When you purchase your first home or sell your current property and buy another, you’ll be pulling your checkbook out time and again. There are many costs which go into buy a house, including things like a home inspection, pest inspection, down payment, earnest money deposit, and more. It costs a lot to buy a residential property and also includes moving expenses.
Distance and stuff, along with the degree of difficulty, are what most moving services base their prices. Then, there’s things like insurance, which is well worth the added costs for long distance moves. Depending on your situation, you might be getting some help from your company’s relocation package, which is something that’s a great resource.
However, if you’re on your own, then the price to move can be brought down by doing a few things prior to and during the actual move. If you’re able to rope-in a few family members and friends, that will definitely be a great help, but should that not be an option, hire a dependable and reputable moving company.
Getting the Right Moving Company
You can get recommendations from neighbors, family, friends, and coworkers. Once you have three or four names, it’s time to click on over to the local Better Business Bureau’s website and run each service’s name through their system.
“Approximately 16.7 million households move annually, with a little less than half moving in the summer months, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The summer season is an especially popular time to move, because most families want to move when their children are out of school, says Julie Reynolds, a spokesperson for Moving.com, a site that connects consumers with professional moving companies.” —US News and World Report
You’ll also be wise to check out the state’s consumer affairs office online to see if there are any complaints or open cases with that agency. Last but certainly not least, visit the clerk of the court’s website and search it to see if those companies are defendants in any civil lawsuits.
After checking-up on each company, call them one-by-one and schedule a time to have them come out to your place to give you an estimate. Beware the ultra low price, because the fine print will most definitely contain some hidden and unpleasant surprises.
In Which Ways can I Reduce My Moving Costs?
Long before moving day, you should be getting ready. Remember, prices are based on the amount of things being moved, the distance, and the degree of difficulty. So, start by unloading stuff you don’t use or no longer want. Give those things away to charity and/or hold a yard sale. The less you have to move, the less it will cost you. Then, do the following:
- Schedule you move strategically. The first and last of the month will cost more, but a weekday will save you money. In addition, allow the service the flexibility to make the move at their most convenient time, and ask for a little discount.
- Start packing well before moving day. Everyone is surprised by the amount of things they have when it’s time to move. Gather boxes as soon as possible and pare down as much as you can. Pack-up your things room-by-room to ensure you don’t miss anything. Label your boxes with colored tape so you and the movers know where each one goes.
- Move whatever you can before moving day. Again, the less the moving service has to haul, the less expensive it will be. If it’s feasible, start bringing boxes over to your new home. You can also stuff your car full to save a little more.
- Write the costs off on your taxes. The IRS allows deductions for moving, so take advantage of that and save some money at tax time (http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc455.html). There are three requirements for getting a deduction.
You should also be doing these things prior to making a purchase offer to save yourself time and avoid stress.