, movers also offer great discounts during that time to attract customers. If you want to avoid extra costs, don’t relocate during the weekends and around national holidays.
Ask different low-cost movers to send their evaluation experts to your house to give you an accurate estimate, which takes into account the specifics of your relocation. Then, clarify additional costs (also known as hidden fees) and hire the most budget-friendly company.
Choose from the well-trusted professionals with reasonable reviews and minimum-to-no complaints left on the Better Business Bureau website not to get fooled by scammers, that lure customers by setting low rates. If you’re still skeptic about hiring low-cost movers, verify the license of professionals you chose to confirm their reliability.
Don’t be too emotional to leave bulky items and things you won’t need in your new home behind. Approach the moving day prepared: sell your old furniture, garden appliances, home décor and donate some of the clothes. If you can’t even think about leaving your books, send them to your new location via UPS, as it will be less expensive.
Packing supplies are among the most unnecessary expenses people encounter when relocating. Most moving companies offer their own moving materials, but they usually don’t mind working with the ones the customer provides. If you’re moving on a budget, you need to take care of packing supplies in advance.
Luckily, there’re numerous ways to get them for free or for cheap. For instance, retail stores won’t mind giving you their cardboard boxes and large containers, as they’re required to recycle them anyway. You may also borrow a few boxes from your neighbors, friends and family members. Ask if they still have large packing bags with strings and other moving supplies left after their previous relocation.
Don’t buy tons of bubble wrap to protect your fragile items from breaking during the move, but use your clothes, towels and bed linen instead. You’ll save a lot of money while being eco-friendly.
Obviously, you won’t be able to live the last few days at your old house without water or electricity. But shutting down your cable, Internet, delivery subscriptions and other non-basic utilities and services will prevent you from paying for an extra month.
If you’re loading moving trucks without professional’s assistance, try your best to pack it neatly and use every square inch of space in it. The fewer trucks you’ll rent and the fewer trips you’ll take, the more money you’ll conserve.
Elena Sheplyakova, independent writer, blogger. Concentrates her attention on small business issues, online marketing tips, home improvement and organization, healthy foods, family living, personal finance management, self-confidence, self-improvement ideas, useful life hacks and beauty tips.