Is moving homes really that expensive? Yes, it is.
Most people think that a wedding is the most expensive thing anyone can experience, but it isn’t. With finding a house, hiring a shipping company, setting up utilities and connectivity, painting the house, and hosting a housewarming party, relocating to a new place can be more expensive than planned.
Fortunately, there are plenty of budget truck moving tips that make relocating on a budget possible. Here are some tips for moving on a budget that will help lessen moving expenses.
1. Declutter wardrobe, discard unnecessary items, or sell them
Every home, no matter how small the housing fixtures may seem, will have unnecessary items sitting in one corner of the house. Moving is the best time to get rid of these items. The weight of each item plays a significant role in determining the cost of the move.
This simply means that relocating without decluttering the wardrobe will lead to transporting excess baggage that may tell on finances. Think of it as making way for new items to sit in the closet of the new house. But, there’s a catch!
After decluttering the wardrobe, getting rid of these items may be challenging. Of course, many people opt to discard them in the trash can, but this doesn’t feel eco-friendly. Plus, other people may find that particular item useful. Since they are no longer useful, sell them to people who want them. Organize a garage sale to make it easy to ditch unwanted items and make some small cash.
2. Save money on cheap packing and packaging supplies
Another trick on how to cut moving costs and also save money is to find cheap packing supplies.
It may not seem like an easy task at first, but it is quite easy to get packing gear like boxes and packing paper without paying a penny.
The simple answer to moving without spending so much on packaging supplies is to ask family, friends, neighbors, and people in your circle whether they have any in storage that they don’t need anymore. Alternatively, visit the grocery, departmental, medicine, hardware, or bookstores. They always have some cardboard boxes laying around they plan to recycle.
3. Stay Clear of the Weekends and Summer
These two seasons are referred to as the peak season because the streets and highways are always packed with people changing homes, no matter the destination.
The major reason many people prefer moving during the summer is not that they have more free time on their hands or because it is the vacation season. No, it is due to the warm weather conditions that come with the summer month. Relocating during the summer makes it possible to dress lightly and also move around without stepping through a puddle of water or ice.
Unfortunately, the downside of choosing to relocate during the warm summer season means moving rates increase drastically due to the number of people queueing to book shippers’ help.
Scheduling the move during the off-season will cut this cost, especially during winter months. Landlords find it difficult to lease apartments, and shipping companies have it hard since people are staying home to enjoy the festive season with their loved ones. Sure, the cold climate might mean dressing heavily, and with the roads filled with snow, moving can be difficult. There’s also the fact that family, friends, and neighbors won’t readily help during this time of the year, but with proper planning, moving on a budget will be twice as possible.
4. Check and compare prices of professional movers (you can insert a link in this paragraph)
Moving companies differ from their services to their estimates. But, the most important thing that sets them apart is their estimate. Don’t hire shippers without knowing their shipping rates.
Some quotes won’t state things clearly, but it’ll be possible to spot scam moves. On the other hand, some shipping companies offer too-good-to-be-true estimates that entice customers at the first glance. These shippers are likely scammers and will run off once they get their money.
Before choosing a relocation company, compare their prices with that of other companies to find a budget-friendly shipping company. Then again, this would mean requesting three quotes from different shippers.
Homeowners thinking of engaging shippers to pack their homes will have to pay high costs due to the extra services. However, some shipping companies won’t charge an exorbitant amount. Visit https://starkmovers.com/services/packing-services/ to know more about how much shippers charge for moving packing services.
5. Utility planning
Planning how to transfer home utilities on time will also make it easy to relocate on a budget. However, the timing may affect how much one spends on transferring utilities.
Why transfer utilities a few months to changing homes when they won’t come in handy until the move-in?
Before transferring utilities to the new address, figure out the relocation date. This way, it becomes easy to plan utility on time while saving money. Just contact the utility company, whether in the current state or the new state to let them know of the impending switch and when to make it happen.
Also, make sure to pay for previous utility bills so it doesn’t add up after changing homes. Else, the bills will only keep piling up, and it won’t be possible to shift homes on a budget.
Conclusion
No matter the state, whether Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, or any other part of the United States, changing homes is not an easy task. Spending money is inevitable but not impossible to avoid. Take advantage of this guide on how to reduce moving costs to make changing homes with a low-cost budget possible.
Also, don’t forget to ask the shipping company about discounts or other promotional pages that come with using their services. Some relocation companies won’t offer discounts even if they offer some without being asked any questions.