Every year millions of Americans make a move. Whether it’s down the hall of the same apartment complex or across the country, moving requires preparation, coordination, and expenses. No matter how “small” the move is, it’s a big deal in your life. It’s also a big deal for the bank account.
Use these tips to make the moving process easier and save some money at the same time.
5 Tips to Save Money on Moving Process
Start Planning Early
The number one rule of moving is to start the process as early as possible. The more time you have the less stressful it will be and the more likely you are to find good deals on moving services.
Hire Licensed and Insured Moving Professionals
The moving industry is full of fly-by-night companies and contract workers that leave a lot to be desired in terms of quality and service. It’s tempting to use cheap service providers to save money on the move, but in the long run, it can end up costing a lot more.
This is particularly true for a long distance move where there are a lot more moving pieces and miles to cover. In those cases, an experienced long-distance mover like Allied Movers that is fully licensed and insured is worth it. You’ll have added reassurance that you’re covered in case there is a problem, and true professionals can provide guidance and advice that saves you a lot of time, money and stress.
If you’re really short on time or you have fragile pieces, you may want to consider hiring professional packers. It’s an added expense, but if there’s risk of damaging an item that costs thousands of dollars or you won’t be able
Make it a Family Affair
Moving when you’re single isn’t fun, but it’s usually easier from a logistical standpoint than trying to move with your whole family. There’s more stuff involved, more people involved and a lot more emotions to manage.
The trick is to make moving a family affair where everyone plays a role. Getting your children involved is one of the best ways to help kids during a move. Moving can be hard on kids of all ages. They can feel like they have no control over the situation and the rug is being ripped out from under them, literally. Letting them be a part of the process will give them back a sense of control, especially for older children if they are in charge of packing up their stuff and get to choose design elements for their new room.
One thing you’ll want to do is have one person in the family be the general manager of the move. That person should be the primary decision maker and help keep everyone on the same page.
Create a Moving Timeline
To-do lists and schedule help keep any project on track. A moving timeline that notes every possible to-do and puts things in order is key to making a move as efficient as possible. The moving timeline to break things down into months and weeks. However, the last couple of weeks before the move, the timeline should lay things out day-by-day.
Make Time for a Yard Sale
One reason why you want to start the moving process sooner rather than later is so that you can go through all of your things and get rid of what you don’t need. Sure, this can be a little time consuming, but it can both save you money and provide extra cash for the move. The more you have to move the more it will cost in packing materials, a larger moving truck and a heavier load.
Anything you no longer want or need that’s in good condition can be sold at a yard sale (or sold online). Throwing a successful yard sale requires at least a week or two because you need to get the word out. Tell everyone you know that you’re having a yard sale, post about it on social media and make a listing on Craigslist. The more traffic you can generate the better.
Moving is a big undertaking, but the simple steps above will go a long way to minimizing the impact on your life and wallet.
