Face it – moving can be expensive. Actually, many people simply are not prepared for costs that can include things like the basics, such as packing supplies, truck rentals, and mover fees. Even when you are just moving across the city, the costs can shock you.

Knowing what you need to spend, and where you can save, can help you appropriately budget so that you can save money that you really need.

Moving Company or DIY?

This can be tricky. With a moving company, you get a set price. Doing it yourself might seem to be cheaper though. That said, there are hidden costs when you DIY your move. Aside from truck rental, you will need to make sure your insurance covers the truck, or buy insurance from the truck rental place. You will also need to plan for gas, and moving truck are not known to be fuel efficient at all. Then, you still have the stress of loading and unloading everything.

Before you hire a professional mover, you might want to take a few minutes and find out anything extra that you might be charged for, this can be done using a moving glossary. This could include things like extra carrying fees, or linehaul charges. There might even be a way to save more money. Try bargaining to get a better price, or move in the offseason. Do the movers charge by the hour, the weight, or how many rooms you are moving? Don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you can think of to discern any hidden costs.

Throw it Out

Humans tend to accumulate a lot of stuff. Unless you are a strict minimalist, the chances are good that you have stuff laying around that you don’t need anymore. Moving gives you the ideal opportunity to get rid of these things. This is also a great way to keep your moving expenses in check. Go through your closets. If you have anything that you haven’t worn in 6 months, get rid of it. Do you have appliances that you won’t need in the new place? Get rid of them. Go through your kid’s things and pare them down. Go through the Christmas and other holiday things and get rid of what you no longer use. You have to go through everything anyway when you are packing.

The thing is, you can turn your unwanted or unused items into cash. You might put them on eBay or Craigslist. You can put your things on apps like 5Miles or LetGo. You might even consider having a yard sale. Anything you don’t sell can be given to charity. The money you make from selling your stuff can go towards offsetting some of the costs associated with the move.

Book It

One great way to save money (and your back) on your move has to do with books. Books, not virtual ones, tend to be rather heavy, and this can make them expensive to move, especially if the movers charge by weight. If you have collected a lot of books that you can’t get rid of, or don’t want to, send them to yourself using the Post Office’s Media Mail. This is the cheapest way to send anything. It might take them a bit longer to get there, but you will save money and still have your books!

Pack it Yourself

If you pack your own things, as opposed to having the moving company pack them, you can save a lot of money. You need to pack carefully though, so that your belongings don’t get damaged during the move. Wrap your items in comforters, sheets, blankets, and thick towels. You can also save up your newspapers before the move and then use the newspapers instead of bubble wrap when you pack. You don’t need to pack anything that is in drawers. Simply slide the drawers out and wrap them tightly with plastic wrap. The same holds true for toy boxes. Put all of the toys where they go and then wrap the entire toy box in the plastic wrap.

You never know how much money you can save if you are not afraid to get a little bit creative when you move.

Categories: Real Estate