How to Cut Costs When You Move

When moving, there are a lot of things you have to get in order. The sheer truth of the matter is, it can be a hassle when you get ready to relocate. From packing, to boxes, to figuring out if you're going to hire movers or do it yourself, to the most important aspect of finding a new place to live, the act of moving itself, can become an act of dread. Speaking as one who recently moved, I know the strains and stresses that come along with the relocation process. This is especially true for first time movers like myself. Depending on how you decide to move, this experience can costs you as little as nothing aside from your rent or mortgage deposit, to thousands from hiring moving companies to move your stuff.

Naturally the first thing you have to do when moving is find another place to live. If you're moving out of state or to another country, you're going to incur transportation and hotel costs from traveling back and forth viewing properties. In some cases, jobs will pay for relocation expenses, but if you're moving on your own, well...you're basically on your own as far as expenses go too. A local move, just changing residences in the same city or town, can be easier and less stressful than an out of state move. You can look at properties without any extra traveling expenses other than gas for your car or bus fare. Before you head out on your viewing expedition, check online apartment sites and classified ads for apartments or houses that suit your wants and needs. Most places require you to call and schedule a viewing appointment. I actually found my apartment on www.apartments.com. These apartment websites allow you to search by location, amenities, and housing type.

Even if you like the very first apartment or house that you see, it is a good idea to keep your options open and look at a few others. I personally only looked at one other apartment before I decided on the one I got, and both of them were in the same building. What made me choose to go with the apartment that I chose was the floor plan, which had lots of space and the overall layout of the apartment. The first apartment I looked at had a separate kitchen and dining area and separately, they both looked very small. The apartment I decided on has a combined kitchen and dining area which makes the whole kitchen and dining area appear larger than they would be separately. The other thing that swayed my decision to the apartment I chose was the price. This one was $30 less than the first one I viewed. In addition to that, all but one of my utilities was included in my rent. And the apartment included appliances which saved me at least a thousand dollars right there.

Once you've signed your lease, your next step is deciding how you're going to move your stuff. Well first, you should clean your new place thoroughly before you move anything in. Everyone wants to make sure their place is clean and the only way to be sure is to clean it. Some may opt to hire a cleaning company to clean it, especially is it's a big residence. However, if you choose this option, you're going to be out of more money. The cheaper way to go is to buy your own cleaning supplies and clean it yourself. I purchased most of my cleaning supplies from the dollar store so I wasn't out of a lot of money at all. This is the time to start recruiting friends and family to volunteer to help you clean. Notice that I said volunteer. Of course it would only be right to offer to treat them to lunch or something like that, which would still be much cheaper than hiring professional cleaners.

Once the place is cleaned, see if your friends and family would also be nice enough to help you move. Hiring movers or renting moving trucks can be costly and this is a time when you're trying to save money. It would be much cheaper to pay your friends and family because they aren't going to rip you off. In most cases, they will take what you offer them or decline any payment at all. My family was kind enough to help me move free of charge. In addition to that, they purchased a lot of things I needed. Silver and dinnerware, pots, pans, dish towels, bath towel, a microwave, and a television were all purchased for me by family members. Maybe you're thinking that your family can't or won't purchase all of those things for you. If that's the case, you can ask around to see if anyone has some things they aren't using anymore that you could use. For instance, when people buy new televisions or toasters or even microwaves, the old ones may go in the basement although they are still perfectly fine to use. People are usually more than willing to get rid of their old items and it won't cost you a thing. You can also do this with furniture. If they have chairs or an old dinette set that is still in good condition that they aren't using, ask if you can have it.

Furniture can be one of the most expensive parts of moving. I have been living in my apartment for two months now and I still don't have a lot of furniture. A tip when shopping for furniture would be to avoid big name furniture stores. These stores will charge you an arm and a leg for furniture, not to mention shipping costs. Consider some options when shopping around for furniture. There are many shops that have new or gently used furniture at a fraction of the costs as big name furniture shops. Also, instead of buying a whole living room set which includes a sofa, love seat, and chair, buy a futon instead. Futons can even serve as a bed if you have visitors come to spend the night. And you can find good futons at stores like Wal-Mart and Kmart for less than $200. Another costly furniture item is bedroom sets. Mostly all bed parts are sold separately. You have to buy the headboard, footboard, base, the mattress, and on top of that you have to buy bed linen. Let's not forget the dresser and nightstand. If you don't want to spend all the money it will cost to buy all of those things, you can do what I did. I went to Target and bought a queen size air bed. It was less than $20 and it is comfortable. Instead of buying a large dresser, look for the clothing bins they sell in stores such as Target and Kmart that hold different clothing items. You can get them in whatever color you want and they take up less space. I happen to have a lot of closet space as well so there aren't any clothes strewn about my bedroom.

When accessorizing, instead of getting all new carpeting for those hardwood or tile floors, buy area rugs. They come in all shapes, colors, and sizes and they cost a lot less. You can find cheap but tasteful artwork in regular discount stores. Another place you can shop for home accessories are yard sales. Many times people are selling stuff because they are moving and you can usually get a good deal. Remember, you don't have to buy everything at once. One thing most people do when they move to ensure they get other items they want or need is by having a housewarming party. People usually love to come to housewarming parties and of course they aren't going to come empty handed. If you follow these tips I used when I moved, you can save a lot of money when you move.