Planning a cheap long distance move is always advised whenever you’re thinking about settling someplace else.
To move to another state isn’t easy nor is it a cheap thing to do. But there are ways to drastically knock off the price. We’ve compiled a list of a couple of tips on how to move long distances the cheapest way possible.
So, without further ado, here are our 6 ways.
Table of Contents
1. Book in Advance
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It’s safe to say that booking in advance gives you the best possible chance to score high on the cheap-o-meter. This isn’t something unique to the moving industry but it is effective none the less.
Every professional commercial mover will give you favorable terms if you book a month earlier. This is because you are giving the company time to get things in order and prepare for your move.
Not only that, but you’re also letting them know that you’ll be doing business. The earlier you book the cheaper you’ll pass.
For example, booking six months in advance can save you up to 25%, while booking only a month earlier gets you around 10% discount.
But booking in advance gives you other options as well. It’s like a domino effect but one that focuses on saving money.
So, let’s see what else you can do if you have six months before your move.
2. Hold A Garage Sale
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If you have six months to prepare for your move, then that means you should get your stuff in order.
While we do agree that wrapping the furniture in bubble wrap and making it ready for the move isn’t as smart when you’re six months out, selling the stuff you don’t need is a brilliant way to score some hard cash.
Thus, a garage sale is the best way to do it. Everyone loves a nice Sunday garage sale. It is essential to what it means to be American. Selling the stuff you no longer need to the community can sometimes pay for the entire movie.
Even if you don’t have that much stuff to sell, you’ll make enough to pay for the boxes and wrapping material (if the moving company doesn’t provide it as part of the service).
Regardless of how much money you’ll make back, holding a garage sale is a great way to make the move as cheap as possible.
3. Move-in the Off-Season
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When moving to a new home, it’s important to know when you should and when you shouldn’t do it.
This isn’t because of some invisible force out to get you, but because you’ll pay significantly more if you move in the summer compared to the offseason.
This might not always be possible, but always schedule long-distance moving in the offseason compared to the season. During the summer, long distance movers are jam-packed and scheduled to the max. Naturally, with so much work, they can charge you more.
But the offseason is when things get rather tricky for moving companies. It’s not like nobody moves, but they are more flexible since fewer people move.
Naturally, you’ll get more favorable terms and a more flexible offer.
Professional moving companies, such as Busy Beez Movers SC, specialize in both short and long-distance moves. But finding the perfect one is rather tricky. If you’re looking for a long-distance move, always go for a reputable and respectable company that will offer the best rates.
4. Pack It Yourself
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Professional movers offer the option of packing your belongings for you. This is always optional and you should always weigh in the pros and cons of it.
If you have more time on your hands, then you should pack yourself. This will save you a lot of money and make the move the cheapest possible.
However, you might not know how to pack properly. This is an obvious con to choosing not to hire a company to pack for you. Also, you will have to pay for your own boxes and wrapping material. Time can also be an issue as you aren’t a seasoned veteran that has done hundreds of moves.
Packing yourself will save you tons of money, but there are obvious negatives to it.
5. Collect Free Boxes
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If you’ve decided to pack by yourself, then you’re in luck as we know how you can score free boxes.
Have you thought of a way yourself? If not, then simply head to your local grocery store and ask them if they could give you some boxes.
Grocery stores do not need boxes as they have a ton of them. Each product that arrives comes packaged in a box. They take out the products from the box and throw it out.
Instead of throwing them, they could do you a solid and give the boxes to you for your next move.
A lot of people do this as it saves tons of money on moving material.
The grocery store isn’t the only place to score free boxes. Other locations include pharmacies, book stores, liquor stores, office supply stores, etc.
6. Always Pack Efficiently
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This is rather hard to do as it requires you to have the necessary experience to know how to do it. But there are ways to skip pas the much-needed experience.
You could always go on Google and find creative ways how to pack efficiently. YouTube is also a great place for this as there are tons of videos on the internet that explain the subject.
If you manage to pack efficiently, then you’ll save a lot in space. Saving on space means saving on moving material. The fewer boxes you put in the moving truck means paying less. You don’t want to have two trucks to transport your belongings because of a poor packing job.
Always try to maximize space by using fewer boxes. But you should also pack smartly as you don’t want your belongings to get damaged because of a lack of space.
There are clever ways how to do it, all you have to do is simply look it up.
