You’ve done everything right. You focused on buying an affordable home. You did your homework: durable materials, energy efficiency, room for growth. You’ve ensured your affordable home will be easy to own. There’s just one, costly thing you forgot: the move! How can you save money on this big step?

12 Tips for the Cheapest Way to Move

  1. Check online reviews. If you opt to use a moving company, see if others who’ve moved have had any problems with your choice. Avoiding a mover with repeated issues means minimizing your risk of something going wrong mid-stream.
  2. Prepare. Checklists are your friend! The cheapest way to move is in an organized manner. The more delays, the more avoidable costs you incur.
  3. Have your costs estimated. A moving cost estimator can help provide you with a ballpark figure. This allows you to move on to step 4.
  4. Have your moving budget ready. Know the payment options of your mover, and ensure you have the funds available to pay on delivery.
  5. Choose a good date. There are peak and off-peak seasons. If you have flexibility in your moving schedule, selecting off-peak dates will allow you to find better deals.
  6. Boxes are free if you ask. Grocery stores, electronics stores, bookstores, your friends – everyone has boxes. Start stocking up on free ones as soon as you can.
  7. Improvise with packing supplies. Use drawers as independent storage containers. Protect your dishes with flattened cereal boxes. Use towels to keep photos safe. Have a wheeled suitcase? Pack up those heavy books. You don’t need to go to the supply store; likely you have a wealth of creative options already.
  8. Be cutthroat about your things. Do you really need your entire wardrobe from 10 years ago to move with you? Donate what you don’t wear anymore. It’s that much less to pack, you get a tax deduction for the donation, and it’s less for the movers to charge for moving. Moving is an opportunity to clean and purge as well.
  9. Have a yard sale. You can pay a good deal of your moving costs this way, while making people happy at what they can find. You can sell online, too.
  10. Pack as much as you can. Movers are there to move, not pack up the entire home. Your rate for packing up your home is free. Theirs is not.
  11. Check your directions. Make sure your drivers have the right directions. This might seem silly in an age of GPS, but GPS isn’t always right, and local directions can be misleading or tricky. You don’t want your movers delayed because of a mistaken direction.
  12. Look up tax deductions. You can deduct if your move is related to starting a new job, your workplace is 50 miles further from your old residence, and you work full-time for 39 weeks during the first 12 months.

Combine an affordable home with an affordable move, and your first days in your affordable home will be stress-free.

High Performance Home Buying Guide

 

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