A cross-country move is not the same as relocating to a house four blocks over from your current place of residence. Moving across state lines never short of difficulties that include finding reliable movers to transport their stuff. Also, the cost of such relocation can be intimidating. However, it is possible to overcome said challenges and still manage to cater to the cross-country move when on a budget.
Below are some of the money-saving tips worth considering when planning for relocated across state lines.
7 Cross Country Moving Tips
- Plan In Advance
- Find Reliable, Affordable Moving Services
- Review The Service Packages
- Consider DIY To Cut Expenses
- Use Newspapers To Wrap Items
- Choose An Ideal Moving Date
- Meals And Pit Stops On The Road
1. Plan In Advance
The first step in the right direction when planning for the relocation is to prepare, that means having a list of belongs you want to move with to your new place. You may have things that may not be necessary and can dispose of them, either sell or donate them to charity. Your efforts to reduce the amount of stuff to transport will go a long way in reducing the much you will spend on the move, and it will be less of a hassle.
2. Find Reliable, Affordable Moving Services
Once you know what you plan to take with you, the next thing is to look for reliable movers who will offer affordable cross country moving services. Source quotes from different movers to see who are the most affordable and provide the best terms of services which should include insurance.
As you research for affordable moving services providers, you should avoid going for those who provide full-fledged services if you are intent on cutting costs. The best approach is one that has you taking charge by ensuring that catering to a few aspects of the relocation yourself. For instance, you can get enough packaging containers and boxes to put in personal items such as files, photos, stationery, and CDs. While most movers provider boxes for packing, these come at a price. Therefore, you can do away with such costs by meeting a few things on your end and asking family or friends to help you pack.
3. Review The Service Packages
Take the time to review the packages the moving service providers offer. They may opt to provide “extra” services but with additional charges. You should evaluate the benefits of such offers comparing them against the need to adjust your budget to opt out of them for the sake of sticking to your financial capabilities. For instance, some cross country movers may offer store your items for a period with the aim of combining other loads from different clients so that they can transport them together to cut costs. Some of the movers may offer such a plan at a discounted price, and this is something worth considering if you are not planning to relocate immediately.
4. Consider DIY To Cut Expenses
Thinking along the lines of a DIY cross-country move is a fantastic way of ensuring that you not only cut the costs of relocation across state lines but also sticking to your budget. With such an approach, much of the expense will go into hiring a truck and should consider moving truck companies that allow their vehicles to move from one state to the next. Moreover, if you do manage to find such a company, then consider hiring one that has offices in both places so that you can drop off the vehicle to their office at the area you are moving to; it will reduce the hassle.
5. Use Newspapers To Wrap Items
When packaging, ensure that you have special boxes for the fragile items which you can wrap using old newspapers instead of inflated plastic bags or bubble wrap. You can place them inside the boxes and cushion them with bed sheets, which helps cut costs and lower the risk of damaging your belongings.
6. Choose An Ideal Moving Date
As you think of the transportation modalities when planning for the cross-country move, take into account the distance you will cover. With that in mind, you will be able to know the best date for the move. While the weekends may look ideal because you will be off work, such are the days when the roads are the busiest. The same goes for days during the holiday months including the first and last weeks of a month. The ideal time to schedule for the move is a day during the mid-month week. If possible also, consider relocating during the months between October and April. Buy such planning, you will avoid spending long hours on the roads battling with slow traffic and will lower the fuel costs.
7. Meals And Pit Stops On The Road
If the drive takes several hours, then you should consider packing enough meals that having a full tank of fuel in the car before starting the journey. Frequent pit stops may eat into your time and money, though one or two may be necessary to allow you to take a break after driving for some hours.