This is a collaborative post.
Moving from one home to the next is always a stressful experience. This is especially
true if you have to deal with a long-distance or cross-country move. One concern that
many people have with long-distance moves is that they will end up incurring a lot of
costs that are tough to overcome. While there will pretty much always be costs
associated with moving long distances, there are several ways in which you can save
money from your total costs.
But, before we go on to share some money-saving tips, let’s backtrack one step – to selling your current house. A little planning and patience can help you make more money on your sale. Sell your home for a guaranteed cash price – that’s a quick and profitable sale. Else make sure you consider all quotes and offers and go for the one that’s high enough to give you a good profit, quick enough to not stall your move and above all, that feels right.
Have a Plan
When it comes to moving from one home to the next, the best thing you need to do is
have a plan and a budget. Many people end up spending more money than they need
to because they are not prepared for the little, unexpected costs that pop up and pile up.
As you are getting closer to your move, you should spend time properly considering
all of your needs, including supplies (boxes, tape, padding, bungee cords, etc.), a proper
sized truck, labour help, and time needed to pack and move and unpack. This will help you
to better budget and shop around with accuracy.
Get Rid of Clutter
If you are moving into a new home, you should take it as a great opportunity to get rid of
furniture, clothes, and other personal items that you do not need anymore. You could
get rid of these items by either selling them online or through a garage sale or by getting
a tax deduction through a charitable donation. This will help you to raise extra cash for
your move while also getting rid of unnecessary clutter, which can help free up space
and reduce your moving costs.
Hire a Moving Company
While most people often think that hiring a moving company will be expensive, it
actually can save you a lot of money compared to DIY. Between all of the money you’ll
need to spend on supplies, renting a truck, and finding people to help you move, plus
any damages that occur, the true cost of moving can be quite pricey if you do it on your
own. However, when you hire a long distance moving company you will be able to
receive all of the services that you need in one consolidated package, which could help
to save you a lot of money.
Book in Advance
If you are looking to save money on moving, another thing that you could do would be to
book your mover in advance (remember, preparation is key). Moving companies tend to
fill up their schedules in the weeks leading up to the move. Because of this, if you wait
to book your move, the moving companies will either not be able to provide you with service or will have to charge you a higher rate. If you book in advance you will be more likely to save money off of the total costs.
Consider Deductions
Finally, when it comes to your moving costs, you should also consider whether or not
you can deduct the costs. If you are moving for professional reasons, you are often able
to deduct all costs associated with your move from your state, federal, and local taxes.
This could end up helping you to save hundreds or thousands of dollars off of your total
tax bill at the end of the year.
Julia says
Definitely agree with this post!
Having made 2 transatlantic moves we certainly learnt from our mistakes going (we shipped clothes hangers and drawing pins for goodness sake!!) and came back with virtually just the clothes on our backs!
What caught us on the hop going was lack of preparation. It was being paid for by the company so we didn’t bother decluttering beforehand and when the company came in they just emptied the contents of drawers and cupboards into the boxes. We weren’t taking any furniture, as we were keeping the house to come back to in a couple of years, and renting it in the meantime.
Returning nearly 20 years later (yeah, that wasn’t part of the original plan!) we sold everything especially as we were having to pay for this move ourselves.
Would also recommend using a company for these sorts of moves as they dealt with customs and paperwork etc, taking all the stress out, and we were able to deduct it from our taxes.
Also, be prepared to wait for anything being shipped to take 2-3 months to arrive!!
Savannah02K says
Also, ask for moving quotes for different days of the week. Many companies charge a premium for moves on Monday, Friday and of course Saturdays. We’ve always moved on a Tuesday, mainly because I worked in a solicitors’ office and realised that if you move early in the week, then if there are legal problems on the day, someone is around in the office to deal with them!
Eloise (thisissixty.blog) says
It can be difficult to book removal firms much in advance in the UK because exchange of contracts and completion are usually not agreed until close to the actual time. In fact, they can sometimes take place on the same day. I have fallen foul of this on two occasions in the past as did my daughter a few months ago. By the time the moving day is definite, the removal firms are booked. I do agree that it can be more cost effective to get a removal firm though, and definitely less stressful.
Also agreed that if you can move early in the week, you do have a better chance of securing a removal company. I spent several years (a long time ago) in estate agency and we always advised our vendors to ask their solicitors to try to avoid Fridays.
Lewis Johnson says
Good tips. Always make sure to check reviews to make sure you are hiring a reliable moving company.