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Moving Costs – How To Save On Your Move

an image of a piggy bank on top of boxes that has a sticky note saying moving costs

Moving to a new home is an exciting and adventurous experience. However, it can also be a costly one. In addition to the costs of acquiring your new place to live, the process of moving itself can involve a chunk of expenses. The key to decreasing your moving costs is planning ahead of time. By placing your energy into packing and preparing a few months in advance, you save a significant amount of money. Let us take a look at many different ways that you can save money on your next move.

 

Get Rid of Unneeded Belongings

Logically speaking, one of the best ways you can save money on your move is to pare down the number of items that you have to move. Take a serious look at everything that you have in your home and consider what you really need to keep. Whether you are moving within your city or across the country, the more items you have, the more your move is going to cost you.

Begin by surveying your large objects such as your furniture. Are your furnishings outdated, cheap, and heavy? If so, consider getting rid of them. By the time you pay to have a large couch or chair moved, for instance, you might as well start from scratch with new or gently used one. Have you been sleeping on the same mattress for 15 years? Now is the perfect time for a new one when you arrive at your new destination.

Downsizing your possessions can take place for months leading up to your move. In regard to your other random belongings, know when it is time to let go. Sort through your clothing and donate items that you have not worn in more than a year. Have a garage sale if that appeals to you. Any profit from the sale can go towards your moving costs. Donate any unwanted items to Goodwill. Focus on getting rid of items that you are not likely to miss and are easily replaceable. This process will save you a lot of time in your move, and time equals money when it comes to the moving process.

 

Move During the Off-Season

Call it spring fever if you will. In general, people love to plan their move when the weather is warm and sunny, either in the late spring, summer, or early fall. Because of this high demand, moving companies keep their prices high during these times. This means that if you want to get a good deal on your move, you need to move to a new house during the off-peak season.

There are many advantages to moving during the winter or fall. Selecting a time between the months of October and April is ideal. The main reason to move during the off-season is that moving companies often lower their rates as much as 30 percent during these times. The next advantage of moving during the off-season is that you will likely be able to choose the exact date that you need help. During the busy season, this is likely not going to happen.

Another thing you can do to save extra money is to move during the week, as opposed to the weekend. Be sure to ask your moving company if doing so will give you a discounted rate.

 

Shop Around for the Best Priced Movers

To ensure you are getting the best deal, call around and ask for a quote. Understand that the cheapest does not always mean the best. Reputation is everything. If a mover is cheap and unprofessional, you risk your precious items becoming damaged. Professional, reputable movers are prepared and efficient. Inquire of their hourly rate and a clear definition of what that rate includes. For example, is movers equipment included? Do they charge extra for the dolly and furniture pads?

If you are searching for the best movers Las Vegas, look no further than Five Star Moving. A labor-only moving company, Five Star Moving has proudly served the local area since 2002. They are the perfect solution if you are needing a team to take care of the heavy lifting for you. They load up your moving truck rental for you, and you are on your way to your new home.

 

Rent a Moving Truck

Renting your own moving truck can save you big money, versus having a moving company drive your belongings to your new home for you. Do not just pick the first truck rental company that comes to mind. Moving truck companies are competitive, and one may cut you a deal to get your business. Begin by calling around to get quotes from several truck rental companies before making your final decision on which one to go with.

Be sure that before you call, you know which size of truck you are going to need, as larger-sized trucks cost more. You would not want to have to pay extra for cubic storage space that you do not really need. To help determine which size of a truck you will need, think about how many rooms are in your old home, how many boxes you are moving and how large your furniture is.

For example, if you are moving out of a studio apartment, you will likely only need the smallest size truck. For each extra bedroom that you have, you will probably need to move up one truck size.

 

Consider Using a Moving Container

Is driving a moving truck cross-country not on your list of things you want to do right now? I cannot say I blame you. When you utilize a moving container, you do not have to worry about transporting the container to your new home.

Here is how easy it is. You can hire your local movers to fill up your moving container with your belongings, and then whenever you are ready, you have the moving container transported to your new home. Then you have the container unloaded, and the moving container company comes and picks up the empty container from you.

Another plus to using a moving container is that with most companies if you need to have somewhere to store the container for a little while, they will allow you to store it in their warehouse until you are ready to arrive at your new home. You may be wondering about the cost of this option. The answer is that it is middle-of-the-road. Full-service moving is the most expensive and renting a truck and driving it yourself is the least expensive. Filling up a moving container with your belongings rest somewhere in the middle.

 

Source Your Own Packing Supplies

It may be tempting to purchase boxes and packing tape from a moving company, simply out of convenience. Do your wallet a favor and avoid doing this. Instead, keep your eyes open for sales on packing tape at office supply stores. Stock up when you find it on sale.

When it comes to boxes, visit your local supermarket, and ask them if they have any in the back that you can have for free. Also, nowadays everyone orders so many things online that we get boxes delivered on our doorsteps on an almost daily basis. Just hang onto your boxes and packing supplies instead of throwing them out. The same goes for any newspapers that you receive in the mail. Newspaper makes great packaging material.

Another idea is to use your sheets, linens, and towels to wrap and protect some of your items. This will save you money on buying packing paper.

 

Pack Your Things Yourself

Speaking of packing your belongings, surely this is something you can tackle yourself. If not, enlist help from your friends and family. This is one of the best ways you can cut on moving costs. Packing takes more time than anything else when it comes to the entire process of moving, so you do not want to have to pay someone else to do that expensive step for you. It is a better idea to compromise, and source out movers for hire to pick up your prepackaged boxes instead.

While you are at it, it is a good idea to pack a box specifically for daily necessities. You do not want to have to go digging through 50 boxes to find the one box that contains the aspirin that you need to relieve your headache. That way, it will keep you from having to spend money on buying things you already have. Every little penny can increase your moving costs.

 

Identify Your Utility Shut Down Dates

Double paying for your rent or mortgage should be avoided at all costs, from living at two separate locations.

Does your billing cycle line up with your moving date? If not, consider cutting off your service early so that you are not stuck paying for an extra month. This approach works for cable and the Internet, but not so much for electricity. Do what you can to align beginning and ending dates for accounts. Speak with utility companies in your new location about possibly waiving installation or activation fees.

 

Write It Down

Be sure to write down every moving expense you incur. Start your own moving cost checklist right from the beginning. This is because if your move meets specific criteria such as being a certain distance away, you might be able to deduct these expenses from your taxes. To determine whether your move is tax-deductible, speak with an accountant or tax professional.

 

Be Ready and Organized on Moving Day

Moving companies charge prices per hour. Let us say you told the moving company to show up at 10 in the morning. They come knocking on your door at 9:45 and you are still in your jammies packing boxes. Not a good plan. You are paying the moving company for every minute that they are at your house. This includes the time that they are standing around waiting on you to get finished with what you are doing.

A better idea is to be finished packing and have everything ready and organized so that when your moving company comes knocking, they can immediately begin working. That way you do not have to pay them for the time they are left waiting for you to get ready.

Each room should contain nothing but furniture and boxes. Ideally, the boxes should be labeled on the side so that the movers know which room to place them in when they arrive at your new home. Better yet, move all the boxes into the garage areas for your movers to save even more time in your move.

 

Final Thoughts

Moving does not have to be overwhelming on your time or on your wallet. To some degree, you must be willing to let go of the places and things that no longer serve you. Once you have done so, you open the door for the new and exciting to come in. Getting there is what this article is designed to help you with.

As we discussed, timing is everything. It will help if you plan your move when it becomes cooler. Packing your own boxes, or enlisting help from your friends and family will save you a pretty penny on your moving costs from paying someone to do it for you. Rent your own truck but do yourself a favor and save the heavy lifting for the professionals. You will not regret having help from Five Star Moving on moving day. Let their muscles do the work. All you need to do is enjoy the ride to your next adventure.

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