How to Save Money on Moving Costs: 5 Cheap Ways to Move
Moving from one house to another, especially long-distance, is a costly endeavor. Not only do you have to pay for realtors, appraisers, and the new place itself, you also have to plan for the price of moving your belongings.
Thankfully, if you learn how to save on moving costs ahead of time, you could save yourself thousands of dollars.
Not sure where to start? Read on for five cheap ways to move that will help you stay on budget.
1. Downsize Before You Pack
The more stuff you try to take with you, the more expensive moving will be. If you’re trying to figure out how to save on moving costs, start by downsizing your belongings.
A few months before your move, go through each room in your home and pull any items you can part with. Donate or sell as many as possible instead of throwing them out. Selling items can give you quick cash to put toward the move and donating can repay you later as a tax deduction.
Before you go and sell all your belongings, ensure that the cost of transporting them would be greater than the cost of buying new items upon arrival. It may be easier to save on moving if you keep the larger items and follow our next tip instead.
2. Rent a Truck
No matter how hard you try, fitting an upright piano in your sedan isn’t going to happen. Before you cave and hire a moving company, though, see if you can rent a truck instead.
As long as you’re up for a bit of heavy lifting, this option is far more cost-effective. Renting a truck costs $50-2,000 while movers cost $900-10,000.
Have everything packed and ready to go before you pick up the truck to get the most bang for your buck. Many companies rent their vehicles by the day or the hour. By streamlining the process, you’ll only have to pay for the truck while you’re actually using it.
3. Save Your Recycling
Saving money to move is a lot easier when you don’t have to spend it all on boxes. For a wealth of free packing materials, check your recycling bin! Shipping boxes, newspapers, magazines, and bubble mailers all work well.
The expert movers at Inner City Moving & Storage Company recommend not using newspaper to pack things that can’t be easily cleaned, because the ink may rub off during the move. Crumpled newspaper is great for things like glassware and cutlery, but try to wrap decor items and artwork in blankets or towels instead.
4. Get Free Boxes and Paper
If you don’t have a lot of packing-friendly recycling or don’t have time to save it up, there are still ways to get your moving materials for free. For boxes, check grocery stores, liquor stores, and large hardware stores. For packing paper, ask your local newspaper for their leftover newsprint remnants.
5. Don’t Move During Peak Season
Our last tip on how to save money to move isn’t always possible, but when you follow it, it can pay off big. Most people move during the warmer months, so if you can brave the cold, try to move between October and April. Many moving companies and truck rentals run specials during this time of the year.
These Cheap Ways to Move Can Help You Save Money
Moving is expensive, there’s no way around it. If you follow our tips for cheap ways to move, though, it’s a lot easier to stick to a viable budget.
Looking for more helpful advice like this? Take a moment to read through the other articles on our site.
