Take What You Need
Humans are collectors and the bigger your living space, the more you’ll likely collect. Consider what you actually need versus what you want to keep. You may even discover things that you neither need or want. The simple solution in those cases is to donate or throw it away. Donation centers will only take things in decent condition, so keep that in mind when you go through your stuff.
Come up with a system to sort through all of your belongings. A simple system would be to separate items into three categories: donate/throw away, put in storage, and keep. Whether your storage items go into a storage unit or into your new garage, you can free up some space in your new home.
What Can You Do Yourself?
Moving involves a lot of decision making and you have many factors to consider. How much time do you have, how physically capable are you, and how far are you moving, to name a few. Of course, it’s less expensive to simply pack up all your stuff and move it yourself instead of hiring help. Moving a studio apartment is quite different from moving a family of five, though.
Packing everything up and moving the smaller stuff yourself will lessen your cost. Consider whether or not you have the right tools and are physically capable of moving large items like furniture. Your moving cost will increase significantly if you tack on a medical bill for an injury!
Free Moving Supplies
Start by creating a list of all the moving supplies you need. Boxes, tape, and labels of some kind are a start. Ask friends and family about any boxes they may have on hand. You might even have some yourself. Try packing breakables with clothing or old newspapers to save some money on bubble wrap.
If you decide to hire movers, make sure that you have new boxes or that they are supplying the boxes for the move. Old boxes can be plenty strong, but not all of them are. Movers probably won’t be quite as gentle with all the boxes as you would be.
Ship Your Things
If you’re just moving a few blocks or even in the same city, this probably won’t make sense for you. If you’re moving further away, look into shipping your items. You may find that it’s actually cheaper than driving them in a moving truck yourself or hiring a moving company. You might even find that a combination of shipping and moving items yourself is the cheapest way to go.
Compare Costs & Ask For A Deal
If you do decide to hire a moving company, make sure to compare the costs and features of multiple companies. Pay attention to the details. Hiring the lowest cost mover might mean something gets broken during your move. Ask about or research the tools they use and look for reviews from other customers.
Once you’ve narrowed down the field of potential movers, ask them for a deal. This might seem weird, but sometimes moving companies can lower their prices if you work with them. For example, if you agree to a different moving time than originally requested, you might find yourself saving some extra cash.
Moving is one of the most stressful and exhausting parts of buying a new home, but if you plan properly and arm yourself with information, you’ll save yourself some headaches as well as some dollars.
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