Whether you’re moving into a new house or apartment, moving is expensive. And that is on top of the costs of buying a new home or putting a deposit down on a new apartment. When you are in a situation of moving or changing your place of residence, there are many predictable and unforeseen financial expenses, so it is not surprising that many people want to try to save money during the move. Also, make sure you check out this article on how to prepare to move your house.
This is not as difficult as it may seem at first glance, though some details need to be taken into account. Although here are just seven ways to save you money when moving, the undeniable fact is that if you give it some thought and find many more ways to do it.
So, here are 7 ways to save money on your next move.
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Do It Yourself
In general, you can save money by doing a lot of things yourself. You could save quite a bit by packing yourself. If you load the moving truck, drive it and unload it, you’ll save even more. Just balance the money saved with the time and energy you have available to do it. And when you do it yourself, you have an incentive to pack things the way you want; carefully.
Look for Freebies
Although this is just one of seven ways to save money when moving, it is certainly wise to take care of this segment as well, and in no case buy new boxes to pack your items, but to go to a nearby store, for example, and ask them to leave you boxes of certain goods, which are of course clean, and pay special attention to the packaging of glassware and other delicate items. And by that, we mean that it’s best to wrap them in a daily newspaper rather than buy special packaging foils.
Freebies can always save you money. Ask around for free moving boxes. You might find them at universities or from neighbors who just moved in. If these aren’t available, buy lightly used, recycled boxes. Use newspapers and magazines as packing material as long as the items aren’t too fragile. Or even old blankets and towels.
Find out what appliances and other items will be at the new residence, so you don’t have to buy it. Or you could sell the one you already own.
Shop Around for Insurance
When you move into an apartment, know that the landlord’s property insurance doesn’t cover your property. When you move into a new house, you should get homeowner’s insurance. You can find cheap home insurance with iSelect.
Shop Around for Utilities and Other Services
Research electricity, natural gas, and telecommunications services. Find the best overall deal, though this should be balanced by the level of service. You could save more money by bundling services with a good service provider. For example, get gas and electricity from the same company.
Time It Right
People move to a new place throughout the whole year. Due to vacations, during the summer months as well as in the early autumn the highest frequency of relocation is. It is then that relocation agencies have the most work to do and crowds are created.
Therefore, if you are not bound by deadlines, consider moving during the spring days. Temperatures are neither unbearably high nor too low, so the conditions for the whole process are ideal. At the same time, you are more likely to be the free company you want to hire.
Otherwise, you put yourself in a situation of being forced to accept the only ones available, and for you much more expensive offers or those whose quality of services you will not be satisfied with.
You may not be able to choose the time of year you move (moving in winter is typically cheaper). However, you could save money by shifting your moving date a couple of days. Most people move over the weekend, so you’ll pay less if you move to the middle of the week. Or move in the middle of the month instead of the start of the month, since so many people are moving at the end and start of the month.
Get it in Writing
When you’re hiring a moving company, get a price quote in writing, not an estimate. Then they can’t sneak in extra fees. Use these price quotes instead of general estimates to hire the moving company after you’ve shopped around. Pay a little extra for moving insurance but get their warranty or guarantee in writing.
Confirm the date the moving company will be arriving and review the invoice before signing anything. This helps avoid extra fees tacked on for extra blankets or the cost of climbing up a flight of stairs. Have your inventory as well, so you can guarantee everything makes it to the destination during the move.
Clean House the Right Way
Go through your possessions and sell or donate items you don’t care about. Don’t pay to move them and then store them. Measure areas of the new house before you decide what to bring. Then you won’t bring furniture or appliances that don’t fit into the new home. Sell or donate them instead. Use up perishable items so you aren’t trying to move a fridge full of food.
Certainly, some appliances do not work properly, pieces of furniture that are damaged or do not fit into your new interior. Such things increase the cost of moving, and eventually unnecessary crowding in the apartment. You can sell the surplus as second-hand goods and earn extra money or simply donate to charity.
If you’re not sure about the proposal, think of it this way – the fewer loading boxes, the faster the job will be completed.
We hope we helped you with our seven ways to save money when you move, and you learn something new you did not know before. Happy moving, save money, and take care of your things!