Moving can be an expensive undertaking, particularly if you plan a cross country relocation. According to the American Moving and Storage Association, the average cost of a professional mover for long-distance moves is $4,400. Taking this into account, it is fully understandable why you would want to find cheaper means. Fortunately, there are less costly methods of cross country moving. Ranging from hiring a shipping container to using a labor-only mover, here are some of the best tips for saving on a long-distance move.
1: Renting A Portable Moving Container
One of the most popular money-saving tips to reduce moving costs is hiring a portable moving container. Firstly, renting these containers is much cheaper than hiring a professional moving company. Next, the moving container can act as a storage solution before and after the relocation. The overall cost is dependent on how long you choose to rent the container for and its size. An average rental rate for long-distance moves is between $2,000 and $3,000. Compare this to the average $5,000 charged by professional companies; it makes sense to opt for portable moving containers.
2: Finding Free Supplies And Moving Boxes
Another popular method to lessen the cost of moving is by gathering and re-using free moving supplies. If you are cross country moving on a budget then keep an eye out for boxes, newspaper, and bubble-wrap from online marketplaces, community groups, and retailers. You can also ask friends or family for packing material they have lying about without plans of use.
3: Renting A Moving Truck
If you are prepared to move across the country, you may be willing to drive cross country to save money on relocation. By renting a moving truck from a reputable company, you can embark on a DIY move saving thousands of dollars. For instance, U-Haul rents trucks for one-way moves at a set price for the rental, the distance traveled, and the moving insurance cost. Of course, you should consider that truck rentals do not have good gas mileage, and the gas costs can be high.
4: Using A Freight Trailer
One of the most effective methods to transport belongings across the country is by using a freight moving trailer. Renting a freight moving trailer involves the rental company dropping off a large trailer and giving you a set number of days to load it. After the agreed-upon number of days, the freight moving company will collect the trailer and deliver it to your new address. The cost of freight trailer rental is typically thousands of dollars cheaper than hiring a professional moving company.
5: Choosing The Best Date For Moving
Believe it or not, the date of relocation can greatly impact the cost of the move. To save some money, try avoiding peak moving days or times. The peak moving dates tend to include weekends, the first and last weeks of a month and moving on holidays. For a cost-effective move, try to aim for a mid-month or mid-day service between October and April.
6: Shipping Your Belongings
If you do not have many household belongings, a great way to save money is by shipping the items. You must find the correct shipping partner to avoid any problems with transport. Create a listing of the shipment and choose the best service provider to meet your budget and load needs.
7: Having The Company Pay For Relocation
If you are moving for career purposes, it may be beneficial to ask about the company’s relocation policies. The majority of companies are willing to pay for a part of the move, if not the entire move. If the company pays for relocation, it is recommended that you keep all moving receipts. The moving receipts help document expenses and get a suitable reimbursement.
8: Hiring Moving Labor
Hiring a moving truck can be cost-effective, but it can also be inconvenient if you have problems loading or unloading the vehicle. Fortunately, there are numerous moving labor options without the need for a full-service moving company. Labor-only services often include packing assistance, donation collection, and junk removal. You can find these services using online facilities, such as online marketplaces and Google. You can save thousands of dollars by hiring labor-only professionals.
9: Asking Friends And Family For Assistance
If you are not keen on hiring professionals for long-distance moves, even the labor-only service, it is possible to enlist the services of friends and family. If you want the cheapest solution to moving, this is potentially it. However, using friends and family means having to work around their schedules. Moreover, you may want to compensate your friends in some way, such as wine, pizza, or gift cards.
10: Searching For Discounts
Before engaging in a long-distance move, you must do research on moving companies, moving container rentals, truck rentals, and moving supply retailers. In many cases, these services offer discounts and deals for cross country relocation. For people who have served in the military, there are many military discounts of which you can take advantage.
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