Usually moving turns out to be not only stressful, but also rather costly. Still, you can save money on your move even if you hire an affordable moving company rather than try to do everything yourself.
The best way to save money is to cut back on supplies. One of the most important aspects of moving your possessions is to pack them well and securely. If you believe that protecting your material goods means a big investment, keep reading.
The most important thing for you will be to get enough boxes. All the knickknacks, photographs, decor and other things that make your house a home need to be packed to prevent damage and breakage. Boxes of different sizes can be provided by moving companies, but at a high price. If you have friends that have recently moved, ask them if you can take their extra boxes from them.
What is more, you can call around to warehouse stores and other retail establishments to find out if they will allow you to take some of their boxes. Most grocery stores will set aside boxes you need for you to pick them up at a certain time, usually between 10PM and midnight when the stocking is done.
If you need very large boxes, you can get these from warehouse or appliance stores. These boxes are usually sturdy and well made, which makes them ideal for electronic items that might be fragile. If you have posters, artwork, or other important documents, consider obtaining cardboard mailing tubes from law firms or construction companies.
Most long distance moving companies usually use bubble wrap and inflated plastic bags to protect breakable and fragile items. Although these might be the ideal packing materials, they are quite expensive and you don't need them for most of your items. Consider using newspaper instead: it is cheap and if you get a daily paper you'll quickly accumulate enough to move two households! If not, you may call friends or a local business office to ask if you can have their old newspapers.
Also, you can ask your friends and neighbors to save any packing materials that they might get; this will work especially during the Christmas season.
You can use your household sheets to wrap your fragile items and cover the furniture. If your bed coverings are too delicate, visit a local thrift store. There you can get comforters and quilts for a song, several of them for the price you would pay to rent just one cushioned furniture wrap from a moving company!
In addition, you may get a substantial discount if you agree to let your cross country movers store your items for a short period of time until they can combine several loads to be delivered in your area. If you don't need your things immediately, consider this option.
Finally, you should look through moving company reviews in consumer publications and on the Internet. There you may find some tips on saving money and negotiating rates.
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