Real Estate Week: Tips to Save on Moving Costs

If you’ve ever moved, you know how easily and quickly moving costs can add up. Relocation.com, the leading online consumer resource for moving services, offers the following tips to help you save $1,000 or more on a move.

• Be flexible on dates, and save $300 to $600. Many moves take place at the end or beginning of the month, or on Fridays or Mondays. Consumers who are able to move on “off” days might be able to work a deal with a moving company. For the ultimate money saver, schedule the move outside of peak moving season, which takes place June, July and August. Inquire about any seasonal discounts.

• Declutter as much as 10 percent of your belongings, and save $250 to $400. Not surprisingly the less that needs to be moved, the less it will cost. Here are a few simple ways to determine what belongings can be shed:
  • Only pack the items that have been used in the past year.
  • As each room is packed, have two plastic bins – a ‘definite’ throwaway bin and a ‘maybe’ throwaway bin. When the room is finished, throw out everything in the ‘definite’ bin, make a decision on the ‘maybe’ items and then move on to the next room.
  • For clothes, in the months before the move, divide a clothing rod between ‘must-move’ and ‘not-to-move’ clothes. Which is which? After an item of clothing is worn and washed, put it on the ‘must-move’ side of the closet. When it’s time to pack, get rid of all the clothes on the ‘not-to-move’ side of the rod.
• Don’t use packers to pack everything, and save $400 to $600. Many consider packing an all or nothing thing: Either you pack everything yourself, or the moving company packs everything. In fact, companies can do what is called a partial-pack, which can save some money. Let the movers take care of breakable, such as dishes and glassware, since they are the most difficult to pack safely. In addition, moving insurance usually won’t cover items you packed yourself.
• Disconnect everything, and save $150 to $200. If the moving company provides any third-party moving services to handle disconnecting electronics and appliances, the cost of these services will be passed on to the consumer. Eliminate these extra fees altogether by taking the D.I.Y. route. Learn how to safely dismantle any electronics systems and how to disconnect/connect appliances. The estimated savings are based on the cost of using a third-party disconnection/connection service.
• Avoid moving large, breakable items, and save $200 to $300. There are certain items a moving company won’t move without special crating, such as glass tables, flat-screen TVs and specialty artwork (pottery or large paintings). Here are some options to cut down on the need for special, more expensive crating:
  • Glass items, such as shelves or tables, are generally cheap to replace compared to how much it costs to ship them. Consider the costs of moving them versus buying a similar type of shelf or tabletop at the new home.
  • For a flat-panel TV, the least expensive method is packing it in the box it came in. If that’s not an option, search online for boxes designed specifically for TVs, which contain special foam inserts for extra protection. (You might be able to visit a local retailer that sells large-screen TVs and ask if they have any of these boxes to give you for free. If not, there’s always Freecycle.)
  • If it’s a long-distance move, fragile or valuable items can also be packed in the car. Or, rent a separate small moving van or a trailer in which to tow them. It will cost more for this, but the greater peace of mind about damages might be worth it. If there are enough items that would require crating by the moving company anyway, the costs might break even.

Hopefully these tips will not only help you have a smooth and stress-free move but also help you save some money in the process.

Tags: freecycle, movers, moving, Relocation.com