Are you in the midst of planning a big move for your family? Already stressing out thinking about everything that needs to be figured out before you are finally settled in your beautiful new home? Moving can be a daunting and costly process that can certainly get the better of you. While moving can be a hassle there are definitely a number of ways you can lighten your load and make moving an enjoyable and exciting experience for you and your family. Scroll on to discover a few ways to save time and money while moving.
Move during the off season
Moving is an industry that experiences a great deal of seasonality throughout the year. This means that some times of year are much less busy than others. People don’t often move during the winter months. This is for a number of reasons. Obviously nobody wants to go out and carry furniture around in the cold, but there are some other reasons why fewer people move in the winter time. One of the biggest reasons is that families often avoid moving in the winter in order to prevent uprooting their kids from school mid-year. This opens up the schedules for moving companies. With less demand you can often negotiate with moving companies and get a better price. If you are moving with kids this may not be a great option but if a move is necessary it is worth a try.
Compare different Moving Companies
If you plan on hiring movers to handle the heavy lifting for you, you can save yourself a decent amount of money by shopping around. Think of it like shopping for a new car, you don’t usually just buy the first car you find. You can often discover a great deal by shopping around. When you call different moving companies make sure you ask about extra fees for stairs or any other oddball fees that might get tacked on without your knowledge. I have heard stories of families getting a price to move their furniture only to find that they were charged extra fees because the furniture was located upstairs. You can also avoid hidden fees by requesting a fixed price before the service is completed. That way you know exactly what to expect when it’s time to pay. Doing this can save you hundreds of dollars.
Be strategic when packing
Organization is an important part of not only moving but life in general. Solid organization strategy can help you make the most out of the space in your closet, in your home, or in this case, in moving boxes and moving trucks. Many items around the house can be condensed inside of one another. For example, baskets can be filled with blankets or pillows to help conserve space and get the most out of your boxes or the space in your moving truck. Pots and pans should be nested within one another to make as much space as possible. The more space you save the more money you will be able to save. You may be able to get away with a smaller moving truck or less moving boxes if you are able to strategically pack your items to take up as little space as possible. Think of it like a game of 3D Tetris.
Offload unwanted items before the move
Let’s face it, we all have clothes that we don’t wear or random items that we will most likely never use again. If you are planning on moving, getting rid of unwanted or unused items can help you save money while moving. Not only will you be able to conserve space and use less boxes when you get rid of things, you can often sell the items or articles of clothing and use the money toward your move. You can sell clothes on Poshmark or at thrift stores in your area. Another way to make money off of your old unwanted items is to hold a yard sale or a garage sale to sell the things you either don’t want anymore or just plain don’t want to move.
Get your boxes for free
Boxes and other packing materials are some of the biggest expenses when moving. If you go out and buy brand new moving boxes you will likely end up paying around $2 per box. If you want to maximize your savings during your move you can get boxes for free by searching on Craigslist in your area. You can also try to save larger boxes from Amazon purchases or other large deliveries to use for your move. Be sure to ask neighbors and friends if they have any extra boxes laying around that they could donate to the cause. While finding boxes for free may not save you hundreds of dollars, those who want to maximize savings may be interested in putting in the extra effort to find free moving boxes.
Moving is a tough endeavor. It requires hours of planning and intense labor to get all of your furniture and belongings moved into your new home. If moving is something you have been dreading it may be worth the money to hire a team of professional movers. Titan Elite Moving & Packing is a great moving company in Memphis that can handle your entire move from start to finish. They can handle all of the packing, transportation and unpacking and will make sure you don’t have to lift a finger. Just a suggestion and be sure to ask multiple different companies for quotes!
Alternatively, if you’re looking for mover job, then take a look at MovingWork.com, which is a job board specifically designed for people who are seeking employment with a moving company.