Moving house is believed to be one of the most stressful events in life. Why?
There are numerous reasons why moving is so stressful: you’ve got a limited time window to get ready to move out, you’ve got hundreds of important decisions to make and even more essential things to do, and you’re taking a big step out of your comfort zone as your lifestyle will get disrupted by the upcoming relocation.
And yet, one of the major reasons why moving is so stressful is that it can be rather expensive, especially when you’re moving across the country.
What is the average cost of moving?
It’s important to be aware that the national average cost of moving locally is roughly $1,500, with the actual price ranging from $800 to about $2,200.
The national average cost of moving long distance is about $4,000, with the actual cost ranging from $2,200 to about $5,700 or even more depending on numerous price factors.
Therefore, due to the high moving cost, moving house can indeed be an extremely nerve-wracking experience – it’s the financial side of the whole relocation affair that can play a major role in putting additional pressure on you as a home mover.
So, when you’re about to move long distance, you have to do all in your power to find the cheapest way to move across country. After all, it’s your hard-earned money that will be on the line, so securing the cheapest way to move out of state is a must.
Naturally, one of the cheapest ways to move long distance is to hire the services of an affordable interstate mover. And there’s a reason why this tactical move is usually the first thought of anyone who’s moving across the country – it works great.
Luckily, hiring inexpensive cross-country movers is not the only solution to moving cheaply across the country.
Find cheap movers (cheap as in affordable)
Hiring an inexpensive moving company is a proven method of completing your house move for less money but finding cheap movers that also offer reliable moving services is not easy.
Different cross-country movers offer different terms, conditions, and most importantly – different rates. How much do cross-country movers cost?
In other words, not all interstate moving companies charge the same amount of money for identical services. In reality, you may get surprised by the differences in the price quotes you receive from top-rated out-of-state movers near you even when your relocation parameters remain unchanged.
There are several must-do steps you’ll need to follow in order to find cheap movers around you that will take care of your move for less money than their competitors. After all, why should you pay more money when you can pay less, right?
- Ask friends, neighbors, and work colleagues for recommendations – maybe they will know an affordable interstate mover either because they have used their services before or have heard about the company from friends. These are the people you can trust and who you know wouldn’t try to deceive you in any way. So, if any of your pals recommends a cheap moving company, you should definitely request a cost estimate from those specific moving specialists.
- Request cost estimates from the interstate movers. Quotes received over the phone or via e-mail can never be accurate enough to be trusted so the only way to get reliable cost estimates is to ask the movers to survey your home as part of the precise in-home price estimation process. Walk away from any moving companies that refuse to visit your home in person.
- Compare the quotes you’ve received from top-rated cross-country movers in your area. In addition to comparing the bottom prices directly, take a closer look at the extra services included in that final price in order to achieve fair and accurate comparisons.
- Beware of any cost estimates that are too low compared to the rest. A low-ball estimate could be a sign of a moving scam, so if you do get a quote that’s too good to be true, make sure you read our Moving Fraud Prevention Guide first to stay safe.
MUST READ: How to find cheap movers near you
Move less stuff, save big
You may already be aware of some good cheap moving ideas, tips, and tricks to make your upcoming household move more affordable. It remains to be seen whether those cost-saving techniques will work out for you or not.
However, what you really need to know is that the cheapest way to move across the country is to move only the things you do intend to use in the foreseeable future. Read on to find out why less is actually more during the house moving process.
Did you know that the total weight of your shipment will affect drastically the final relocation price? It’s simple, really – the more items you choose to take with you, the heavier their collective weight will become, which in turn will increase the transportation cost.
So, how do you go about moving fewer items in order to move across the country cheaply?
The magic word is decluttering.
- Inventory your entire home by going from room to room and making a detailed list of all the items found in each one.
- Inspect each item carefully and pay attention to its current condition, usefulness, purchase cost, and sentimental value, if any.
- Determine what you should do with each item that you possess. Expect difficult decisions when trying to figure out what to take with you and what to leave behind.
- Sort out all your belongings you won’t be taking with you into 3 categories: SELL, GIFT/DONATE, or THROW AWAY. It makes no sense to discard perfectly usable items that you don’t wish to take, so do the right thing and either sell those things at a garage sale (or online) or donate them to charity or give them away to friends as farewell gifts before you move away.
See also: How to declutter your home before moving
Don’t pay for moving boxes
A cheap way to move cross country is to lower the moving costs to their absolute minimum. Remember that every dollar counts when you’re getting ready to move out, especially when you’re moving on a tight budget.
Packing supplies can quickly add up to the final bill and make your move costlier than it has to be. When you look at the price of an individual cardboard box, you won’t automatically perceive it as too much. However, add tens and tens of boxes of different sizes, and all of a sudden, you have a total sum that you won’t be too eager to pay.
Keeping in mind that the average number of moving boxes to pack up a home is 60, you can really help your fledging moving budget by getting all or most of your cardboard boxes for free. As a bonus, you should also be able to find other packing materials such as wrapping paper and bubble wrap without paying for them.
You can minimize drastically the biggest expense when packing up your home – the packing boxes. How?
There are several excellent ways to get your hands on good cardboard boxes without paying anything in return. Or if you do end up paying for the boxes, the sum will be too little compared to the prospect of purchasing them brand new.
- Ask friends, neighbors, and work colleagues whether they happen to have any cardboard boxes they don’t really need. Consider using the power of social networks to ask all of your friends at once.
- Check out the free stuff sections of specialized websites such as Craigslist and Freecycle for a chance to score free packing materials.
- Visit the largest retail stores in your area, speak with their respective managers, and you’re more than likely to end up with more free cardboard boxes than you actually need. Stores are supposed to recycle the extra cardboard containers at the end of the day so they shouldn’t really mind giving them to you.
MUST READ: Where to find free moving boxes
Also, you may not realize it but your home is full of alternative packing materials which, if used wisely, will save you plenty of money. The idea of using the large variety of moving containers, as well as wrapping and cushioning materials found in most homes is one of the least known and most effective ways to save money when moving cross country.
Good to know: Alternative packing materials
Pack it all by yourself (or at least try)
Moving long distance is never suited for even the boldest of DIY moves so you’re going to have to find a good cross-country mover. Renting a large moving truck and driving it hundreds or even thousands of miles across the entire country can be rather risky and dangerous, especially if you’ve never done something like that before.
Also, Do-It-Yourself moves across the country can easily prove to be more expensive than hiring an affordable interstate moving company due to the numerous hidden cost of moving out on your own such as the price of packing supplies, the cost of potential property damage or personal injuries due to inexperience, the cost of hiring the necessary moving equipment, the charge of hiring a moving truck and the cost of insurance, and well as parking fees, road tolls, and meals and lodging along the way.
Top-rated moving companies offer a score of moving services, including packing and/or unpacking whenever a customer may request that extra service. However, unless you own specialty items that require extraordinary packing and handling /antique furniture, a piano, a pool table, a grandfather clock, a heavy safe, a hot tub/, and unless you are running out of time, you will save a lot of money if you manage to complete the packing task by yourself.
It’s easier said than done, isn’t it?
Yes, it’s true that packing up an entire home is surely the most time-consuming task in your personal moving calendar, but as long as you have ample time until Moving day, you can definitely do it on your own, thus saving good money by not having to pay professional packers to do the job for you.
IMPORTANT: The best packing tips out there
So, what is the cheapest way to move cross country?
It’s a combination of several frugal moving tips that, when put together, will save you hundreds of dollars:
- Hire the services of a low-cost moving company;
- Move fewer items to lower your transportation costs;
- Use free packing supplies (especially free moving boxes) to cut your packing expenses;
- Pack up your things by yourself (whenever possible) to keep your moving costs to a minimum.
Useful advice: Cost-saving tips
