Ways to Cut Costs When Moving

You can't help but get excited about moving to a new home. However, if this is going to be your first time experiencing the joys and challenges of relocating, here's an essential fact about the moving process that you need to come to terms with: it's going to cost you money -- probably more than you expected it to.

Hauling all your belongings from your old house to your new one can get expensive. With the current rate of local moving services, plus the cost of packing supplies, the whole thing can easily set you back a few thousand dollars.

Moving does not have to put a massive strain on your finances, though. There are plenty of ways to keep your moving costs down, and here are some of them:

Consider moving on off-peak seasons.

Your moving date can have a significant impact on how much the move is going to cost you. Moving services are more expensive during peak moving season, which is usually from May to August.

If you're serious about cutting on moving costs, avoid jumping into the crowd of moving families and set your move anywhere between October and March instead. Less people move during the fall and winter seasons; moving companies offer as much as 50% off on professional moving services around these months.

Purge your possessions.

Most movers charge by the pound and distance traveled, so think long and hard before taking those furniture pieces you’ve been storing in the garage for years with you. It makes no sense to pay extra for things that will just gather dust in the storage room of your new house.

If some of your stuff is too precious to let go, why not give them away to your family members or closest friends? That way, they’re still with people dear to you. Otherwise, you can make some money from all the stuff you’re letting go by holding a garage sale.

Move some of your belongings yourself.

If you’re only relocating within the state and your new home isn’t too far away, you can save a few dollars by packing and moving some of the smaller items yourself.

Stuff like shoes, books, and kitchenware take time to pack, but they’re lightweight and should be easy to move. Consider driving them to your new place several days before your scheduled move, so the movers will only have to take care of the fragile and heavy items on moving day.

Use alternative packing and moving supplies.

To save more money during a move, you need to pay attention to smaller moving expenses. Many people don't think much of the money they spend on moving boxes and packing supplies, but you'll be surprised at how much they can add up to.

Instead of purchasing new moving boxes, why not ask your friends and relatives if they have some extra ones that you can use? If you need more, ask your local grocery store if they’re selling some of their discarded cardboard boxes. They might even give it to you for free!

In case you need protective materials for your more fragile belongings, you can use towels, blankets, old clothes, and newspapers instead of buying packing supplies.

Shop and compare rates from several moving companies.

You need to come up with several options if you want to score a great deal. There should be several moving companies operating in your area, and some of them may have packages and promotions that you don’t know about.

Get an estimate from at least three reliable moving companies and compare their offers. Most professional movers will conduct a video survey or personal inspection of your belongings before giving you a quote.

These are just some of the things you can do to cut your moving costs. As long as you plan ahead of time and take on some of the work yourself, you'll be able to save money. While moving expenses are inevitable, moving to a new home does not have to burn a hole in your pocket.

Art Lopez is the founder and owner of A&C Brothers Moving & Storage, a Phoenix moving company that helps residents from all over Arizona take the stress out of local and interstate moving.