8 Cheap Ways To Move Across Country
If you’re planning on relocating across state lines, perhaps deciding to move from San Francisco to Los Angeles, cost management will be a major concern for you. The cost of moving long-distance varies depending on the amount of work needed to get you relocated, but there’s much you can do to keep things in an affordable range. The distance, the volume of goods to be transported, the nature of your household items, and whether or not you have any special requirements are some of the factors that come into play here.
You can expect to pay anywhere between $2,000 and $5,000 for your relocation, and this is merely an estimated range, for an exact quote, you’ll have to contact professional long-distance experts. Not to worry though, in this article, we’ll share with you proven tips and tricks to help you lower your moving costs significantly.
Cutting Down Expenses For Moving Long-Distance, 8 Tips
We’ve pieced together some of the most practical tips and advice from moving experts from within our ranks to help you cut down costs and move long-distance, stress-free. These are just general tips to help you get started in the right direction:
1. Screen Your Packing List
Firstly, you need a packing list, and once you have that ready, screen out things that you don’t need, all the non-essentials. The lesser the volume of moveables, the cheaper your move. Lighten up by selling things you don’t need or can replace easily, you can even do a yard sale, or simply donate some of your stuff to the less privileged.
Plus, don’t buy new things when you’re about to move, you’ll have a lot of time to do so once you’re relocated.
2. Understand The Importance Of Time & Season
Moving costs are also affected by ‘when’ you move. The summer season is the busiest for movers, and thus you can expect to pay much more this time of the year. The same is true for the end of every month, so try going for the first or second week.
Also, weekday moving is cheaper than relocating over the weekend; time it right, and you’ll save a decent sum.
3. Look For The Most Competitive Rates
Explore the market, don’t settle for the first option you come across. Look for service providers who’ll do the same amount of work for less, like this company. But be sure to look at the services being offered before you move to avoid any trouble later on.
4. Ask For Discounts
You need to specifically ask for any discount deal that the company may be willing to offer. Companies tend to offer lower moving costs during their off-season, or you could seek military personnel and veterans discounts. This also applies to the family members of veterans.
Plus, if you get a military moving company to handle your relocation, they’ll know exactly how to address your specific needs (i.e. for a military move).
5. Try Moving On Your Own
You can rent a truck, preferably for a one-way ride, to move your stuff yourself. This is the cheapest option but is the most challenging one as well. If your belongings are not so voluminous, you can also pack things up in a trailer and hitch it with your car.
6. Rent A Portable Storage Container
Perhaps your move is scheduled for later, but you want things to be perfectly smooth, and cost-effective. Getting a portable storage container can help; you can put all of your stuff in one place and then relocate when it’s time. The overall cost may be around $1,500 (minimum).
7. Try Shipping Your Stuff
This option only works if you don’t have to move furniture or something bulky. You can simply book an air travel ticket, or take a bus ride, or move on a train and carry your stuff with you for some extra luggage fee. This will be quite cost-effective, but only if your stuff is not bulky.
8. Look For More Ways To Save Money
Packing tapes are all the same, so no need to waste your bucks on premium brands. You can use cardboard boxes disposed of by grocery stores for packing, instead of buying new ones. Craigslist is also a nice place to look for necessary items for discounted prices. And if someone wants to help, let them!
Bottom Line
Hopefully, you’ll be able to move across state lines without having to spend a fortune. Just prepare well beforehand, and things will be fine for you. Create a list of things to do, make a packing list as well, and then figure out where you can make cuts. The preparation phase is very important, don’t put off things until the eleventh hour. Experts claim that the time spent planning something helps you cut at least twice as much time, if not more, for when you go ahead and do that activity. Just figure out a way to do things without spending too much, and if you’re uncertain, seek expert opinion in the matter.