Moving is a major life event for any person. Whether you’ve moved multiple times throughout your life or are about to make the big step for the fifth time, there’s always room to make the process smoother and less expensive. That’s why in this article we share 20+ tips on how to save on moving costs.
How to Save Money on Moving Costs
Most moving costs can be divided into two categories.
- Moving out
- Hiring the movers
To help you get the most out of the experience, we’ll cover tips for both categories.
How to Save Money When Moving Out
Let’s start with general tips on how to save on moving costs when you’re getting ready to move out.
1. Sell What You No Longer Need
Downsizing your possessions is a great way to make the moving process easier. Ideally, you want to start separating the items that no longer serve a purpose in your life a few months before the move. Consider selling the things that are still functional, like old shelves, old silverware, or any bulky piece of equipment you don’t plan on using in the new home.
This way, you take the load off the moving service, if you hire one, and you also have fewer things to think about and maybe make some money in the meantime.
A great idea for getting rid of things you don’t need is hosting a yard or online sale.
2. Rent a Moving Truck or a Container
If you decide to do the moving yourself, or simply lack the budget to hire professional movers, you can always rent a truck or a container. With the former, you can fit all your items with the help of friends or family members and hit the road. Ideally, you want to have all your stuff safely tucked into boxes before the vehicle arrives, to maximize the cost-effectiveness.
You can consider using a container if you need to transport more items and require a larger time window for loading and unloading. When you hire a company for this, they park a large container in front of your house and let you fill it in a given timeframe. Once you’re ready, the container company will send someone to move it to the desired location. Much like during the loading process, they leave the container at your new house for as long as you need to unload everything.
3. Start Packing Early
It’s crucial to start the moving process as soon as possible. Doing so will give you plenty of time to organize the move in a way that won’t break the bank. You’ll have enough time to research affordable moving companies, if you decide to go for one, and get cheap moving supplies. This gives you more time to donate or sell the belongings you don’t want to bring with you.
4. Get Affordable Packing Supplies
Unless you partner with a moving company that includes cheap packing supplies as part of their services, you’ll want to buy mattress bags, tape, tape guns, packing paper, and other equipment at reasonable prices.
You can use popular web stores or visit local department stores for regular boxes and other equipment. You can ask the moving company you work with to lend you a wardrobe box on your moving day. Given that these tend to be expensive in stores, it’s worth getting a free one if possible.
When protecting your furniture, you can use blankets instead of large amounts of plastic wrap. Do note that protecting your furniture will be covered by a moving company should you decide to hire one.
5. Pack Yourself
One of the best ways to save money moving is to pack anything you can by yourself. When you’re all packed and ready to go when the movers come, it will take far less to transport everything. Sure, professional moving companies also offer packing services. But if you can’t afford to pay someone to pack everything for you, packing yourself can help you save some cash.
6. Use the Packing Material You Have
A smart way to save money on packing material is to use what you already have at home. Any large boxes (think Amazon or any other delivery) can serve a purpose when it comes to moving. The same goes for other packing materials like markers, tape, etc.
You can get creative and start thinking about any old newspapers or magazines you have that may be collecting dust in the basement and finally put them to use. At the end of the day, you’ll most likely have to purchase some packing supplies but the less you spend on them, the better for your budget.
7. Pack Things in Sheets, Towels, and Linens
Purchasing bubble wrap, paper, and boxes can really add up. But there are ways to cut costs by getting creative with how you source this material. You don’t necessarily have to purchase tons of packing paper to wrap valuables. You can use linens, towels, and sheets to wrap just about anything except breakable items. This includes kitchen accessories, plates, dishes, bowls, and the like.
8. Use a Separate Box for Necessities
Always use a separate box to pack emergency items and things that cover your daily necessities. This includes any medication, painkillers, pads, pet food, and similar items you would have to purchase in a store if they aren’t easily available on a moving day.
9. Make the Most Out of Your Suitcases
Suitcases can spare you a lot of money in terms of boxes and other packing materials. Since they have wheels, you can fill them with bulky items like books. Transporting a suitcase to the moving truck will be much easier than carrying boxes in your hands.
10. Get Help From Friends
A fun way to save money on professional movers is to get help from your friends or family. You can ask them for assistance both during the packing and moving process to alleviate as many expenses as possible; usually for the price of a few pizzas and soda.
Your close friends can help you organize a yard sale, pack, paint, clean, or even pet or babysit.
11. Keep the Valuables to Yourself
The moving process can get very long and complicated. This can also be true for the transportation of items. A crucial thing to remember here is to keep your valuables to yourself. This way, they have a much lower risk of getting lost. And if anything, you won’t have to blame anyone in case an item does go missing.
12. Use the Original Boxes for Appliances
Still have the original box in which your TV arrived? Great, use that instead of wrapping it in bubble wrap that costs money. Check the basement, attic, or other not as frequently visited places for original boxes for washing machines, TVs, fridges, game consoles, and other appliances and gadgets.
13. Consider Hiring a Moving Service
Hiring a moving service is the best decision you can make to actually save money moving. You can rely on expert moving professionals to transport your belongings for short and long-distance relocations. Some movers, like Moving and Storage Services, also offer international moving services if this is what you need.
You can also get help with the packing process. Professional movers use special equipment to transport your computers, electronics, and other costly items. This alleviates the risk of damage to your valuables and potentially having to spend additional money fixing them.
Some of the most popular moving services include the following.
- Moving and Storage Services
- U Save Movers
- Pack and Save Moving
How to Save Money When Hiring Movers
Now that we’ve covered different ways to save money when packing and dealing with the move by yourself, let’s look at how to save money moving house with professional movers.
1. If Possible, Move During the Off Season and During the Week
The time of the year you move can greatly affect mover rates. The high season for moving is from late spring until the end of August. This is when most of the moving companies have their peak busy times.
If you’re flexible with the moving dates, consider doing so from September to April. When moving companies don’t have much work, they will lower rates in order to attract more customers.
An extra tip when choosing the moving day is to go for any time during the week. Movers often have their hands super busy during weekends, even off-season. This is especially true towards the end of the month. Avoid being charged more for hiring the service during peak hours and consider hiring the professionals during the week.
2. Do Your Research Before Hiring a Moving Company
The hiring company you choose can greatly affect how much money you’ll spend on the move. Make sure to do thorough research before you sign the deal. Read online reviews and check for negative comments in particular. If multiple people complain about a company being too slow or expensive, it’s a red flag. You want to go for a company with reviews mentioning that their movers work efficiently and quickly.
3. Get a Fixed Rate From the Moving Company
If you hire a moving company, it’s necessary to take all the steps possible to make the experience less costly. You can ask your company to give you a fixed rate for the project. Many professional movers charge by the hour and increase the rates the longer it takes to move everything.
When you get a fixed rate, you pay what you both agreed on. Shoot for the rates that are in your budget.
Note that when doing business under a fixed rate, you’re required to keep your inventory list with you.
4. Beware of the Extra Fees
You may find movers that charge additional fees for fuel, stairs, long carrying, packing material, etc. The best way to calculate all the extra charges is to ask the company directly exactly what services they include in their hourly or fixed rate.
5. Don’t Settle for Cheap Movers
The whole idea behind this article is to help you save money on moving. You’d think that going for the cheapest professional moving company will help you achieve that. But thinking in this direction could be wrong. Don’t risk your stuff getting damaged, broken, lost, or delivered much later by hiring unreliable movers.
Additional Money-Saving Tips – Moving Home
Here are some extra tips on how you can save money in other areas in your moving process.
1. Change Your Address Promptly
Don’t wait too long before changing your address after a move. This will help you take advantage of USPS’s coupons and moving discounts. Don’t forget to visit their website and indicate the change of address the moment you get your moving date.
2. Cancel Your Subscriptions
Moving out is an excellent opportunity to review your current subscriptions and cancel the ones you won’t use at the new location. This may include a local gym membership, wine club membership, and others.
3. Ask Family Members or Friends to Keep an Eye on the Kids
You’d think the moving process would require you to hire nannies for multiple hours each day while you get things settled. But you can always ask your family and friends to watch your children (or pets) for you. This will allow them to spend time together before the move and save you some cash at the same time.
4. Consider Energy Inspection at the New Home
A good idea to save money in the long term when moving into a new home is to have its energy efficiency inspected. Maybe there’s work needed to ensure proper insulation, or there are leaking windowsills that cause drafts. Get these significant energy-wasters checked so you can take further steps toward making your home more energy efficient.
Your Budget Doesn’t Have to Suffer When You’re on the Move
Moving homes isn’t the most economical task out there. Finding the packing material, hiring a moving company, and inspecting the new home all cost money, not to mention the time and effort it takes. With the amazing money-saving tips in this article, you can achieve significant savings throughout the process. And with affordable movers like Moving and Storage Services, you can find great deals without breaking the bank or your back.
