How to Cut Costs When You're Moving

Moving is a pretty big project no matter what age you are or how much stuff you have. It's almost always bigger than you think. When you're selling your home and moving to a new one, you'll want to keep your moving costs from getting out of control. These tips can help you cut moving costs and still get the job done.

• Plan ahead.
  Probably the best thing you can do to save yourself some money is to plan ahead. Get started as early as possible sourcing the goods and services you'll need, so you can research and take advantage of deals or freebies. Movers are often booked up on weekends far in advance, so you'll pay extra for last-minute arrangements if you can schedule them at all.
• Get rid of stuff you don't need.
  Packing and moving services use the time spent on your move, how much stuff you have and how many people they need to determine what they'll charge you. Moving less stuff means you'll save money. Before selling your home is the time to sell, donate, recycle, or just get rid of whatever you don't need.
• Be open about scheduling.
  Try to schedule your move when the movers are less busy. It increases the chances of being able to book the movers you want and saves you money. Movers charge more for those popular time slots because they know they'll still be able to book them. Moving during the fall or winter instead of summer can save some money, but you can also save by avoiding the first few and last few days of the month, weekends, and holiday weekends. 
• Comparison shop for everything.
  Movers, packing services, storage, truck rental, and packing supplies are all possibilities for a discount. You may find offers online or you can just ask if there's any coupons or sales available.
• Be a DIYer.
  You can always save some money by doing things yourself. If you're not comfortable doing everything yourself even doing part of it will save you some money. For example, if you're not comfortable driving the rental truck, it's ok to hire movers, but you could do the packing yourself instead.
• Take advantage of free.
  Get boxes from a local store after they unpack them. Use free newspapers or magazines or raid the recycle bin for packing materials. Reuse bubble wrap from packages you receive. Use towels, blankets, throw pillows and socks to cushion breakables.
• Be sure to ask about additional charges.
  Read any contracts carefully and make sure you understand what you're being charged for so you can avoid surprises when it's time to pay up. Some examples of extra charges include unpacking charges, extra charges for extremely fragile or valuable items, and waiting charges.  
• Use a moving container.
  These containers are delivered to your home for you to pack at your convenience, then picked up, stored if necessary and shipped to your new home. They are often cheaper than getting movers and a storage unit.

When you're selling your home you'll want to keep as much of that money as you can so keeping moving costs down just makes sense. No matter when or how far you plan to move, it doesn't have to break the bank. There are always at least a few ways to save some money. And with a little planning and creativity, you'll probably save quite a bit.

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