If you’re on a tight budget for your relocation, there are ways you can cut expenses without adding more stress to the process. Here are a few cost-cutting ideas that could save money when hiring professional movers or renting trucks.
Reducing costs when moving can also include getting rid of unnecessary items. Garage sales provide an ideal venue to donate or sell unwanted furniture and other unwanted goods.
1. Hire A Moving Company
One effective way to save money when it comes time for you to move is hiring a reputable moving company with affordable rates that don’t compromise quality or service.
Before booking a mover, it’s wise to get at least three quotes as prices can differ widely depending on who is offering their services. Furthermore, look into any price-matching opportunities which could save even more money.
Finally, try scheduling your move during off-peak seasons. Moving companies typically experience peak demand during summer months and may charge more at that time of year.
Long term, this will save a substantial amount of money. Another great way to cut costs is eschewing costly packing supplies such as bubble wrap, paper, and boxes; linens, towels or casual clothing can instead be used to protect delicate items during transport.
2. Ask Your Friends For Help
As much as it might be tempting to ask friends for assistance in order to save money when moving, be wary of its drawbacks. Not only does this incur extra costs and be stressful for everyone involved!
Friends may not have the necessary equipment to pack, load and unload your belongings safely unless they work as professional movers. Furthermore, certain tasks cannot be completed such as transporting an heirloom painting across town or lifting 150-pound dressers up a four story walk-up.
So it’s best to create a list of all that needs to be done and plan in advance. Let your friends know about what tasks they should complete within a week of receiving this list; assign tasks they are capable of undertaking to each member.
3. Do Your Own Packing
If you have the time, energy, and inclination to pack yourself, this could be an effective way to cut costs when moving. By packing yourself you will also get to do an in-depth purge and eliminate items you no longer require for transporting.
Once you are ready to begin packing, begin by going room by room and compiling a list of what needs to be packed in each. This will enable you to group and label boxes accordingly.
As another useful tip, label each box with a color relevant to its intended room of residence – this will enable you to easily locate each one during unpacking!
As it will make it easier for movers to locate the boxes you require, be mindful when packing fragile glassware or valuable possessions that must be wrapped.
4. Do A Quick Stretch Wrap
Stretch wrapping is the quickest and most cost-effective way to protect items during shipping. From environmental factors like rainwater, sun exposure, and scuffing damage to handling incidents like bumping over roads or stacking high on pallets – stretch wrap helps safeguard loads against becoming damaged in transit.
Stretch wrap provides both protection and efficiency when packing items in warehouses; every inch of floor space counts! A properly wrapped package saves valuable warehouse real estate that could otherwise be utilized for other materials or equipment.
Start by pulling about one yard of plastic from its roll and gathering 8-10 inches at either end into a rope-like form, before threading it through one corner of your pallet.
