Summer is an extremely popular time to move. Many people avoid moving to other months because their children are in school and do not want to disrupt the school season. As soon as the school comes out in May or June, people start their journey to their new homes and cities. Another reason why people often travel in the summer is that it is much more pleasant than trying to move in the cold, rain, snow or ice! If you are moving across the city or across the country, here are some tips for saving money when moving.
Think about when you’re moving
As we have already mentioned, most people move in late spring, summer and early autumn. And depending on the laws of supply and demand, it is likely that it will cost more than moving in the off-season, while all other things remain equal otherwise. If you have children that you don’t want to interrupt school schedules, you may not have a choice about what time of year you are moving.
Even if you are moving during the high season, you may want to consider saving money by not moving on weekends. Again, weekends are when a lot of people move, so many moving companies will charge more for going out on weekends. If you have the flexibility, consider moving within a week. If you are contacting a professional moving company, ask them if they will provide a discount if you move within a week.
Don’t move everything you have
Once you figure out when you plan to move, it’s time to realize that you are moving. No matter how many things you think you have, you have a lot more. It’s amazing how much you accumulate over the years. Be sure to carefully measure the dimensions of your new home to determine what will suit you. Sell, give away or give away everything that does not fit. The earlier you start the process, the better you will be.
If you have the flexibility to start moving a few weeks or months before you need to move, you will have time to sell things that you do not want to take with you. If you can’t have a garage or garden sale on your own, you may have a friend or family member who has one. See if they will allow you to sell some of your items when they are sold, either for a commission or at a fixed price. If you turn it in at the last minute, you risk getting things for free or, even worse, paying someone to transport it.
Regardless of whether you are moving to your own city or to a new city, this will affect the amount that you need to get rid of. When you travel long distances, you are limited to everything that is sent or placed on the truck. For shorter movements, you can take several trips. Whether you are moving to a smaller or larger place also plays a big role. In any case, it’s a good idea to try to cut as much as possible.
Saving money on packaging materials
There are several ways that you can save money on packaging accessories such as boxes. The best way to save money is to get the boxes from someone who moved in a week or two before. They will probably be happy if someone takes their boxes. If you don’t know someone who has recently moved, there aren’t many places to reliably get free moving boxes. One option might be Uhaul-as long as their boxes are not free, they will redeem all the boxes that you don’t use. This way, you don’t have to worry about overpaying for boxes.
Pack it (or move it) yourself
Another great way to save money while driving is to move things yourself. This is the perfect time to ask for help from your friends, family and the church. Of course, the expediency of moving will largely depend on your specific situation. Where you move, how much you need to move, and how many people you can reach will be the main factors in whether you can move things yourself.
Even if you hire a moving company, you can still save money by making the packaging yourself. Most moving companies will pack things for you, but it certainly increases the cost. Remember that if you pack things yourself, you may be responsible for any items that are damaged while driving.
Bottom Line
Moving around can be a stressful time, so it depends on your own specific situation to what extent you want to focus on saving money and saving time. If you can be flexible, try moving during the week and / or during the off-season. The next most important thing to save money when moving is to start early and reduce your assets as much as possible. The earlier you start, the more time you will have to sell things that you can’t take with you. If you can find someone who moved in shortly before you, ask if they have any moving boxes that you can use, and pack and move as many as you can to save money when moving.
