The average cost of hiring a moving company for a cross-country move is so high that your concern for finding a reasonable moving company is quite understandable. Moving is a very tedious and expensive process even if you plan a local move and then a cross-country move will drain your pockets. If we keep the money part on a side, everyone wants to hire professional moving companies to take up the tiring work of packing and moving. The best way to understand your moving cost is to plan your budget and then ask some interstate moving companies for moving estimates. The cost of your cross-country move depends upon the size of your shipment and the distance to travel. So if you have a bigger house and a lot to move then be prepared for a hefty moving budget.
Cheap Ways to Move Cross-Country
People move cross country for many reasons that may include career growth, better lifestyle, better education facilities, or just to stay near their loved ones. Many people move to their favorite places after their retirement. No matter what is the reason behind your move, finding the cheapest cross-country movers has always been a challenge. If you too are looking for ways to move cross country on a budget, here we present a few tried and tested tips and tricks:
Downsize Your Move
The overall moving cost of your move depends upon the size of your move so it makes sense to remove all the unwanted and not in use things from your moving inventory. We often tend to pack all that we have and move, while this may not make much difference in the case of a local move, the cost of a cross-country move is greatly impacted by the size of your move. It is wise to walk through your house before you start packing and take out all your unwanted belongings. You can divide these things into three piles; sell, donate, and trash. So, sell what you can, consider donating books and other study-related material while throwing away all that is not in good condition. Downsizing your shipment will make your moving cost a lot less than before.
Choose the Right Time to Move
Try to move home in the offseason if possible. While summers are the most expensive months to move as many people move during summers before schools start. Moving in peak season is expensive as movers charge the most during this time but they offer good discounts in their lean seasons. Along with summers, weekends are also quite busy in terms of moving. So, it is wise to move during spring and/or on weekdays as companies offer discounts on these days. If possible, try to move during mid-month or mid-week to save some good amount of money.
Research for Cheap but Good Cross Country Movers
Do not just hire the first cross-country movers that you come across online. Consider asking for recommendations from your family and friends. Ask moving quotations from at least 3 cross country movers before deciding on anyone. Compare the services and prices of these companies and select the one with the best services at affordable rates. A high rate doesn’t mean good quality services so choose any company wisely. Know your selected company well to stay safe from any moving frauds. Make sure the company is registered with the Department of Transportation and has the licenses to work in both current and destination states of yours.
Consider a DIY Move
If you have a very limited budget and you are not able to find a reliable and affordable moving company, the best way to move is to make a DIY move. Though a DIY move will be very challenging, it will be much cheaper than hiring full-service professional cross-country movers. Look for some cheap truck rental moving companies. These companies provide labor to move heavy equipment and furniture and to transport your goods and you will have to pack and organize your move yourself. This type of hybrid DIY move will not only save you from laborious work but will also save a hefty amount of money.
Portable Moving Containers
Portable moving containers are not only cheap, but they are also one of the easiest ways of moving your stuff to another state. Portable moving container companies provide you the facility of storing your goods in your rented containers at your own time pace and simply pick up those containers on a moving day and drop them at your destination location. You have all the access to your goods till the last day and also your goods are safe during transit as the storage container is locked by you. A cross-country move is much cheaper if you consider renting moving containers.
Negotiate
When you do not ask the answer is always a no and this phrase is true in terms of bargaining too. Negotiation is the key to get the best price so it is wise to negotiate with your movers. Many movers do not lower their prices, in that case, you can ask them to provide some additional services at their quoted price.
