Moving to a new home is a very interesting and important occasion. It is one of those experiences that can really change you as a person, especially if you are moving to a new town or across the country. It is a big moment, after all, starting a new chapter of your life with the potential to make it something new and amazing. And despite whatever the actual reasons for the move might be, you have the right to be excited about this! However, there is a large number of tasks that you need to deal with before all that comes to pass. From hiring a group of quality movers such as the local movers Westchester County offers, to choosing a moving date and planning the moving budget, you are indeed going to be busy. Luckily, at least there are indeed cheap ways to move cross country. With each of these, you will be able to save some money and also hopefully reduce some of that stress.
1. Reduce the number of things you are taking with you
Let us do a simple math test here – You pay the movers to take your belongings to your new home. The more belongings you have, the higher price you will need to pay. However, if you have less belongings, you will need to pay a lesser price. Quite simple is it not? Decluttering your home before the move is one of the easiest and most cheap ways to move cross country. In case you are not familiar with this term, it basically means to get rid of anything you do not need in your home. The most efficient way to do this is to first create an inventory list.
An inventory list is one of the most useful tools when planning a move
Some people tend to underestimate them and disregard them as futile, but inventory lists are super useful. They are not just a needed document when negotiating a price with your potential residential movers. You will need it in case you need to file an insurance claim as one of the required documents. You can also use it to help you organize the packing and unpacking parts of the move. Furthermore, you can use it for decluttering.
How to declutter?
By having an inventory list it will be easier to do it, but you can still declutter your home either way. So, how does this go? Well, one of the indisputable facts about human beings is that we like to get and have things. That is why it is basically a guarantee that you have a lot of things you do not actually need. From clothes that you do not wear anymore, to old books that are not to be found anywhere on your reading list, to a random pile of all sorts of memorabilia-like items that you keep for sentimental purposes, but that does not actually have any real value to you, there is a lot to get rid of.
There are several things that you can do with such things:
- Throw away – A lot of these things such as old, torn clothes are simply not suitable for another human being to use them.
- Donate/give away – There is surely a lot of things that you do not personally need or care for that other people can use. Give it to your friends or family or simply donate it.
- Sell – Since we are talking about cheap ways to move cross country, selling the things that you do not need is easily one of the most effective ways to achieve this goal.
2. Moving on your own is easily one of the top 3 cheap ways to move cross country
Whether you are moving from NY to NC or to CA, you can always go for a DIY type of move. It is definitely going to be challenging, but it is definitely possible with good organization. Of course, doing it literally on your own is going to make this a lot harder. However, you can and should ask your friends and family members for help. If you plan this properly, it is quite doable for you and a group of your friends to pull this out. One of the most important elements of this plan is the moving truck.
There is always a chance that one of your friends has a suitable truck or that they know someone. There is also always an option to rent a truck for moving. Many companies out there offer just this and there is a wide variety of options out there. Simply do your research regarding this, and you shouldn’t have problems finding a cheap enough option. If you do not have a lot of belongings, maybe you can pull this off with just a car and trailer. You can maybe borrow it, or you can rent it. Either way, this type of cross-country move will save you a lot of money.
3. You can hire movers and still not pay too much
By doing some careful organizing, you can have a cheap cross country move without doing too much heavy lifting yourself. Firstly and foremost, you would have to hire a moving company as soon as you can. The key lies in avoiding any last minutes reservations, especially in regard to summer which is the peak season for movers. If you hire them a couple of months in advance, you can quite likely avoid higher moving costs.
Another thing that you can do, along with decluttering, is to get creative with getting moving equipment. You can get free boxes from shops and supermarkets in your neighborhood, for instance. Your friends and family may have some moving supplies to share. Plus, they can also help out with packing so that you do not have to hire professionals for this.