| It's easy to get overwhelmed when making a move, even if it's just across town. Being organized will help you save money, even if you hire professional movers. Whether you hire movers, do it yourself or something in between, here are five moving tips that will help you save money. |
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| Moving Tips 1: Time Your Move |
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| Everyone wants to move in the summer because of the weather or the kids are out of school. If possible, don't plan your move around the busy months of June and July. The farther away from these months, the less work there is for movers and the better deal you can negotiate. |
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| Moving Tips 2: Shed the Weight |
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| Your belongings are worth their weight in gold. Unfortunately, it's your gold you will be using to pay the bill. Getting rid of excess belongings, whether you donate them for the tax break or have a garage sale, is the best way to save money. The more things you have, the bigger the truck you'll need and, remember, professional movers charge by weight and distance. |
| Moving Tips 3: Be Flexible |
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| Consider a mid-week move if you will be using a moving truck rental company because they have much less demand than on the weekends. If you're hiring professional movers, you can usually negotiate a discount if you allow the movers to pick up and deliver on their schedule. This is because they may already have a job on the day you request but have an opening a couple days later. |
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| Moving Tips 4: Plan Ahead |
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| You not only need to be organized on the moving end, but also on delivery. If you don't have your new residence ready to move into, you will incur storage and transit fees. If you know it's going to be a day or two, you can try to negotiate that into your contract with the movers. But if you don't mention it until they show, be prepared to pay the movers extra. |
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| Moving Tips 5: Do It Yourself |
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| You may want to consider moving yourself if you have a small load and it's just across town. Most rental moving truck companies have reasonable day rates, so they make their money on the mileage charges. Either way, have a loading plan and everything packed and ready to go. Like most things, moving takes more time than you think. Move the biggest and heaviest items first so you can return the truck sooner and move the smaller boxes in your car. The fewer trips you make in the moving truck, the cheaper your move. On long-distance moves, you can pack yourself and have the professional movers load and ship. Or you can choose a self-service move for which you pack and load yourself and just pay for having your belongings driven to their new home. |
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