There are many ways to make your move affordable and functional with less stress trigger.
Moving to a new place is the most exciting upcoming event for any family or individual. That is, until the day is right around the corner, and you have no idea where to start with the move! Our first piece of advice is to give yourself some time to relax and let the anxiety subside before planning your affordable long-distance move.
That’s right! You can save money on your move and enjoy the relocation regardless of your situation. There are many ways to make your move affordable and functional with less stress triggers. Ready to plan the best affordable move of your life? Let’s go!
Tips for an Affordable Long-Distance Move
1. Plan Ahead. No Stress Included
Moving is something best done with a proactive approach. Planning can save you from spending extra money at the last minute and having panic attacks! Once you have your budget for relocating ready, your move can be smooth with plans from A to Z prepared if something goes wrong.
2. Organize Your Stuff
When you are ready to move, you will inventory your items and may realize it’s more than you can take with you. But do not make the mistake of hiring a company that will charge you for organizing your stuff! You should organize your “stuff” yourself and de-clutter to make the move easy and cheaper.
3. Get Rid of the Stuff You Do Not Want
You have to make sure you are not taking unnecessary stuff with you for your affordable long-distance move. Therefore, you need to get rid of the things you do not want by using one of the two methods.
…if you do not want to spend money on a moving company, you can opt to get a rental truck.
The first method is selling the items you no longer want to keep and making some extra money. You can offer the products via online sites and sell them to make an extra buck. Sites such as Mercari, Poshmark, eBay, OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace are great places to sell off unneeded items and make some extra cash!
4. Donate the Rest
The second option is to donate the items you do not like or want for your new house. You can donate them to non-profits and local charities such as Father Joes, Salvation Army, Goodwill, Savers or local churches/community centers that can have a rummage sale in the future. Do a search on your current area to find non-profits you wish to donate unwanted items.
5. Get Multiple Quotes before You Decide
Moving companies have all sorts of pricing calculators, and you can’t find the best one at a cheap rate if you end up moving at the last minute. It’s also the reason why you need to plan and figure out the best company with the lowest rate for your affordable long-distance move! Conduct an online search (or even your local yellow pages if you have one) and request quotes from multiple moving companies before you decide which to choose. You can check for the actual and hidden fees before you finalize selecting a moving company.
6. Get Your Own Truck
If you do not want to spend money on a moving company, you can opt to get a rental truck and travel to your new location on your own (or with friends helping.) Make sure you reserve the truck weeks before your planned move so that you do not have to pay any last-minute/rush fee’s! Many local truck rental places (such as U-Haul) offer additional services such as packing materials or even local helpers to load your heavier items.
7. Pack Your Things
If you hire someone to pack your belongings for you, expect to pay around $25-$40 per hour. If you can pack items on your own, that’s how much you can save (425-$40 per hour). Besides the benefit of having an affordable long-distance move, packing yourself gives you the advantage of what each box contains which makes unpacking also manageable and less time-consuming.
8. Steer Clear of Moving Season
That’s when everyone else is moving! People prefer to move during the summer because the weather is nice, and school is on recess. The move is easy, with no ice to block your path. You can avoid this season and choose to move when roads are almost empty, and the rates of moving companies are not increased based on demand. We are not suggesting that you move during the dead of winter when snow and ice are on the ground but look at spring and fall which are less popular months to move than summer (when school is out!)
9. Don’t Buy Boxes
Paying for moving boxes is the ultimate sin when trying to save money on your affordable long-distance move. You can find boxes everywhere around you, and all you have to do is ask the people who have them lying around to give them to you. Or, visit your local grocery store, Costco/Sam’s club, Staples or Office Max, or other big-box stores and collect as many boxes as you can, for free!
10. Keep a Cooler
Your long-distance move will be cheaper if you are not stopping at every other fast-food joint or quick mart to buy meals and snacks. If you have a cooler prepared with goodies, you can reach your destination quicker and save money on food. Items that store nicely in a cooler include fruit, vegies (with ranch dip) and sandwiches, and of course, tons of water to stay hydrated for your drive.
Summary
If you use even just a few of these tips, you will be set to save yourself some money and move without much stress (let’s be honest, it’s always a bit stressful but let’s minimize with these tips). Happy moving!
