Moving is a stressful process. Many people would even argue that it’s the hardest experience they’ve put themselves through. What makes the ordeal that much worse are the huge costs associated with it. Between hiring movers and buying packing materials, many people invest a small fortune when switching properties. Thankfully, many of these costs can be tackled with careful planning. With that in mind, here are six money-saving tips you must know.
1. Work With An Expert
When moving to a new house on a budget, working with an expert can seem counterproductive. After all, professional help doesn’t come without cost. Nonetheless, there are many benefits that come with having a moving company by your side. A mover will have their owner-insured vehicle, for example, as well as packing supplies. This means you won’t have to source them yourself.
2. Clear Out Any Clutter
The less you pack, the easier a move will be. Leaving things you don’t need behind will also reduce transport, storage, and packing costs. Because of this, you should purge your home of anything you no longer want or need. Rather than throwing everything away, you should put good-quality items to one side. These can be sold online to offset the cost of moving house.
3. Move On A Weekday
Make sure you pick your moving day with care. When you hire a professional moving company, you’ll probably find that they charge a higher rate for weekend moves. This is because there is a higher demand for these days, as people don’t want to book time off work. Whatever day you choose, make sure you book well in advance. Doing so will ensure you get the slot you want.
4. Ask For Free Boxes
Paying for packing materials often isn’t necessary. Rather than doing so, you should head to your local supermarket. After unpacking all the goods, most stores have hundreds of cardboard boxes hidden out the back. If you pick the right day, the manager will happily hand a few over. Friends and relatives might have boxes leftover from their own house moves, so ask them too.
5. Redirect All The Mail
Redirecting your mail is an incredibly important moving task. You can’t afford to forget to do this. While you will have to pay a small charge, the cost of not redirecting would be much higher. Having your mail fall into the wrong hands is risky and could leave you a victim of identity theft. Make sure you change addresses for every company, including insurance and energy suppliers.
6. Pack An Essentials Box
Being organized when packing can avoid a lot of stress, as well as unnecessary costs. Make sure you pack an essentials box and give all other boxes a label. Doing so means that you know exactly where everything you need will be. If you can’t find an essential when you need it, you will have to replace it. This is unarguably frustrating since a label could have avoided the cost.
Moving houses is an expensive process, but with the advice above, you can cut costs.