If you have never before undergone a moving process, you may start to realize that it can be really expensive. Let’s say that you want to move from the Bronx. Aside from hiring one of the movers Bronx has to offer, you will need to obtain packing supplies, consider whether you need a storage unit, and a host of other expenses. It can all pile up rather fast. If you want to save money when moving for the first time, you are going to need to invest some time into the project. In this article, we will show you how to get the most value for your time and effort.
A few tips to help you save money when moving for the first time
Here are some of the things that you may want to do, to reduce the overall cost of your relocation, one way or another:
- Declutter
- Sell some of your items
- Acquire free/cheap packing materials
- Don’t overbuy
Furthermore, you can try and optimize the moving services that your relocation needs. For example, you can simply rent a moving truck and a driver if you have a few friends to help you with manual labor. Or you can opt for labor-only services and drive the truck on your own. And if you need a storage facility NYC solution, you may want to start looking into it straight away. The more convenient you want your relocation to be, the more it will cost. But there are ways around it, ways that can help you get the most out of your moving budget.
First of all, declutter!
Every home, office, or any habitat, has plenty of items that are cluttering the space without any real use. These can be items that you do not want to get rid of as they “might be useful one day”. The fact of the matter is that these items, especially bulky ones, are going to inflate the cost of your relocation. Therefore, you will want to get rid of some of them before you even contact any of the movers NYC has to offer. This process, however, can take quite a lot of time and energy. It is best to start on it as soon as you can.
The whole idea is to separate your items into several “piles”. You can name them however you want, but for the purposes of this article we are going to call them “Keep”, “Sell”, and “Throw away”. Start by going through your home or office and writing down each item into one of the piles. You may want to create an intermediary pile, let’s say “maybe”, as you might want to come back to those items later. In the end, each one of your belongings needs to be in one of the three primary piles.
Make sure to include your entire family in the process, too. What you may think to be useless might be priceless to someone else. But don’t let emotions cloud your judgment, either. To reduce the costs, you will want to declutter your home as much as possible.
Then sell some of your unwanted belongings
After you’ve finished sorting your items into piles, it is time to figure out the best way to make some money off of the “Sell” pile. You have several options at your disposal. First, you can organize and hold a “garage sale”. The second option is to list your items online and ship them to buyers or have them come pick the items up. The former is better in situations where you want to organize a couple of days for the sale, and the latter is for situations where you can spare the time every now and then to deal with potential buyers.
It is entirely possible (and most likely) that you will end up with unsold belongings before the moving week arrives. The best thing you can do with your items that are in good condition is to donate them to your friends or a charity organization. You can also ask your residential movers NYC for the contact information of some of them. Most charities do home pickups for certain items, which makes it quite convenient. But make sure to get in touch with some of them and see if they will accept your donations.
Get packing supplies for free, or on the cheap
Every relocation requires moving boxes. If you have plenty of items to pack, these boxes will soon form a significant expense. But you can get ordinary cardboard boxes for free, without needing to spend a dime! The way you do it is by visiting your local stores and simply asking if they have a box or two to spare. The stores get these boxes at a regular interval and will usually be happy to help you with a couple of them.
As for packing materials, you can join one of the “Send-it-forward” groups, such as Freecycle. Most of the time, you will be able to find at least some of the supplies that you require. You can also search for people that have recently relocated to your current area and ask them if they have some leftovers. Most people actually overbuy packing materials and will be happy to sell them to you at a much cheaper price. Or even give them for free!
Do not overbuy things for your new home
The main trick to save money when moving for the first time is to rein in your emotions. This means that you need to carefully consider where your money is going, not spending even when it is really tempting to do so. Stay on the course, and buy only the things you absolutely need. You can always get more stuff later on after the relocation is over. Therefore, resist the temptation to mentally decorate your new home and purchase anything. In other words, try to control your impulses.