Moving is a lot of work. However, with some planning and the right mindset, you can move on a budget and enjoy a tidier, less cluttered home. You can start planning and packing as soon as you know your moving date.
Ways to Cut Moving Costs for Your Family
So that you will be ready to save money and make moving easier for your family, let us look at five epic ways to cut moving costs.
Be Ready To Re-Purpose
Once you know, there’s a move in your future, start. If you already have things in storage or boxes, go through each box and decide what you want to take. Donate or discard anything that doesn’t suit you. You can also save it for a moving sale, but take care you don’t end up sneaking things back into the “keep” boxes as you work.
Make a map of your new space, and measure what you already own. If you lose a bedroom in the move, can you use one chest of drawers as a dining room sideboard or a television stand? Not only will this give you more storage in your new space, but you won’t have to spend money on new furniture when you arrive.
Now is also the time to take a hard look at your everyday items. If your regular dishes look pretty shabby, maybe it’s time to go ahead and use the excellent dishes every day. Donate the old set to a family shelter and move only one set of dishes carefully wrapped in the contents of your linen cabinet.
Similarly, keep an eye out for little libraries so you can get rid of books you don’t want to move. Children’s books can be donated to the local YMCA daycare, and craft supplies may be helpful in the Occupational Therapy department of a nearby nursing home.
Ask for Help
Once you know you’re moving, you should reach out to friends. Your friends who work in offices can collect free paper boxes for your move. For those who love thrift shops, your trip can help you find old blankets for packing. Those who take a Sunday paper can save them for their glassware.
Don’t forget to put technology to work. Set up a social media group or a chat that includes all the folks who offered to help. Tell them when you plan to make a big declutter, donation, or pack for a day.
If you have friends who can’t manage packing, see if they can keep an eye on your moving sale. Those who love to cook can provide you with a home-cooked meal after a hard day of packing. Check in with your children’s friends to see if you can arrange an overnight or a long playdate to give you more time to sort and pack.
Hire The Right Services
Your family van may be an ideal moving tool, but your convertible probably won’t do much good. Consider moving your classic car with a car shipping service in California or other areas nationwide to avoid wear and tear on the vehicle. Using a vehicle shipping service will also free up a driver for any rental vehicles you need to use.
If you’re not going far, remember that any trailer can move bulky furniture and boxes that aren’t tall. If you’re moving in winter, you may be able to borrow or rent a trailer from a landscaping business. They may even be willing to hire out for the day and drive the truck.
Should you need to move for work, you may have to travel to your new location several times in the weeks following your move. Rent a small storage unit in your new town and bring boxes with you on each commute. The more you have packed up and moved early, the easier your moving day will be.
Rely On Friends And Family
Depending on your age, asking your friends to move very large or heavy items into the truck or onto the trailer may not be wise. However, if you have a retired friend looking for an adventure, asking them to be one of your drivers can seriously reduce your moving costs.
Be ready to reach out for a place to stay as well. If done right, your last day of packing will leave you no place to sleep. If you can head to a friend’s house and enjoy a shower, some hospitality, and a good meal before you leave, you can save the cost of a hotel or an Airbnb.
Seek such support in your new city and on your moving route. If you have family or friends who can feed you, even if you pitch a tent and camp with your kids in their backyard, you will save considerable money on your move.
Update Your Possessions
Now is also the time to consider getting some things refinished or reupholstered. If your sofa looks ragged, get it picked up by the reupholsterer the day before you move, and, if possible, get it delivered to your new home when it’s done.
If you’re moving across state lines, this will not work. However, do make sure you check out your delivery options when considering this service. Many craftspeople who refurbish furniture have a vast delivery radius. Even if you can meet them part of the way, you will at least save yourself the work of getting oversized items out of your house and on the moving truck.
Use this same thinking process when you review your electronics. If you stream all your movies and have hundreds of DVDs, it’s time to purge. If you have three televisions and only one works, it’s time to go to the dump. Be specific about what you want in your new house, and be ruthless in your sorting process.
Ways To Cut Moving Costs For Your Family
Your moving budget doesn’t have to be huge to enjoy a logical move that serves your family effectively. Do take the time to declutter thoroughly. Map out your new space and sell or donate what won’t fit. You will not miss what doesn’t fit!
Donating & Decluttering Tips For Moving House, was provided by Big League Movers, the company to call when you need local movers Memphis TN