There are many ways to move you things from your old home to your new one. Moving containers is becoming an increasingly popular option. Before you move you should think about all of your moving options. Here are some to think about.
Full Service Movers
Full service movers are the most expensive way to go if you are moving very far. If you are just moving across town then hiring people with a moving truck that will do the heavy lifting and even take apart your furniture is not quit so bad. Generally when we are talking about full service movers we are talking about hiring a large moving company that can pack your belongings in there boxes, put everything in there truck and drive it to your new home, store everything if you need them to, and then deliver and unload for you.
Moving Containers and Moving Pods
Moving containers and moving pods is my favorite way of moving long distance. You can get a few containers delivered to your residence, pack them at your own rate, and then get them picked up and driven to there destination for you. You can also have these containers stored in there warehouse if you need some time. This method does tend to be more expensive then just renting a rental truck or using your own vehicle, but the convenience can be worth it.
Moving Trucks
Moving trucks are a great option if you have too much stuff to mail or the distance is too great to use your own vehicle. Even if you are moving just a few miles renting a moving truck can save you lots of time since you can make fewer trips. In my experience the rental truck always costs at least twice what you think it will.
Moving With Your Own Vehicles
Unless you don’t have much to move, moving with your own vehicles is a lot of work and can take a really long time. If you aren’t moving far then this is one place you can save a lot of money moving. I moved a few years ago just using an old van and the trunk of a car. It took three days, still not sure if the money saved was worth it.
Moving With the Post Office
Moving with the Post Office only works if you are not moving much. This is very likely the most expensive way to move per pound. We used the post office to move once from Anchorage to Albuquerque. We got rid of almost everything and shipped the rest. It was easy to do and cost us less then moving everything we owned in a rental truck. That was over nine years ago and we still have a few boxes from that time that are still sealed. Obviously they were not worth the time and money to ship. Just make sure you really want everything that you ship or else you will be wasting your money.
Moving Cheap is always a great idea especially now. I have hit this particular point numerous times, but it is so important that we will take another shot at it.
Pack Rats Have The Most Expensive Moves
Most of the time the most expensive part of a move is the moving of your stuff. If moving cheap is a priority to you than hanging onto unnecessary objects is going to bust your budget. If you don’t need it or you haven’t used it for the last 6 month then get rid of it before you move. Of course there are exceptions like seasonal and Things that mean a lot to you.
Even better than just throwing your unneeded things out you can sell them. Think about listing those objects on Ebay, Creags List, Yahoo Auctions, Your local want ads, or having a garage sale. You could help pay for your move with the things you sell.
You’re moving to a new city because of a new job, but you don’t know where you will live yet. You book the first moving company you see in the phonebook. They come to your house to get your stuff and pack it into there truck. When you get to your new city you find out that finding a place to live is going to take longer than you thought. The moving company says “no problem we can store your things in our where house for an extra fee". One month later you have finally found a decent place to move into and you are ready for your furniture and clothing to be delivered.
How much was that storage bill?
To avoid the extremely expensive storage fees that moving companies like to charge try these.
1. Find a temporary home to rent that can hold your things ahead of time. You can use it as a base to explore the area and take the time to find the perfect place to live permanently.
2. Get the moving company to deliver to a storage facility of your choice. Any other storage is going to be cheaper than what the moving company is going to charge you for using their where house. Keep in mind that you will need to spend a little more money when you are ready to move your stuff into your new home.
3. Use a container moving company with storage facilities. This can be expensive and you will need to do your own loading and unloading, but it is still going to be cheaper than the above scenario.
I am as cheap as they come, even when it comes to moving house. So, anytime someone tries to get me to pay extra on anything, I can’t help questioning the expense. Every time you move you are taking the chance that your belongings could be damaged or the moving equipment you are using could be damaged and you would be liable. The question is if you are moving cheap, should you get moving insurance.
Check the insurance that you already have
If you are renting a moving truck then check with your car insurance to see if it might cover your rental truck as well. Most car insurances don’t, but a few do. If you are concerned about an expensive piece of furniture or electronics than check your home owners or renters insurance.
Are your things worth insuring?
How hard would it be to replace your breakables? If you are using movers for your cheap move then it is almost a given that something is going to get damaged. If you don’t care if one or two of the items being moved are destroyed then don’t bother insuring your stuff.
You have to think of everything when you are moving cheap.
How much of the stuff that you have do you use all the time? If you are moving cheap then you should think about what you are moving. Generally the biggest expense when moving is getting your stuff from the old place to the new one. It doesn’t matter if you hire a professional moving company, get a moving truck rental, use moving pods, or transport everything in your own van or truck the less stuff you have to move the cheaper it is going to be. Even that last option is cheaper in gas if you can make fewer trips. Here are a few things to keep in mind while deciding what is worth keeping and what can go.
Start with the things you have permanently stored. Separate the seasonal things like Christmas decorations and lawn furniture that you use every year out from the rest. Then pull out the keepsakes you have to keep. The rest is just a waste of space and moving costs, just let it go.
Thin out everything behind doors and in drawers. Chances are you only use what is in front and on top. Go though coat closets and junk drawers. These tend to be dumping places. If you don’t know what to do with it or where is should go then you probably don’t need it.
Go though your clothes. Most people only wear 20% of there clothing. Figure out what you haven’t worn in the last year and then try to get rid of the rest.
Books, magazines, movies, and music are heavy and take up a lot of room. Try to get rid of as much of them as you can. You can sell some books, movies, and music to earn a little extra moving money.
If you are finding yourself needing to move in the cold dark winter then you are probably feeling pretty abused right now. If you need to be moving cheap or just want to then winter is a great time to move.
Most people do not move in the winter so it is easier and cheaper. You don’t have to book your movers, moving truck, or moving pods as far in advance in the winter, and the prices are more competitive.
Gas in the winter is naturally cheaper then the summer. I don’t know if you have noticed, but so far gas is a lot cheaper now than it was last summer.
If you find yourself moving a good distance north and need to be moving cheap than I have really good news for you? In most cases it is cheaper to move north than south. Why that is the case is a subject for a different post.
In this challenging economy we are all looking for more affordable ways of doing everything. Using a moving pod instead of paying full service movers is going to save you a bundle, but how do you get your stuff into the moving pod?
Will Work for Doughnuts
Most everyone has friends and family that will understand that you need help. If moving cheap is really a necessity for you then, it’s time to swallow your pride and ask. Don’t forget to provide doughnuts or pizza to your helpers.
If you don’t have people in your life that will happily help you then it would still be cheaper to hire some neighborhood kids to do the heavy lifting.
Well you can’t sleep in your moving pod. I know people have tried; it is dangerous and probably illegal. I’m sure no one visiting this moving pods site was even considering it. Just had to put it out there. Do not try to sleep in moving pod.
So were do you sleep while moving? I personally have used both the “timing it just right so you wake up in the old place and go to sleep in the new place”, and the “you sleep while I drive and then switch off” methods. They are both completely exhausting and only work for shorter moves.
What do you do for longer more relaxing moves then? Stay in a hotel of course. I know the economy is week and everyone is trying to save as much money as possible. I found the perfect solution where you can Compare Hotel Prices and Save! You should seriously consider staying in a hotel during your move, your health will thank you for it.
The news is so full of doom and gloom lately because of the down economy. Jobs have been and are going to be lost for many. Homes are going into foreclosure and you might be one of the many Americans that need to downsize. There is so much unhelpful drama being spouted by the media out there, you might want to curl up into a helpless ball.
I am not a doomsdayer, but sometimes we all just need to look at the facts for a minute before moving onward with what needs to be done.
I have personally been in this place before in 2001. We had job loss that lasted for six months. No one was hiring. The reason I share this is because I have developed a philosophy about these things that I want to share. Sharing this on a moving pod site may or may not be appropriate but here I go just in case it could help someone.
Change happens; sometimes it is out of your control. Some change is going to make your life harder, while other change will make your life easier. When things change that makes your life more difficult it is your job to first; figure out how to survive it, then to work hard to change things so your life will be easier again. Think about this, there are self made multi millionaires out there that were at one time broke, bankrupt, and some were even homeless. Anyone can pick themselves up and start over.
If you find yourself having to make an emergency move or any other type of move then check out these posts on this moving pod site.
Most people move in the summer, and there are perfectly good reasons for that. If you have kids in school then summer is the perfect time. Also more houses sell in the summer.
If you are lucky enough to be able to move in the fall or winter you will most likely enjoy better moving prices. When moving in the fall you can also expect better temperatures for when you are doing the heavy lifting.
I personally have made several long distance moves in October and I would always try to aim for this month. The cooler temperatures as well as the costs are worth it.
My reasons for loving October for a move;
Cooler temperatures, Heat can really take your energy away.
The price of gas, have you ever noticed that no matter how high the gas is in the summer it is just a bit cheaper in the fall before the big holidays.
Affordable movers and rental moving truck or moving pods availability. The fact that there aren’t many of us out there moving during this time really helps you get the exact size truck you want and for a better price.
Accommodations are easier to come by when you are making a long distance move.
Friends and family are more likely to be able to give you a few hours on their Saturday to help you with your move.
If you have to move this month anyway, then enjoy the positives of moving in the fall like affordable movers.
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