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If you have a limited budget foreseen for your cross relocation, there are some ways to economize on your moving expenses. This article provides an overview of them as well as recommendations on how to have a budget friendly move.

To begin with, one of the first and biggest challenges is finding a reliable long distance moving company which would assist in arranging relocation and transporting the possessions from one edge of the country to another or even internationally at an affordable price. There are plenty of factors which determine the moving costs and the possibility to limit them such as the distance to be covered, how plentiful are the belongings to be moved, or what are your expectations about moving and short term storage. However, thanks to the recommendations which are described below you might be able to avoid overspending on long distance relocation.

  1. Use your own car for transportation

If you drive your own car to the new location and transport some belongings (books, clothes, etc.) to the new location, you might cut down on some expenses. Driving your own vehicle is the ideal solution to economize the moving-related costs because this is quite an affordable option. It’s worth adding that it might be required to invest in a hitch or extra baggage space if you plan to transport vast luggage. If you own a small vehicle, transporting of heavy loads might be impossible.

Additionally, it is possible to get your car shipped inside of a van to a new location. This is a more expensive solution but it might prevent some wear and tear of your vehicle.

  1. Hire a van

You might also consider renting a van to transport your belongings and tow your car. This won’t exhaust your car as much as if it were to tow the van. This option requires experience and skills of conducting trucks or vans.

Hiring a van is also quite a reasonable choice moneywise. You might get a favorable rate for rental but the price is determined by the distance you have to cover, van’s size, and a rental office.

Additionally, one can contact labor-only team of movers which would provide help with packing/unpacking, loading/unloading and dismounting/mounting of furniture.

  1. Get your properties shipped

To cut down on moving costs, you can also ship your stuff. This choice is better than towing or driving a car. It is definitely a great pick should you have bulky household utensils and huge furniture.

  1. Minimize your belongings

Reducing the number of items, you have to transport directly influences moving expenditures. Even if you consider yourself to be a minimalist, you might still want to declutter and find lots of objects to get rid of. Obviously, it’s better to dispose of them in the old location before shipping them first to the new location and then throwing them away. The less you transport, the less you have to pack/unpack, the less packaging material you need and the less you have to spend on transportation.

  1. Check if there are promotions or discounts

Long distance moving companies sometimes offer discounts on their services. This is a perfect opportunity to lower the costs of relocation. For example, if they store your stuff at their premises over a short time so that the movers combine loads and deliver them to one place simultaneously, this will reduce both their operating costs and your expenses.

This money-saving opportunity requires some research and isn’t always possible for last-minute moves. So take your time and check if you can get any discounts at the local moving companies.

  1. Hire a moving container

Moving containers solve two aspects of relocation at the same time. They allow you to stode property over the course of relocation and to transport them to the new address. Next to such multifunctionality, with moving containers one can prepare for moving and pack at one’s own pace and convenience having a container at all times at home.

After all the items are folded, wrapped, and placed in a container, they might be brought to a different location wherever you need them. In such a way, you’ll avoid hiring a moving company and hence spare some money.

Moving containers also reduce some moving stress when it comes to planning. If you are not able to move in the beginning of a month or to move out at its end, with a moving pod you get a temporary storage solution until things get sorted.

  1. Take along only the most needed items

Inspect thoroughly all your belongings and try to sell or give away all the items you won’t need in a new home. Moving the essentials only means driving a less heavy-loaded vehicle which consumes less gas. This in turn means paying less for transportation which is especially smart in case of long distance moving.

  1. Move on a calmer day

With moving like with driving a car or going for a vacation, it’s advisable to avoid the peak days. Needless to say that choosing a peak day causes lots of delays as everything would take much longer than normally. Besides, hiring movers or a truck would also be much more pricey due to the increased demand for these services. Thus, it’s best to choose a calmer moment for relocation whenever it’s possible.

  1. Ask family and friends for some help

It’s always a great idea to check whether your friends or family can support you with some moving-related tasks. This is certainly one of the best ways to cut down the costs while relocating. Don`t forget to foresee some snacks, meals, and drinks for your helpers. It might be a nice idea to prepare some small presents for them too.

  1. Contact an affordable moving firm

This is one of the most challenging tips of the entire list. It’s essential to choose a company that does not compromise on quality while offering low rates.

Therefore, it’s important to check reviews and references of the customers before deciding to hire them. It’s equally crucial that the movers you hire have experience with cross country relocation in order things to go smoothly. You might also want to check if the movers are insured just in case unpredicted situations occur. In general, when wanting to cut down the costs of relocation, take time to do a profound research about the services of cross country movers to get not only cheap but also reliable providers.

To sum up, moving cross country is always a challenging and rather expensive undertaking but with a proper preparation and thinking it through one can avoid unnecessary costs. It is therefore advisable to take enough time for sufficient research in the available offers on the market. Make an overview of what needs to be done and what is the best option to accommodate your needs for the optimal cross country relocation.

Rachel Sterry