Moving into a new home can be expensive, especially if you are moving to another city and are hiring removalists to help you. However, you can reduce your moving expenses by taking care of some of the packing and moving yourself. Here are five tips for reducing your moving expenses.
Avoid Typical Moving Dates
Most people move at the beginning or the end of the month, so most removal companies will be heavily booked on those dates and they will be able to charge a premium for their services. If you can do so, arrange to move during the middle of the month. You may be able to get a better rate from removal companies because they will not be as busy as they would be at the end or beginning of the month.
Move on a Weekday
Since most people have the weekends off from work, they usually move on a Saturday or a Sunday. Along with moving during the middle of the month to save money, you should also move during the week rather than the weekend. You should be able to negotiate a better rate from removalists because most of them will not be booked heavily during the week.
Book Well in Advance
For a normal moving situation, you should know well in advance when your ideal moving date will be. It is best to schedule your move about six weeks in advance, especially during the spring or summer months when more people are moving. Also, if something happens, such as a delay in the closing of your property, you will have plenty of time to change the moving arrangements.
Do the Packing
Although most removal companies will pack and transport your belongings, you can cut back on moving costs by packing the boxes yourself. You can gather boxes from stores or buy new ones from a removal company. Use bubble wrap to keep fragile items from breaking. You can also use bath towels around fragile items, which allows you to move more items in a box. When packing, set aside items you no longer wish to have and sell them, give them away to charity, or recycle what you can.
Move Smaller Items
For removals in Melbourne, have the removalists take the heavy items like appliances, furniture, and books on their truck. You should carry some of the lighter items in your vehicle. Plan on moving your computer or laptop, lamps, clocks, and jewellery yourself. Not only will this help reduce your moving expenses by making sure you only need one trip to move in, but you will know that your valuables are safe.
These tips will help you reduce your moving expenses and make it easier to move your items in one trip. Moving can be expensive, but if you do more of the work, it leaves less for the removalist company to do, which means they won’t charge as much for their services. Moving won’t clear out your savings if you do some of the work.