How to Move Cheaply Across the Country

Trying to move across the country cheaply is likely to end in disaster; you generally get what you pay for, and the safety of your possessions and your sanity is far more important than a fatter wallet.

That said, what you can do is move home more cheaply than if you did no research, no pre-planning, and gave your move no thought.

In this week’s blog, we look at ways to make your cross-country move cheaper whilst still ensuring a safe and stress-free relocation.

1. Read and Understand the Movers Paperwork

Paperwork is boring, but failing to read and understand the mover’s paperwork can lead to unexpected additional charges and having the savings you have worked hard towards wiped out in an instant.

Take the time to read, question, and verify everything.

Must read: Understanding Moving Quotes. One of the first things to understand is that not all movers’ quotes are equal. What may appear to be a cheaper quote can suddenly skyrocket on moving day if you do not understand exactly what type of quote you have agreed to. This guide is invaluable and explains all you need to know about moving quotes.

2. Beware of Packing Things Yourself

Most guides to moving home cheaply will recommend that you pack your possessions yourself.

BEWARE: Whilst this may be cheaper than hiring professional packers, what people do not realize is, is that most insurance policies will not cover any items you have packed yourself.

One broken TV, for example, could easily wipe out all the savings you have made.

The smart answer is to pack your low-value, non-breakable items yourself and leave the rest to the professionals.

Must read: Understanding Moving Insurance. If you read nothing else about moving home, read this article. It fully explains everything you need to know about insuring your home move. Being underinsured is the number one home moving mistake, and it can end up costing you a fortune.

3. Use a Moving Checklist

Save money by saving time; this is what the very beginning of your moving preparations boils down to, and your best tool to achieve effective time management is to create a Moving Timeline.

 A moving calendar is a specialized to-do list that lets you set up a smooth relocation timeline. And to make the most out of your pre-move time and thus expand your cheap moving options, make sure your moving checklist:

• Includes all important tasks you will have to complete before your move-out date.
• Has all tasks prioritized so that you finish the essential jobs before completing the tasks with lower priority;
• Moving jobs that have been customized to suit your wishes, preferences, and capabilities. Remember that each residential move is unique.

If time is money, then that means that each hour saved by your personalized, prioritized, and detailed moving checklist will keep more money in your own pocket.

Must have: The Greatest Moving Checklist of All Time. Here we have created a comprehensive checklist and timeline that you can tailor to your specific moving needs.

4. Find affordable movers

For affordable, read value for money. It is far more important to find movers who will do a good job at a reasonable cost.

Here is a 3-step process to start you off on the right track:

Step 1. Get moving estimates

The very first step is to use our Moving Cost Calculator to get free estimates from the best moving companies in your area.

Once you get in touch with movers, insist they visit your home for a visual inspection of the things you have for moving. At the very least, they should carry out a video survey. That way, they will be able to prepare an accurate cost estimate that will reflect the final bill, not just a guesstimate.

During the in-home survey, ask the moving company representatives if there’s anything you can do to lower the price you get quoted.

Step 2. Compare the offers

The next step is to compare the quotes. Take a good, hard look at the additional services and their respective charges so that you can compare them fairly.

If a moving company has offered a price that’s way too low compared to the rest of the estimates, then beware that it may have been made by a rogue mover as a fraudulent tactic to lure in unaware customers.

Step 3. Check the movers’ reputation

Reviews and testimonials by former clients will help you get a preliminary idea of the reliability and affordability of the movers you have shortlisted.

Take a look at genuine moving reviews and overall ratings of all your short-listed movers to make sure no unpleasant surprises arise on moving day.

After you take these 3 steps, you should be able to pick the best moving company for you. And when you do, be sure to book their services as early as possible for a potential discount on the moving price.

Must read: How to avoid Moving Scams. Cheap quotes often result in hefty additional charges on moving day. In this guide, we look at common scams and how to protect yourself from them.

5. Consider your options

Sometimes, a Do-It-Yourself move can seem to be a cheaper way to move across the country than hiring professional movers.

But is a self-move really worth it?

The cost of a DIY move is generally much harder to calculate because there are obvious self-moving expenses, not-so-obvious self-moving costs, and even hidden expenses that can easily deceive you into thinking that it will be cheaper to move by yourself.

Time, distance, and experience will also affect the outcome of your move.

Time. The less time you have at your disposal, the harder the task of organizing a self-move will be. Opt to move by yourself only if you are not troubled by a fast-approaching moving date.

Distance. In general, self-moves are justifiable if you’re moving just across town (in-town move) or locally within the state limits (local move). If you leave the boundaries of your own state, you will run the risk of incurring much higher expenses than you originally thought.

Experience. Insufficient moving experience, poor and unsafe packing skills, improper property protection, or possible personal injuries could cause your relocation expenses to skyrocket, turning your intentions of moving on the cheap into nothing more than an unfortunate case of building castles in the air

You may also like to read: Hiring Movers vs Moving on Your Own. In this guide, we look at the pros and cons of your moving options.

6. Be smart when scheduling your move

When you reserve your movers ahead of time, you get more flexibility to actually select a date that will be convenient for you and will enable you to lower the final price even more. Some movers may be willing to offer you an additional discount for early booking.

Knowing the date of your move way in advance will always be a win-win situation for you, as you will know exactly how much time you have to get ready for the big day, and, at the same time, you will minimize the chance of having your move-out date rejected by your chosen moving company due to an overbooked schedule.

• If possible, choose your date during the off-peak moving season (September-May) when most moving companies lower their standard rates by up to 30%, or even more.
• Select a date during the second half of a month – preferably during the period between the 15th day and the 25th day. The beginnings and ends of months tend to be very busy for obvious reasons.
• Opt for a Tuesday, a Wednesday, or a Thursday. Avoid weekends and national holidays when most people are out of work.

You may also like to read: When Is the Best Time to Move? In this guide, we look at when the cheapest time to move home is in more detail.

7. Declutter

The overall weight of your shipment is one of the main factors that determines the relocation price.

Decluttering is the one guaranteed way to reduce your moving costs. The fewer items you take, the less packing materials and time are needed, fewer hours are needed to load and unload, you may even need a smaller moving truck, and the overall shipment weight will be lighter.

Follow these proven decluttering principles to purge your home of anything that is no longer useful, necessary, or wanted.

• Create a home inventory checklist by going through each room and documenting everything you own in your home. The house inventory list can also serve as a packing list, which will save you loads of time later on. However, be sure to provide enough time for completing this important task because the inventory process takes time.
• Your detailed home inventory will enable you to see the larger picture by highlighting all your possessions that have been duplicated, rendered worthless, or devalued by time.
• Sell, give away, give to charity, or recycle to leave the extra weight behind and relocate only with the stuff you do need and intend to use in the future.

You may also like to read: How to Declutter Your Home Before Moving. In this guide, we explain how to declutter each room of your home for a cheaper relocation.

Moving home is never going to be both cheap and safe. But it can be good value.

• Read and understand any paperwork you are given
• Be organized
• Move as few items as possible
• Thoroughly research any mover you are thinking of hiring
• Move outside busy periods

Remember: Save money where it is safe to do so and spend money where the safety of your precious items and your mental well-being is at stake.

Good luck with your move, and be sure to visit our home moving blog, which is packed with guides to make every aspect of your home move cheaper, easier, and safer.