How to Save Money During a Long-Distance Move

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Long-distance moves can be a pain in your wallet. Moving supplies alone can cost you a couple of hundred dollars. Add that to the cost of courier services, and you're looking at a hefty sum. Fortunately, moving is a normal phenomenon. Decades of people moving around have led to a variety of moving tips and tricks that can lower costs and save you money. Here are six of them:

Lose the Extra Poundage

How much stuff you own can be a very deceptive question to answer accurately. You can never tell how many items you have until you actually have to move and you start sorting through your stuff. To figure out which items are going with you and which you say "hasta la vista" to, ask yourself three decisive questions - when was the last time you used it? Does the item have a utility or sentimental value? How much is its market value? Items that do not have any sentimental or market value should be sold, donated, or discarded. The more items you need to move, the more expensive your total shipping costs will be.

Time Your Move

If you aren't moving for a time-sensitive reason, such as work, school, or family sickness, try to move during off-peak season. The majority of moves happen during the summer months. Not only is it harder to find professional movers or rent a moving truck/van during these times, but it's also when many moving companies raise their prices due to the higher-than-normal demand for their services. Move before or after the summer season to give yourself wiggle room to negotiate with moving and shipping companies.

Find a Good Auto Shipping Company

Moving long distances, such as cross country or overseas, creates the geographic challenge of getting your car from point A to point B. Sure, it's totally possible to drive thousands of miles to your new home if moving within the same country, but such trips add a lot of mileage on your vehicle and thus leads to faster value depreciation. 

However, if you are moving to Hawaii and you plan to take your car with you, it makes sense to simply hire a Hawaii car transport service to get your vehicle to its new home. Not only is it more cost-effective, but it also minimizes risks.

Pack the Items Yourself

It's understandable if you can't haul the boxes yourself since it's heavy and you may have health conditions restricting you from carrying heavy items. However, one thing that you can do and that you can avoid paying someone else to do is to pack the items yourself. Set goals as to how much stuff you need to pack per day or week. For instance, you can commit to clearing out one room in the house per week or filling up a box of items per day. Use proper packing techniques when dealing with fragile items, such as glass kitchenware, art pieces, electronics, etc.

Get a Fixed Price

To avoid any surprises, ask your vendors for a fixed price before you hire them for the job. Estimates are good for getting a vague idea of how much a service will cost you, but the final costs can always be lightyears away from the initial estimate you were quoted by the vendor. Be prepared to meet with a representative of the local moving company you are in talks with. They will likely send someone to estimate the workload on site.

Consider Shipment Consolidation

It's a modern opt-in service for customers of moving companies who want to save up on their moving costs. It involves sharing the truck's cargo space with other clients. The downside to shipment consolidation is that your personal belongings may take time to reach you as the moving truck makes multiple stops to pick up or drop off other people's belongings. If you do decide to ship your belongings this way, make sure to pack at least one bag or luggage with essential items, such as clean clothing, prescription medication if any, and personal hygiene items.

Moving to a new home should be a positive experience for the person/s moving. You don't want to start your new life broke because you spent it all on the move. Use the aforementioned tips to help shave off some of the avoidable costs.