5 Ways to Save Money on Moving Costs

5 Ways to Save Money on Moving Costs

There are many phases to moving and the cost to move into a new home can add up pretty quickly. In this blog, we’ll tell you what to expect when you move and we’ll provide you with a list of tips to help you save money.
When it comes to a move, we often focus on the price to hire a mover and buy moving supplies and forget about the miscellaneous fees that can add up such as installation fees for new internet or cable service, utility fees, the cost to change the locks, or the cost of higher insurance at your new address. Many of the items we listed are unavoidable and just part of the cost to move. Since we want to help you avoid any surprise expenses, start by calling the utility providers for your new address, your insurance company, a locksmith, etc., and keep a running list of these expenses that will factor in to your total cost to move. Don’t forget to submit your change of address form to the United States Post Office as early as possible in order to get money saving coupons deals from local businesses near your new home.

Packing Tips for Moving

  1. Downsize. Chances are, you have a basement or a few closets filled with items you haven’t used in years. Since it can be costly to move these items to your new home, it’s a good idea to do some downsizing before you move. Ask yourself if you really need all that stuff and sort your items into a ‘keep’ pile and a ‘donate or sell’ pile. You’ll be amazed at how small the ‘keep’ pile ends up.
  2. Get Free Boxes. There are many ways to get free boxes, and all it takes is some pre-planning and legwork. Call or visit your local grocery store, retail stores, and recycling facility to ask about free boxes. Save the boxes you get from your Amazon deliveries and other online shopping retailers, and ask friends and neighbors to do the same. Avoid the cost of wardrobe boxes by using trash bags to transport your clothing. Here’s how: keep your clothes on the hangers, tie the hangers together and slip a trash bag over the top, allowing the hooks of the hangers to stick out. Just like a bag from the dry cleaner, you can now lay the clothes flat for transport and easily hang them up in your new closet. You can also maximize your storage options by packing your belongings in anything that resembles a box, including suitcases, coolers, hampers and baskets. Since they’re going to your new home, you might as well fill them up!
  3. Don’t Use Bubble Wrap. After boxes, buying bubble wrap can be the second most expensive moving supply you’ll need. Avoid that expense by using newspapers to pack. Start saving newspapers months in advance of your move and ask your friends and neighbors to save their newspapers too. You can also use towels, clothes, or bed sheets ask packing materials to protect your fragile items.
  4. Take Stuff Apart. Asking the movers to disassemble and reassemble a majority of your furniture means hours of extra time will be tacked on to your moving bill. Tackling whatever you can before the movers arrive will allow the movers to get in and out much faster.
  5. Move Items On Your Own. Getting access to your new home a few weeks or months before you move out of your current home is advantageous. Why? It allows you to clean and complete minor remodeling projects before you move in. It also gives you the opportunity to move items over yourself in order to save money on moving costs. Save the big items like furniture for the movers and move smaller stuff, fragile items, or awkwardly shaped items on your own.

The Best Time To Move

Now that you’ve got a plan for packing, it’s time to get estimates from moving companies. One way to save on moving fees is to move at an off time. Avoiding weekends and the beginning of the month is a great place to start. Mondays and Fridays can also be peak days, so it may be advantageous to target the middle of the week for your move. By asking the moving companies which days have cheaper rates and being flexible with your moving date, you can find the best time to move and save money at the same time. Saving money on your move is easy! All it takes is some advance planning and a bit of organization.

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