Tips for saving money when moving

Relocations are costly, that is short and long of it. They can drain your budget really fast if you are not careful. However, there are ways to be saving money when moving, like booking movers early, hiring only the essential services, etc. In this article, Helix Transfer & Storage is going to present you with five money-saving tips that you can employ. We will cover how to get packing supplies on the cheap, how to ask for help (and get it), as well as how to deal with your moving company.

Saving money when moving – Five essential tips

Without further ado, here is what you will need to do:

• Book your movers as early as possible
• Hire only the services that you absolutely need
• Get cheap packing supplies
• Declutter and sell what you don’t need
• Enlist some friends to help

You can also consider alternate shipping methods such as container shipping and portable storage solutions. These moving services can save you quite a bit but they are not as straightforward as hiring a mover to relocate your items. If we presume that you want your relocation to be both cheap and convenient, then here’s what you need to do:

Book your movers as early as possible

Booking movers early comes with a set of benefits. First, you will be able to all but guarantee the moving date and time of your choice. Second, which is more important in this case, is the fact that you will have greater negotiating power. There are many companies out there, and most of them will offer to lower their prices a bit if you give them enough advance notice. At the very least you will be able to get a quote that is favorable. The reason why this is so is that movers have “off periods”. If you combine early booking with relocating in the off-season, the effect is even greater. You will be able to lower the price considerably, which will help you hire additional services or simply pocket the money.

All in all, booking early is a great way for saving money when moving and you should employ it.

Hire only the services that you absolutely need

Your movers can make your relocation as convenient as you can afford. They have a service for almost any occasion and they can even perform the entire relocation without you even being present. However, these conveniences usually cost a bit more than if you only hired the services that are absolutely necessary. For example, you can only rent a moving truck and load it yourself, which will save you a considerable sum. The same goes for packing. Bottom line is, the more you do on your own, the cheaper the move. Simple as that. Now, that being said, you still want to retain some convenience throughout your relocation. Talk with your movers, see what kind of package deals they are willing to offer. You may want to hire movers to relocate really heavy items while you deal with the rest.

Saving money when moving – Get cheap packing supplies

This is a great way to really cut down on the costs. You don’t need to purchase brand-new packing supplies from a store, you have other means of acquiring them. You will want to scribble “visiting local stores for cardboard boxes” down in your moving checklist. Basically, you will simply stroll around your neighborhood, paying a visit to local stores that you normally frequent. Ask them if they are willing to give you a box or two for your upcoming relocation. Most of the time, they will happily oblige. After visiting several stores, you will have all the boxes you might need. And, if that is not the case, simply expand your search to other stores. You may not encounter the same effectiveness as before but you will be able to obtain a box here and there.

As for packing materials, you will want to start by asking around your neighborhood if someone has recently moved in. Usually, people do not use up all of their packing tape, bubble wrap, etc. In most cases, they will want to sell you some of their surpluses. Of course, you will not be able to obtain everything you will need using this method alone. For the rest of the materials, you will need to turn to online marketplaces. Sites such as Facebook, Craigslist, etc. are a great place to find people who are selling these supplies on the cheap. But even after browsing all of them, you still may need to purchase additional items. Which is alright, as you have already made considerable savings!

Declutter and sell what you don’t need

While this is not exactly a way to make your move cheaper, what it does do is boost your finances which you can then pour into the relocation process. Every home has plenty of items that never see any use. What you need to do is identify them (decluttering process) and sell everything that is in good condition. You can use the same online marketplaces from when you searched for packing supplies or you can hold your own “garage sale”. However, the selling process can take quite a bit of time so it is imperative that you start it as soon as possible. In fact, as you might have already noticed, this is a recurring theme throughout this article. All these things take time. Therefore, as soon as you know that you will be moving, start with your preparations.

Enlist some friends to help

Lastly, you can always ask some of your friends for help. If you are concerned about “free labor”, you can always provide some rewards for their help. However, helping a friend out is a reward in and unto itself. People get satisfaction from helping, after all. You and your friends will have a much easier time lifting and carrying heavy items if you work together, which will considerably cut down on relocation costs. Saving money when moving is all about doing as much as you can on your own, after all. And with the help of your friends, everything gets easier!