Let’s face it, moving is a costly transition. Whether relocating to a new home, city, or province, changing your address is going to cost you. While there are several financial obligations that you cannot avoid during your transition, like hookup fees, utility transfers, and legal bills, other expenses can be trimmed to help make your big day more cost effective. These simple tips will help you lower the financial obligation of changing your address.
1. Plan Ahead
For most people, moving is not a sudden venture done on the spur-of-the-moment. It is something that they have been planning for some time. Take the time to research your different moving company options. Examine their prices, reputation, credibility, dates and services available, insurance covering, and all other details you will need to transfer your property from one place to the next.
2. Shop Around
There are many moving companies all competing for your business. Some companies offer discounted prices during certain days of the week or times of year. This can also help you save some moola on your big day.
Long before the big day arrives, use your time to comparison shop the different moving services to see who will offer you the best deal for your buck. Booking early can also help save you money so the sooner you start, the better it will be for your bank account.
3. Get Rid Of What You Don’t Need
Why pay to move stuff that you no longer want or need when you can just get rid of it. Go through your belongs to clear the stuff you do not want to take with you. This will help you save considerably on moving costs and time.
If you are relocating to another city or province, you might want to consider getting rid of all their belongings and purchasing new stuff when you reach your destination. Many relocators find it cheaper to buy new than to move old.
4. Sell It
Did you know that you could actually make money moving? Once you have gone through your belongings and decided what you do not want to take with you, rather than donate all of it, hold a garage or yard sale.
Selling your unwanted material possessions will help declutter your home while adding to your wallet. Anything that you cannot sell can be donated to charities.
5. Save on Boxes
Boxes can be costly to buy and an unnecessary expense. There are plenty of businesses with stacks of used boxes that you can approach. Rather than buying cardboard containers, approach your local commercial places and ask people you know if they have empty boxes you can use. Start collecting a stack of used crates early so you have enough to stow your stuff.
6. Optimize Your Utility Services
While there are certain utility costs that you cannot avoid in a move, there is still room to save. If you are transferring to a new place, contact your utility services in advance to see how you can save cash disconnecting and reconnecting your essentials. Some have promotional events that will save you money during the date while others charge less if you disconnect services on or before a certain timeframe.
To win over or keep customers, businesses will often offer special rates or packages to get your business. If you are not satisfied with your current company, this is also a great time to change to better movers. For those moving to another city or province, research the different services available to find the most cost effective agencies.
Moving is expensive. Whether changing homes, cities, provinces, or even countries, it is a costly undertaking. But early planning and research will help you save money during your change of address day.
