Moving from Los Angeles to another city can be quite expensive. Even more so if you plan on moving to another state. If you want to reduce expenses when moving, you may need to be flexible and invest a bit of time and effort into obtaining cheaper supplies. You will also want to spend some time comparing all the Los Angeles interstate movers, as well as enlist a few family members and/or friends to the cause. In this article, we are going to provide you with a small guide on how you can make your relocation cheaper without resorting to a DIY solution.
Reduce expenses when moving by implementing these five smart ideas
Even though you want to reduce the costs of your move, you will still want to retain a degree of convenience. While you can always do everything on your own and reduce the cost even further, implement these solutions first and then reassess the cost. To minimize the relocation costs, you will want to:
- Choose a cost-efficient moving company
- Obtain cheap/free packing supplies
- Choose a date far away from the prime moving season
- Enlist some help from friends and family members
- Declutter before moving
Do note, however, that doing all of this is going to take a considerable investment of time, as well as energy. You may find yourself hard-pressed for time, especially if you have a demanding life already. Therefore, the ideal thing you can do is to start as early as you can. And if you are relocating a business, finding one of the quality commercial movers Los Angeles has will be higher on your list of priorities. The important thing is to organize your efforts before you start. Create a checklist of all the tasks that you need to do and make an effort to organize your free time.
Finding affordable movers
The simplest way to reduce expenses when moving is to choose a moving company that will charge you the least. However, you don’t want to go with freelance movers or any moving company that is offering “unrealistic” prices. Making your relocation cost less is all well and fine but you don’t want to expose yourself to unnecessary risk, either. In other words, even though you are looking for an affordable solution, you still want to hire some of the reputable local movers Los Angeles has on offer. What you can do is make sure that you are choosing the ones that will provide you with the best possible deal.
That means that you will need to obtain moving quotes from several moving companies. Basically, the more quotes you get, the better. Just make sure that all of the companies are offering the same set of services. If you simply look at the “end cost“, and not at the services themselves, you may end up not saving any money in the end. Always make sure that you fully understand what services are included (and more importantly, the ones that are not), before you move on to the next company. Once you have all the quotes in hand, simply select the mover that has the lowest prices. Be wary of extremely low costs, though, as that usually indicates that something is “fishy”. Relocation costs are, for the most part, standardized in the industry. While some movers offer better prices than others, they do not differ all that much.
But every little bit counts, and this is just the start.
How to get cheap or free packing materials
The next thing you will want to do is reduce the cost of your packing supplies. And that means getting free boxes and cheap packing materials. The easiest way in which you can obtain the boxes is to visit your local stores. All stores get cardboard boxes at regular intervals, after all. Some of them will be happy to send a few boxes your way if you ask nicely. Normally, you will have the best chances of success with the stores you usually frequent. But even if they fail to produce a box or two for your relocation, do not fret. There are plenty of stores around and some will be glad to help you out.
As for assorted packing materials, it is a bit more tricky. What you will want to do is find people that have recently relocated into your area. They usually have some surplus materials and will be amicable to selling them to you at a reduced price. Sometimes, you can even get them for free. Alternatively, you will need to expand your search online. There are “pass it along” groups all over the internet, as well as marketplaces. While you will not be getting any brand new materials this way, your savings will be considerable.
Reduce expenses when moving by choosing your date carefully
Summer is the prime moving season. Most people choose to relocate at this time of the year, due to various reasons. If you can manage to avoid the summer, however, you can profit from reduced moving costs. For example, Royal Moving & Storage Inc CA often offers great deals for people who are moving closer to the winter. Moving companies have less business outside the moving season and are usually open for negotiations, as well. Therefore, the best thing you can do, financially speaking, is to choose a date when least people relocate.
Get some friends and family members to help you out
Most relocation expenses come from the fact that you are hiring someone to do something for you. But if you enlist a few friends or family members to help you out with manual labor, these costs are practically eliminated. It is much less expensive to simply rent a moving truck and load/unload it by yourself. And if you can drive the truck on your own (or one person from your social circle can), the costs will be reduced even further.
Before you pack, declutter
This might actually be the first thing you will want to do. By having fewer items to pack, load, and unload, all the costs of moving from the city of Los Angeles will be reduced. Therefore, before you start with anything else, make sure to declutter. Decluttering has the potential to considerably reduce expenses when moving, depending on how many items get purged. The process does take quite some time, though, so it is always best to start as early as you can.
