Even if you hire a professional moving company to help you, the act of moving is nonetheless a headache-inducing experience that can also be a very expensive one. As well as being a complex process, relocation can involve a lot of hidden costs; however, the good news is that these costs can be dramatically reduced provided that you follow some simple tips.
One such tip is to do your own packing. Even if you are making use of the services of a professional moving company, if you get them to do your packing as well as the moving then the cost of using them will be a fair bit higher. If you can manage to pack your things yourself, this is by far the most cost-effective option however has a big impact on the valuation covered should an item become broken during transit. Before you start packing you should be sure to give away, recycle or even sell any belongings that you do not want anymore, as this considerably cuts down on the amount of items that you will need to pack and then pay to have moved. It is not difficult to pack your possessions if you do it one room at a time and make sure to pack the items that you use the most last. Create a box of essentials and label it accordingly so that you will know which box to unpack first when you have arrived in your new home.
If possible you should also dismantle large items of furniture by yourself. It can be a good idea to create a floor plan of the home you are about to move into and work out where the bigger items will be able to fit so that they can be placed there by the movers on moving day and put back together later. Make sure that you have taken measurements of the large items so that you are certain that they will fit into your new home prior to moving them.
Another excellent piece of advice is to ensure that you get hold of as many boxes and packing materials for free as you possibly can. Check with local grocery stores, friends and neighbors, businesses, schools, shopping markets, your local recycling center, and online to see if you can find any extra boxes that are free to take. The US Post Office has a special price for the shipping of magazines and books, and Media Mail can be used to send these items very cheaply. If you decide to go with this option, make use of your own bedding, clothing and towels to ship them with. With a bit of time and effort you should be able to find most of the packing resources you need for free; only after you have exhausted all of these avenues should you consider buying these supplies.
If you are making use of professional movers, be sure to move in the off-season between October and March if possible.
Jon Huser
