It must be interesting for you to hear what your moving budget has to say about your upcoming residential move. After all, it’s no secret that when numbers are talking, the best course of action is to usually listen and take notes.
The entire process of moving from one home to another is as tough as it gets without the need of additional problems and complications. This is why it’s hardly a surprise that the extra challenge of moving with a limited budget can easily put a single person or a whole family under a lot of move-related stress.
And if you find yourself in the unfortunate situation to be moving on a tight budget, then you should definitely get familiar with the following practical tips for moving on a budget. Your ultimate purpose, of course, is to save loads of money on your move and turn the entire house move into a smooth journey from start to finish.
How to make a cross country move on a budget?
Consult the following guide to moving house on a budget.
1. Create a moving budget to start with
While being forced to be moving on a limited budget can be a real challenge, you’re going to still need to set a personal relocation budget in the first place in order to see what exactly you’re dealing with. In reality, the pre-move calculations will help you see the financial picture clearer and reach the decision that makes the most sense under the circumstances.
One of the greatest advantages of having a personalized moving budget to consult is that it should inform you whether you have enough money to cover the relocations costs and the immediate post relocation expenses that are largely inevitable. And if turns out that you’re short of money, then it’s time to 1) look for good ways to cut down your moving costs /read on for some great ideas!/, 2) find ways to earn more money prior to the move, or 3) re-evaluate the urgency of your (forced) decision to move out.
If at all possible, consider postponing your house move for a later period when, hopefully, you will have managed to save up enough for a stress-free relocation experience. On the other hand, if that is just not a real option for you, then it’s time for you to think of some excellent strategies to pay less for the entire residential move.
However, be warned that learning how to stretch your moving budget won’t be easy in the least, so you shouldn’t get too excited about it.
Save time and money on your move
Save up to 40% on your upcoming move and get a quote from reputable moving experts.
When moving house on a limited budget, every saved penny brings bonus points.
Moving cross country on a budget requires careful planning from Day 1 of your preparations. Basically, you can’t really expect to have a smooth household move if you fail to come up with a good strategy as far as your finances are concerned.
It goes without saying that probably the best financially sound decision you can ever make when going through that transitional period of moving to a new home is to hire the services of a perfectly affordable removal company. As you probably suspect, finding such a low-cost removal company will enable you to stretch your moving budget while still having the professional relocation assistance you need.
Ask around your circle of friends, colleagues and neighbors if anyone can recommend moving professionals who did a great job packing and transporting the household items entrusted to them without charging too much for their high quality services.
Also, check moving reviews of companies that support your route to get a good idea of what you can expect from your future relocation partner. Besides the individual customer reviews, you can also view overall ratings of relocation firms so that you can effectively narrow down your choices.
Now, a crucial moment when planning to move out on a small budget is the time when you are expected to actually choose which removal company to hire and which relocation offer to accept. Once you’ve singled out a few removal firms that seem reputable and trustworthy enough, your next move is to see what they have to offer for real.
Step 1: Ask your pre-selected movers to send down moving experts to do a visual inspection of your home. The experts’ purpose during such a home survey is to get familiar with the unique specifics of your move, identify possible problems come moving day and furnish you with the most accurate moving estimates in writing there can be. During the visit, you should voice over any worries or concerns you may have regarding the relocation ahead.
Step 2: With accurate moving quotes in your hands, you shouldn’t have any particular problems selecting the best removal company for you and your family. Take your time to think things through, pay attention to the additional services listed in the estimates and, of course, their corresponding charges. If you have troubles understanding something, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification.
4. Schedule your move to help out your budget
A good way to save money when moving into a new home is to pick an advantageous move-out date for your upcoming house relocation. And although such a smart scheduling strategy is not always feasible, it should be used as a proven cost-saving tool whenever possible.
The main idea of reserving your move day for a particular date is that removal companies charge less during the off-peak season (September-May). The reason for that is because then they are far less busy and are willing to lower their relocation tariffs to attract more customers. In general, the prices for professional relocation services can go down substantially from the end of summer up until the beginning/middle of spring, but be mindful that avoiding weekends, national holidays, and first and last days of a month will additionally bring down the moving price.
To make moving on a budget easy, book your move with your selected removal firm as soon as you can to have the greatest chance of getting a price offer that you will find agreeable.
5. Get hold of cheap packing materials
Inspect thoroughly the moving boxes before using them to pack up your personal items in them. The containers have to be clean, dry, and sturdy.
Packing supplies often turn out to be one of the major move related expenses because of the large quantities of cardboard boxes, bubble wrap and packing paper that are required for a fast and problem-free house packing experience. This is exactly why you will have to tackle this top priority issue if you’re desperately looking for the best way to move across country on a budget.
Now, the easiest way to get hold of high quality packing supplies of the quantities you need is to purchase them brand new from a local removal company or from an office supply shop. The bad news is that this decision can cost you a lot, maybe much more than you originally thought. Which, of course, means that you’re going to need an alternative plan to secure the packing materials on time.
It’s relatively easy to assume that cardboard boxes of assorted sizes will be your main concern and the chances are that you’re going to need a lot of them. First, ask around your friends if anyone has cardboard boxes in decent condition which you can borrow temporarily or have at no cost whatsoever. Also, visit local retail businesses like supermarkets and bookshops to see if you can have for free all the cardboard containers they won’t need and are required to recycle anyway.
While planning to move out on a low budget, possible failure to understand one of the fundamental concepts of residential relocation can really hurt your chances to move cheaply. And that concept is all about how the relocation price is formed and which factors affect the most that final cost.
It’s important to know that 3 main factors determine the final moving price: 1) move distance between the two homes, 2) total weight of the shipment, and 3) additional moving services required to complete the moving job as planned. And because of the fact that Factor #1 remains a constant value and Factor #3 is often out of your control, your best bet to lower the overall moving costs and thus move out on a tight budget is to take with you only the things you do intend to use in the near future.
Make a detailed inventory list of your entire home and get ready for some tough decisions. Remember the unwritten rule that an item that has not been used for more than a year is often not worth the time, money and efforts to be relocated. In addition to saving transportation expenses, you will also save valuable space in your new home by being extra careful what you pack for the move.
7. Secure more money for your low budget
A pre-move sale is a good way to boost your limited relocation budget.
Of course, the next logical question is what you should do with all the household items you decide to leave behind, and more precisely – how your unwanted possessions can help you make a cross country move on a budget. The answer to this seemingly tough question is pretty simple – just sell anything you won’t need anymore. Or at least try to.
The inventory list you’ve been advised to compile should give you good indicators of what issues lay ahead of you. Your main concern should be all the furniture pieces you own as they are rather heavy and their transportation costs will surely be high. Keep in mind that leaving a piece behind and buying a new one for the new apartment or house on is often the more sensible solution. Books are surprisingly heavy as well, so make sure you go through your (extensive) book collection and slim it down as much as you possibly can.
The two most common options to pocket some money prior to your house move are to sell some of the items online or organize a car boot sale/a garage sale. Both alternatives have distinct advantages and disadvantages and choosing the right one will depend primarily on how much time and energy you have left before your move-out day.
Depending on the size of your home, and of course, the number of household items found in it, packing for a move can range from being smooth and almost pleasant experience to being a chaotic period of wasted time and lost nerves. However, if you’ve followed most of the abovementioned tips for moving on a budget, then you’re definitely not going to have rough patches while packing up your home.
To save big on costly professional packing services, consider organizing and completing the packing marathon by yourself. Ask parents and good friends to help you box up your entire home and throw a fun packing party to surprise whoever’s agreed to lend you a hand. Play music, offer tasty snacks and various beverages to make them feel welcome. You can even think of some highly entertaining packing games to keep the spirits up, and hopefully, increase the productivity as well.
Thus said, getting help for your move is not always as straightforward as it may seem at first glance. Consult our detailed guide on how to get friends to help you move to understand the basic rules and proper etiquette when planning to get moving backup from your trusted pals.
Are you familiar with other smart tips for moving on a budget? Feel free to share them below.
*At RemovalReviews we will connect you with a professional moving company. Please note that we may not be affiliated with
and you may be speaking with another licensed provider.
Best removals nearby
We use cookies to optimise your experience.Accept and close or Learn more
It must be interesting for you to hear what your moving budget has to say about your upcoming residential move. After all, it’s no secret that when numbers are talking, the best course of action is to usually listen and take notes.
Share your thoughts by leaving a comment