It doesn’t matter whatever way you look at it, moving is really very expensive. Yes, that’s true. But if you examine this thing closely and carefully, you will still find some ways by which you can save money here and there. It is quite possible to reduce your moving costs if you know the tricks.
Thankfully, fuel cost is currently going down. But don’t count on it too much. It has a habit of suddenly shooting to the top without any warning. So, here are some tips culled out from experience that will help you reduce your moving cost.
1. Cut down your load.
Throw away the things that you don’t really need. Weeks before your departure, organize a garage sale and sell all the valuable things that you don’t need. For things that are not valuable, try giving it to your friends and acquaintances. They say, a man’s waste is another man’s gold. In moving, weight means money. Therefore less weight means less money.
2. Schedule your move during the off-season.
There is a peak season in the moving industry. This period usually begins in October and lasts until April or May the following year. During this season, moving rates are naturally very high, since it is virtually a seller’s market. There are too many people needing to move their things elsewhere.
So, if you want to cut back on your moving costs, schedule your transfer from June to September, which is out of the peak season.
3. Book your moving schedule as early as possible.
Give yourself ample time in scheduling your actual transfer and don’t book your move too late. Impress on the moving company that your move is still months ahead so there is no need for him to charge you extra for rush schedule.
In fact, movers such as Budget and Enterprise will try to get your business and will try to outbid each other by offering you discounts here and there. But when they sense that you need to move in a week’s time, they will give you higher quotes that you will not be able to reject because they know you are in dire need of their services.
4. Be flexible with your pick-up and delivery time.
There are so many things that can happen during your moving date so to avoid being stresses, you need to be flexible with the time. Allow the mover within their time frame, since everything is dependent on their equipment and manpower. Just as long as they are not deliberately delaying your schedule, give them a little leeway. This will help in establishing good relationship with them.
Remember, you need them to carefully handle your stuff from pick up to delivery. So, be nice to them and they’ll be nice to your household stuff.
5. Be careful in choosing moving services.
Moving companies offer a variety of services. If you are not careful in choosing these services, you might be paying for something that you don’t necessarily need. So choose only those moving services that you absolutely need, such as the actual transport of your goods from your old residence to your new location.
Be wary of these services that may add to your service charges: expedited service charge, shuttle service, long-haul charges, accessorial charges, flight charge, long carry charges, and so forth. Whatever is not clear on your contract, ask the mover about it.
6. Be sure to move into your property as soon as possible.
You have to make arrangements so that you can move into your property as soon as your things arrive. If not, you might be charged with storage-in-transit fees by the mover. Therefore, as soon as you made full payment, insist that everything must be delivered into your new residence.
7. For larger items, get a quote first.
If you have large items such as boats, snowmobiles and so forth, ask the mover how much it will cost for them to move it before including it in your household items. They usually cost a large sum to move. If you are driving to your new location, perhaps it would be more affordable to rent a trailer and move them yourself.
8. Packing of delicate appliances.
Delicate appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, baking ovens, and so forth need special packing to protect them in transit, especially if the destination is very far. Ask for their charges for this kind of service, and compare them to a private service that offers this kind of packing service. Go for the cheaper one.
9. Be sure everything is ready on the day of your move.
Make sure that everything is safely packed and ready to be moved on your scheduled day of transfer. There are movers who charge extra cost for the delay due to the customer’s fault.
