6 Tips to Save Money on Your Most Efficient Move Yet

If you’ve moved before, you know the challenges. You have to decide upon a method, get organized, and hope you find the right vendors from labor, to moving companies and possibly storage.

Maybe you’re moving from Eugene, Oregon, where rent prices were somewhat affordable, to New York City for your first job and into a “micro-apartment”; or maybe you’re just headed down the block from your parents in a Chicago suburb, either way, we know that  moving is never fun.

That said, it can go more smoothly if you try to do the following six things.

Downsize

Packing your apartment

Before you do anything else, take an inventory of your possessions and get rid of as much unwanted or unneeded stuff as possible. Do you really want that off-brand acoustic guitar that never stays in tune?

Do you need three cat carriers even though you are down to one small pet?

Those three computers you have in your closed because “there might be something on the hard drives” will just get in your way and take up space. Carefully look at your stuff and pare it down.

Organize

Logically attack your move.

Set the date, and then calculate how much packing you need to do every day in order to be ready on time. If you have eight rooms and eight weeks, then take one room at a time and finish packing it within a week. If you can get ahead, all the better. Pro tip: Save the kitchen for last because this will save you from a seven-week fast food diet.

Packing Moving Boxes

Vet the Movers

Whether you are facing a cross-country move and feel that you need a major van line company, or whether you think that a couple guys and a truck will handle it, make sure you choose carefully. Moving surprises are bad, and if you’re all set to go but your help does not show up, that will not be fun.

Movers

Take Care of Business

Be sure to stop utilities at your old place and start them at your new residence. Don’t forget to do either because continuing bills from your previous house or moving into a southern house in the summer with no AC because you forgot to set it up won’t be a pleasant experience.

Consider Storage

Storage.com

Even if you plan well in advance, you may find that you just have too much stuff, and if you haven’t made storage plans, you could be scurrying around late on a Sunday evening to make storage arrangements. With such good first month deals out there, it may pay to rent a storage unit in your new town before you get there.

DIY May Not Be for You

Sure, you can save a lot of money by not hiring movers, and maybe you do have some strong friends that can help you, but getting stuck on the basement steps with a freezer facing you is not a pleasant experience. Pro movers are a good place to spend money even if finances are tight. Better to pay the movers than to pay the emergency room bill, right?

If this is your first move or if you’ve just purchased your first home, make sure you know what you are getting into, and don’t be afraid to contract with professionals. If this is not your first move, you know what you can handle, but again, be diligent and organized throughout the process.

This post was provided by Sam Radbil from ABODO Apartments, an online real estate and apartments marketplace with available apartments all across the United States — from Eugene, Oregon to New York City or wherever you may be moving. Their research and writing has been featured nationally in Curbed, Forbes, Realtor.com, HousingWire and more. ABODO was founded in 2012 in Madison, Wisconsin and has since grown to a company of more than 30 employees working hard to help renters find their next place.