Relocations are costly endeavors, there’s no question about that. This is especially true if you are planning a long distance or interstate relocation. However, there are ways to make them cheaper, from hiring affordable movers Queens has on offer, getting cheap or free packing materials, and a few other things. In this article, we are going to detail those options as well as provide you with a small guide on how to be moving to Queens on a budget.
How to make moving to Queens more affordable
Here are your main options:
- Choose your movers Queens carefully
- Obtain free/cheap packing materials
- Plan your relocation away from the moving season
- Declutter
- Consider a DIY move
To further reduce your relocation costs, you may also want to do as many things on your own as possible. This means that you will not want to hire any packing or storage services from local movers Queens NY has to offer. Furthermore, you may want to enlist some free help from your friends and relatives. They can also help you prepare for the relocation in a faster and more enjoyable way. But for now, let’s take a look at some of the options that you can employ to reduce the overall moving cost.
Choosing affordable Queens movers
Finding quality movers is a matter of statistics. That, or you can choose to go with reputable residential movers NYC has, and simply negotiate with them. That way, you will dramatically reduce the time it takes to choose a moving company.
Trying to find the moving company with the lowest prices is usually a very risky proposition. The reason behind this is that moving prices are standardized in the industry, for the most part, and the movers that are offering much lower prices usually have a “catch” to them. They may present you with a low initial cost, only to pile on additional costs along the way. Needless to say, you will want to avoid this at any cost.
That is why you may want to limit yourself to choosing among well-established, reputable, moving companies. You will want to get a moving estimate from each one (binding estimate works best) and go with the one that offers the lowest prices. That way, you are all but guaranteeing the safety and reliability of your relocation and getting a small price decrease. Next up, let’s take a look at another large cost – packing materials.
How to get free/cheap packing materials when moving to Queens
The packing process will require you to obtain containers, padding, wrapping, and all kinds of protective supplies for your belongings. Depending on the size of your home or office, the cost of these materials can quickly rack up. And if you need to hire a storage facility NYC, you may need additional supplies for storing your items. Luckily, there are ways that you can obtain the needed supplies for much lower than the retail price.
For cardboard moving boxes, you can simply visit your local stores and ask if they have a few to spare. Visit the stores that you normally frequent, as they have a much better chance of obliging your request. After a couple of stores, you should have all the boxes you need. This can be time-intensive, however, as there is a chance that you will need to visit many stores to obtain all the boxes you require. The larger the relocation, the more time you can expect to spend on this. But it is the cheapest way to obtain boxes.
Alternatively, you can join a FreeCycle group or any similar group that deals in “passing things along”. These online communities are formed to help people in need of free/cheap moving supplies and other necessities. See if there is one in your area before you do anything else.
The last option for getting these materials on the cheap is to try and find people that have recently relocated. Most people buy more packing supplies than they need (which is a very smart thing to do), and they are left with a surplus after the move. Some of them will be glad to send some of those materials your way.
Relocate as far from moving season as possible
If you are planning to relocate in Summer, on a budget, you might want to reconsider. Summer is the prime moving season and all the movers, Ben Hur Moving & Storage included, are quite busy at that time. That does not mean that you can’t get a mover to help you relocate, it just means that the available deals will be few and far between.
If you can manage it, it is best to plan your relocation as far from Summer as possible. Near the winter is usually the cheapest time to relocate, and you will have a lot of negotiating power if you conduct your move at that time.
Declutter before moving to Queens
Moving costs are largely dependant on how many items you have, how much they weigh, and similar. That means that it is in your best interest to carry as few items with you as possible. We’re not saying to get rid of anything essential, of course, but you will want to go through a decluttering process before you relocate to the borough of Queens. By doing so, you will be able to considerably reduce the overall moving cost.
While this process does take quite some time, it is also simple in its execution. All you need to do is go around the house or an office and write down the stuff you have. Then you need to allocate all those items in one of three categories: “Keep”, “Throw away”, and “Donate/Sell/Give away”.
If all else fails, consider going through a DIY relocation
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you simply can’t afford to hire moving services from a professional mover. That is alright, you can still perform a so-called “DIY Move”. This means that you will be doing the driving, loading, unloading, packing, and unpacking. Basically, the entire relocation process falls upon your shoulders.
But if you are not that desperate to be moving to Queens on an extreme budget, you can also either hire a truck and a driver or hire labor-only services. They will make the relocation much more convenient and will not put a huge dent in your finances.