- December 29, 2020
People move across the country for different reasons. Some people move because of a new job, and some move to get closer to their families, others to attend a school. Regardless of the reason surrounding your need to move across the country, it is essential to know that moving across the country can be stressful, expensive, and very tiring. When you discover a need to move across the country, you need to plan how you drive carefully, not hurry. Moving across the country is not impossible. However, there’s a lot of work involved to ensure that the transition is smooth and problem-free. Indeed, it is a lot of work, but not to worry, I shared a few tips here that would make your moving to another country, cheap and easy.
Cheap Ways to Move Across The Country
The cheapest way to move across the country is to go with as little load as possible or drive yourself across the country using a rental truck.
Most times, moving across the country might turn out to be very expensive if not properly planned out. There’s no fixed cost for moving across the country. The average cost of moving across the country ranges from $2000 to $5000. Moving fees vary depending on your household’s size, your starting point, and your final destination. If you have a large family or many household items, it expects that you spend more. However, there are ways you can work around that and end up saving more money.
1) Part with Belongings You Don’t Need
Moving across the country with so many things can make driving very difficult and expensive. It increases your cost of moving. Reducing your belongings is one of the ways to save money while driving across the country. While packing, ensure you pack essential items and things that are of sentimental value to you. Then you separate the remaining items into two; the ones you donate and the ones you sell. Selling your belongings before moving helps you make more money for the move.
It also reduces the number of things you need to pack and ultimately reduces your shipping cost. You can sell your properties online. Marketing online enables you to connect with buyers in your neighborhood and other parts easily. You can also walk into a Specialty Store and sell your belongings. If provided with some time on your hands before the move, you can throw a yard sale and sell the nonessential items, which will make your move easier and cheaper.
2) Pick A Suitable Moving Date For Moving Across The Country
Choosing a suitable or appropriate time for moving across the country also goes a long way in helping you save money as the time you drive can significantly impact your cost of moving. Avoid peak moving dates or seasons. For instance, summer is a costly time to move as most families try to move and settle before a new school year begins. More people book moving companies, and there’s competition among movers, thus increasing the cost of moving across the country. Another example of peak times or seasons are weekends, first and last weeks of the months. When moving, you should target between October and April, the winter period. During this period, there is less competition among movers and as a result, moving across the country is cheaper.
3) Be on The Look-out for Discounts and Compare Price
The first thing to know before moving across the country is the exact cost of the upcoming move.
Another effective way to save money when moving across the country. Always do your research on different moving companies, driving supply retailers, and rental trucks. Also, take your time to compare their services and their prices. Don’t book the first moving company you talk to without doing a proper job of reaching their prices with others to see which companies are most cost-effective. Also, pay attention to the discounts each company offers. Some initially expensive companies offer huge discounts that make it the cheapest and most cost-effective choice. Don’t fall for the common trap of hiring a low discount company that might not include some extra and essential services which other high-priced companies provide.
4) Do It Yourself – Moving Across The Country
You will be saving a lot of money when you decide to handle the move yourself, which is one of the cheapest ways to move across the country. Shop for a rental truck, remember to do your research well, and book the cheapest one from a reliable company. Some of these companies offer a one-way rental truck. Asides from rental costs, the only additional cost you will have to pay for is fuel. If you would like to cut costs to the bare minimum, you should consider handling the move yourself.
5) Getting Family and Friends to Help
In place of hiring moving labor, you can always ask your friends and family for help. They will help in loading and unloading your rental truck. The only challenge here is that you will have to work around their schedule, and you might also have to pay them back with some gifts.
6) Get Free Moving Boxes and Supplies
Another right way to cut costs is by gathering as many free moving supplies as possible, which means you have to seek boxes, newspapers, and bubble boxes from nearby stores, online marketplaces, and various community groups. You can also decide to ask family and friends for free packs.
7) Ship Your Belongings While Moving Across The Country
After reducing your load significantly, you can decide to ship your cargo to your new country using the postal service, Fed Ex, or UPS. You can also choose to take a bus, get on a train, or even book a flight. The extra expense here is your load. Shipping your belongings is cheaper than hiring the services of a moving company.
As much as you can, be frugal and save money whenever you can move across the country. Accept help from people around, get free supplies when you can. In all you do, always look for ways to cut down your expenses.
Cheap Ways to Move Across The Country
The Best Long-Distance Moving Tips
Moving long distance is a big deal, which must plan correctly to avoid getting into problems along the way. In moving long distance, you need to ensure that your plans are organized and don’t do them in a hurry. Below are some best long distance moving tips which will guide you and ensure you have a smooth trip.
1) Be in Full Control of Your Preparation Time
Once you confirm that you’re moving, start planning and making preparations for the move. During your preparation stage, you must be meticulous so as not to miss anything out. One of the first things you do in this stage is to have a checklist for the move, which will guide you throughout the preparation stage. This checklist will include the items you want to do, but it must also have the time it will take you to perform each of those tasks. Being in full control of your preparation time helps organize your time correctly, as proper time management will also contribute to the movement’s success.
Next, you mark out the critical activities for the move on your calendar. You also arrange the checklist activities to prioritize, knowing the significant ones you will do later.
2) Employ the Services of the Best Moving Company
In moving long-distance, it is advisable to let a professional moving company such as Earth Relo take care of it. Professionals know how to transport your belonging with minimum damage. You have a responsibility to do your research well and hire the best moving company. Save yourself some time and click here to contact Earth Relo for a smooth and stress-free relocation. Click here to get a free moving quote.
3) Do an Inventory of Your Belongings
One vital thing to also do in a long-distance move is to take stock of all the household items you’re moving. It helps you sort out your possession quickly into things you will keep, sell, and donate. Often, it is advisable to donate or sell items you’ve not used in over a year. Paying to move or store items you have not used for a long time is wasteful.
Do an Inventory of Your Belongings
4) In a Long-distance move, it is advisable not to take your Furniture along
Items of Furniture weigh a lot, and moving them over a long-distance means increased cost of transportation. It would be best if you got new Furniture after the move.
5) Get familiar with where you are going
It is ingenious knowing about where you’re moving to because it gives you an idea of what to expect there and the things to take along. Know about their weather, get information about their laws, insurance policies, know more about their schools and the caliber of people living in the neighborhood. Don’t move to a place immediately if you are not conversant with the area.
Seven Things I Learned After Moving Across The Country
Seven Things I Learned After Moving Across The Country
A cross-country move is one that leaves you stressed and exhausted by the time you get to your destination. Whenever you’re so tired and stressed, there’s a possibility of making a lot of mistakes. Here are some of the lessons I learned when moving across the country.
- Don’t drive during summer: I discovered that moving during summer can be very expensive as most people want to move during this time. During this period, apartments become harder to find. Moving companies charge higher for their services, even the cost of rental trucks will increase as there is so much competition during this period. The best time to move is between October and May, and there’s less competition during that time.
- Book hotels ahead, especially if you plan on driving yourself: It helps you relax at the end of each day. Driving yourself across the country is a very stressful thing to do. Hence, it is essential to ensure you have a place to relax at the end of each day.
- Don’t pack what you don’t need: Purge your belongings as much as you can. Don’t pack things you’ve never used or that you’ve used in a very long time. The smaller the load you’re carrying, the more hitch-free your move would be.
- Always do the math: This is a fundamental lesson I learned while moving across the country. Before you start the move, ensure you’ve done a proper calculation on how much it would cost. Once you estimate the total amount you will spend, ensure you have more than the estimated cost. If you don’t have enough, start saving ahead till you have enough money for the move.
- Have a to-do-list: A to-do-list helps you arrange the essential things you have to do before moving. Moving across the country involves so many different activities, and a to-do-list enables you to carry these activities out in the right order.
- Always research about where you’re going before you get there. Ensure you know the pros and cons of where you’re moving to before going there to avoid unpleasant surprises.
- Organize your belongings well when packing: it is essential to organize your belongings properly when packing; this reduces the space your loads will take since it is well organized. When your boxes are well labeled and clothes adequately folded, it helps you unpack and makes it easier to recognize where each item is.
