Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/6CJg-fOTYs4 (CC0)
Moving costs shouldn’t be overlooked when you’re thinking about switching to a different property. Whether you’re hiring a van and moving everything yourself or enlisting a moving service, there are various costs involved that can quickly ramp up if you’re not careful. But what exactly can you do to lower these expenses, and is it really possible to move for virtually nothing? While there’s certainly some work involved to lower your moving costs to almost zero, we believe that it’s well worth the time.
Hiring a moving service versus doing it yourself
Let’s get this out of the way first; if you’re going to move, then doing it yourself is a lot cheaper. There’s no doubt that driving yourself and bringing over all your stuff is going to be much more affordable than hiring a professional, but you’re also missing out on some convenient features and extras. Hiring a moving service means that you don’t have to worry about physical labor and it’s perfect for people that can’t drive or don’t have a large vehicle.
However, it’s hard to make your moving costs zero if you’re hiring a service. You can’t exactly expect a free service, especially if you work with professional moving companies like North American Van Lines that will get the job done quickly and with zero hassle. Instead, you can look to recuperate your moving costs and lower them instead. That’s what the rest of this post will be covering.
Make money by selling your clutter
If you’ve got a lot of stuff in your home then you may want to consider making more money by selling your clutter. Clutter can mean anything from old electronics and furniture to art books and games consoles that you no longer play. The benefit here is two-fold; you get to lower the amount of stuff you move and you also get a bit of extra cash that can go towards your moving expenses. With online marketplaces and auction websites, you can make a surprising amount of money just selling the stuff you don’t need.
So if you’ve got a lot of packing to do when moving out of a property, try and keep a separate box ready to put in anything that you don’t really need or don’t want to move with you. This is also a brilliant way to get rid of large items that will cost a lot of money to move to your new location.
Other ways to save money when moving
There are other ways to save money on your move as well. This can help lower moving-related costs so that you can get a bit closer to that zero cost.
For starters, make your own moving boxesmake your own moving boxes out of existing cardboard boxes. You can make surprisingly sturdy boxes by simply reinforcing something that you already have. You could also consider taking shipping boxes or even asking friends and family members for spare boxes. Next, try renting a van or truck if you want to move without hiring a service. This could save you having to hire a moving service and means you can move a lot more in fewer trips, thus saving on fuel and time as well. Lastly, don’t forget to ask friends and family members for help especially if they’re willing to help you move or if they owe you a favor!
