7 Easy Ways to Cut Costs When Planning a Move

For most of us, moving is a highly stressful activity that requires both time and financial resources to execute. Without adequate planning, moving can cost you tons of cash, especially due to the numerous costs associated with relocating either your home or business to a new location.

Below are 7 easy ways that will help you cut costs when planning your next move.

1. Avoid purchasing boxes

Truth be told, moving companies capitalize on selling or renting boxes to clients. Having to fork out extra coins for boxes can greatly affect your budget. As a result, it is advisable to look elsewhere for boxes. Boxes are literally everywhere, from the office to your house.

Also, in case your office is short on boxes, do not hesitate to ask friends and family for extra boxes. However, searching for boxes in a rush is not recommended as it greatly reduces your chances of finding the required amount of moving boxes.

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2. Avoid moving in the summer

Unfortunately, summertime is widely considered as the moving season due to favorable weather. As these cheap Vancouver apartment movers point out, moving companies tend to capitalize on summers and will not hesitate to overcharge due to demand.

Since most people prefer moving during the summer, moving during winter will help you negotiate lower charges and reduce your overall moving costs.

3. Sell what you do not need

If you take a closer look at your household goods or property, you will realize that some items are no longer useful. Avoid throwing unused property away during the last minute rush.

Instead, sort everything well in advance and look for buyers. Although you might end up underselling some items, the extra cash will come in handy, more so in helping cater for other moving expenses. Selling unused items will help free up space for other more important items.

4. Consider all options

By considering options such as moving items on your own, hiring professional movers or relying on friends and family, you will be better placed to make a decision. You can choose to hire a professional company to move the heavy and fragile equipment while you and your friends move the smaller items.

However, no matter the option you chose, be sure to prioritize the safety of your property to avoid incurring additional costs due to repair.

5. Plan in advance

The sooner you communicate moving dates with moving companies, the better your chances of negotiating charges. It is advisable to communicate with over a month to spare for you to receive the best possible charges.

Moreover, planning in advance will help you chose from a list of moving companies and determine the most favorable option.

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6. Involve family and friends

If you are on an extremely tight budget, it is advisable to consider asking for assistance from friends and family. Although they may not help move everything, additional assistance might help reduce overall workload and get you a cheaper quotation from moving companies.

7. Understand distance-related costs

Knowing the exact location and the associated costs of moving to the destination is important in cutting costs. By knowing more about the location, you will be in a position to determine alternative routes that are either shorter or easier to use.

Although such information might not reduce the moving costs significantly, it can help you negotiate with moving companies and get better deals.

Mistakes to Avoid When Moving Your Household Across the Country

No one enjoys moving, but it’s even less enjoyable when you make mistakes that could’ve been avoided. If you’re gearing up for a cross country move, be sure to keep these four tips in mind:

1. Falling for a Moving Scam

As moving cross country is an intensive process, most people reach out to movers and moving companies to help facilitate the move. However, this is the time when families are at their most vulnerable as scammers use the transitioning period as an opportunity to strike. Do your research to help you find the most reputable moving company before signing any agreements.

According to this moving company in Cleveland, OH, legitimate long-distance movers should always offer you an in-home estimate. This will detail the prospective moving costs you’ll likely have to pay based on your belongings and the size of your items. If you are offered an estimate without a representative from the moving company actually visiting your home, this is a red flag.

Similarly, reputable companies will provide you with the proper documents, a contract, and the option to pay when items are delivered.

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2. Moving with Little Time to Plan

Taking a spur-of-the-moment trip to a new vacation spot is okay but making a long-distance move on a whim is a recipe for disaster. There are too many details that won’t be accounted for if you make a move with little to no planning. The moving process is already stressful–don’t tack on any unnecessary anxiety that could otherwise be avoided.

The best way to avoid waiting until the last minute is to be proactive with your planning. As soon as you know that you have to move, start preparing. Begin your search for temporary housing, moving companies, and supplies. Put together a checklist for your belongings to ensure that you keep track of everything.

3. Forgetting to Set Up Your Utilities

With all of the attention you’re giving to your current home, it’s easy for other details involving your new home to slip your mind. However, without utilities, you’ll find that life after moving is less than enjoyable. Make it a priority to follow through with setting up the utilities in your name to avoid this moving day mishap. The last thing you need is to get to your new home and find that the water, lights, and gas aren’t coming on.

Give yourself a deadline of two weeks before the move. This will give the utility companies in your new area enough time to ensure everything will be on when you arrive. If you want to be overly cautious, be prepared with battery-operated appliances and candles if you waited too long to make arrangements.

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4. Putting Off Packing

At some point, everyone has been guilty of procrastinating with their packing. Packing is hardly an enjoyable pastime, but it must be done. One of the worst mistakes to make is to think that packing won’t take very long. This is almost always wrong as packing usually takes a lot longer than you think.

If you’re prone to avoid packing because of how time-consuming it is, give yourself ample time to tackle the process. Start months in advance and work at it a few hours a day. Chipping away at it bit by bit will ensure you are ready when moving day finally arrives.

The only way to make sure that your long-distance move is a success is to start planning and preparing well in advance. Keep this guide in mind as you prepare to relocate across the country.

Professional Moving Tips for Packing Your Kitchen

The kitchen can be a deceptive area when you are preparing to pack for a move. Because so many items may be concealed in drawers and cabinets, it is easy to underestimate the amount of stuff that you own and store in these spaces. More than that, many of the items in a kitchen are fragile and require special handling.

The unfortunate reality is that you likely will spend much more time packing your kitchen than you anticipated. Use these tips from pro movers to pack your kitchen efficiently.

Gather Supplies

Once you begin packing, you may gain momentum and remain focused on completing the job efficiently. The last thing that you want is to be forced to take a break because you run out of packing supplies or do not have the right combination of materials available. Open all of your cabinets and drawers, and mentally assign different clusters of items into boxes. This will help you to determine how many boxes you may need, and you can always estimate on the high side.

In addition, purchase plenty of bubble wrap and protective paper. You can always return unused packages.

Group Like-Items Together

Rather than pull items from various cabinets to place in boxes, try to keep most things from one cabinet or drawer together. You may even wrap your utensils tray with paper or bubble wrap so that you do not have to unpack each utensil physically.

When you begin unpacking boxes in your new kitchen, you will appreciate the fact that all like-items are packed in one box because this simplifies the unpacking experience.

Protect Your Belongings

All glass items should be carefully protected. Keep in mind that it is not enough to wrap the exterior of hollow items, such as glasses and bowls. You also should fill the interior with a protective wrap or material. In addition, avoid crushing glass items with other heavy items.

Remember that non-glass items may need protection as well. For example, you may need to protect small appliances or items with a special finish from damage.

Think About Weight

While the weight of a single pot or a plate may be minimal, an entire box of these items can be very heavy. When boxes are too heavy, they are difficult to move. This slows down the movers, and it also increases the chance that your boxes will be dropped. Damage of the contents may be increasingly likely. Except for large items that require big boxes, such as for large frying pans, cookie sheets, baking dishes, and other items, choose medium or small boxes for your items.

Periodically, lift boxes as you are packing them to ensure that they are still light enough for maneuverability. You can always place very light items on top heavier items. For example, the bottom of a large box may have a few pots and pans, and the top of the box may be filled with plastic storage containers and dish towels.

Packing the kitchen is often a more significant undertaking than you initially anticipated, but the project is still manageable. You can always recruit help to get the job done faster. Use these tips to pack your items safely and efficiently, and ask any helpers to follow these tips as well.