How To Move House When You’re On A Tight Budget

While moving to a new location can be an exciting experience, it can also be particularly expensive, depending on how many goods are required to be moved and the distance that you require your mover to travel. When you take the time to consider all the things you need to do before you move, you quickly realise that the expenses only seem to rise and rise. This fear is compounded further if you happen to working on a tight budget. The question is: how do you keep your moving costs down?

This article outlines some of the best ways to complete your move, while keeping moving related expenses to a minimum.

1) Understand your budget

The first thing you're going to need to know is how much you're willing to spend on your move. In order to successfully complete your move within your budget, you have to set an exact amount that your move must not exceed. If you do not set an exact amount to work with, the chances are, you'll end up spending a whole lot more than you originally planned to.

2) Manage your time efficiently

Make sure that you make your decisions before you run out of time. Last-minute decisions lead to last-minute spending, and you may end being forced to spend more than you can afford.

3) Start planning early

When you are sure you will be moving, you should start making plans for the moving date. Look to create a journal to note down what you will be moving to your new space and what you will be leaving behind. Part of your pre-planning should also include how to hire a moving company that will move your items for you. Having a detailed plan will help you to identify any loose ends quickly, without them affecting your move on the departure date.

In addition, to prevent any unforeseen budget blowouts, always have plans for multiple moving options. This would help you switch to the best alternative in case your initial plan doesn’t work out.

4) Downsize before you move

When moving to a new location, it’s always a good idea to get rid of things around the house that you no longer need, before you move. There is no point in packing all your items up and moving them to your place. Instead, sort out your stuff before the moving day and separate things you need from those you won’t be needing. This will save you enough space and reduce your rate when the moving company surveys your item.

If you choose DIY, disposing of unwanted items will help you create space while moving your belongings into the rental truck. Once you’ve identified all the items that you no longer need, you can choose to either give them away, sell them or throw away anything that is beyond repair.

For items that still are in good condition, whether they be electronics, a couch, a video game, or a TV. Check their condition to confirm they are still okay, them online for free using Facebook or eBay.

5) Source free moving materials

Many facilities that receive daily shipments, such as grocery and department stores, have no use for many of the boxes after they’ve unpacked the items from them. You can often obtain these materials for yourself, at a fraction of the cost that you’d normally have to pay. In some cases, you may even be able to get the materials for free.

6) Identify the best time to move

The day of the week you choose to move on, can greatly impact your moving costs. If you plan to move during the weekend, you should be prepared to pay a premium. To reduce expenses, look through your weekly schedule and identify a weekday that is ideal for you. Just as weekend moves typically attract higher fees, so to do extremely busy times of the year, such as the Easter period, as well as the holiday season in late December and early January.

7) Don't be afraid to ask for help

You may have friends who would be willing to help you move house, so why not ask them? Of course, even friends most likely won’t offer to help unless you provide them with some kind of incentive, such as a carton of beer or even any offer to invite them around for a party once you’ve had a chance to move in.

8) Enlist the services of a professional moving company

To save money, you may be tempted to do without a professional moving company, for fear that their services will simply cost too much money. However, doing this is unwise because a good moving service will actually help you to keep your costs down, by ensuring that everything is delivered safely and securely to your desired destination, quickly and efficiently. With a trusted mover, you won’t need to worry about any of your valuable possessions being damaged during the move.

9) Search online resources for DIY moving

If you do decide to tackle the move on your own without the assistance of a moving company, you should always look online for tips that will help make your DIY move that much easier. A great to place start when searching for any tips and guides online, is YouTube. Doing a search for ‘moving hacks’ will bring up an endless list of DIY moving guides.

Conclusion

While moving house can often be time-consuming and expensive, proper planning and smart decisions will help keep your costs down. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can look to achieve a house relocation that won’t break the bank and won’t attract an unnecessary amount of stress.