Top Ten Ways to Reduce Moving Costs
Buying a new home can be costly: making a down payment, brokers fees and closing costs can quickly add up. Here are ten ways to reduce your moving costs and ease the financial bleeding:
- Sell or donate anything you don’t need. Start sorting and packing things you don’t need right away well before you move and decide what you don’t want anymore. There’s no reason to drag along that record player console when it no longer works and all your music is digital, especially considering that movers, generally, charge by the amount of stuff they have to move. If you sell enough you might even be able to cover most of your moving costs.
- Get multiple in-home estimates– at least three. The amount that movers charge can vary greatly from one company to the next, so it’s a good idea to see which one will do it cheapest. Be particularly careful with movers that give you an estimate without taking stock of your possessions (such as online or over-the-phone estimates). Also be aware of all the charges: some companies will charge you by weight, while others charge by the hour. When you get your estimates, most will be relatively close with another company much lower or higher than the rest. Take the middle ground. Companies that offer to move your stuff for an incredibly low cost often tack on additional charges later.
- Be wary. There are innumerable moving companies that will beg for your business and end up charging you hundreds or thousands more than you expect, or straight up stealing your belongings. A good way to avoid this is to ask your family, friends and neighbors for help and check online to see which moving companies are best. Make sure that they’re licensed, and check with the Better Business Bureau to see if they’ve had any past issues. There are many resources online to ensure that you’re dealing with a reputable company.
- Use the boxes, suitcases, containers and whatever else you can find around the house to pack your things before you go out and buy packing materials. Often times you can get boxes for free from grocery and retail stores. If you need additional boxes you should head to an office supply store rather than the movers and save a substantial amount of money. Pre-planned packing will keep cash in your pockets.
- Find out all of the fees you’ll be paying. Even the big-name movers have hidden costs that they won’t divulge unless you ask. Some companies charge for excessively heavy items (such as a piano), inconvenient delivery locations (fifth floor apartment), and delayed packing or arrival. Also, if you need it, make sure and ask for the largest delivery truck as some companies will charge the same amount for a smaller and larger truck.
- The next way of reducing your moving costs is to get portable storage and delivery. The cheapest route is to get friends and family to help you move. Don’t count on them to lug your stuff back and forth across town in an undersized pickup, but they can cut down packing times significantly. Rental trucks are another good idea. If you can get people to help you load and unload the truck, then you can save money moving companies would have charged you for labor. There are also specific storage companies that can be quite useful: you load up your belongings in a unit at your own pace, they move it and they’ll put any stuff you don’t immediately need into storage.
- This one elaborates on the previous recommendation: Get a rental truck and do it all yourself, and by that I don’t mean carrying your antique oak dresser on your back– rather, avoid the costs of a moving or portable storage company. Get a larger truck than you need, just in case (especially on long moves). Be sure that the rental company has a location near your new residence too, and find out all of the costs for mileage, fuel requirements, etc. And rent the proper equipment for towing your vehicle in advance as well.
- Get movers insurance, just in case. Your move is already costing you a significant amount of money– you don’t want to be paying even more if your belongings are broken en route. Most moving insurance covers your property by the pound, which may be less than it’s worth, but more than if it had been destroyed without insurance. Your homeowner’s insurance may cover your move; but, if not, you might wish to opt for full value insurance, which covers your whole shipment. But it’s also quite costly.
- The final way to reduce your moving costs is to have them deducted from your taxes. What’s more, some of the expenses of your trip can be paid for by your employer, if moving for professional reasons. There are several resources online to show you whether or not you’re eligible. There are few things better than saving money.