It’s no wonder that many people find moving to be one of the most stressful events in life.
It can involve long hours of packing and sorting, heavy lifting, and more than a bit of anxiety about how your new home will look when you finally arrive.
But there are ways to make the process easier on everyone involved — especially if you’re on a budget.
Here are some tips for finding cheap movers:
1. First and foremost, get recommendations
If you’re new in town, it’s a good idea to ask around and find out who the best movers in your area are.
The folks at your local library should be able to give you some recommendations based on their own experiences with various moving companies.
And if there are any students from your old school nearby, they might be able to tell you which companies are best for students.
This is an excellent way to find out if the company is good about offering discounts or special pricing, and keep in mind that student discounts aren’t just something offered at a moving time!
2. Cheapest may not be the best
If you want to find the cheapest moving company available, then the odds are good that you won’t be getting the most value for your money.
Remember, cheap companies often mean less experienced employees, which means a higher likelihood of mistakes during the move. Look for a balance between price and quality before making any final decision.
3. If you have a special need, be upfront
If there’s a particular detail that sets your situation apart from the norm, it’s more than likely that you’ll want to tell your movers ahead of time.
You’ll probably have less trouble with hidden fees if you let them know ahead of time about things like antiques or fragile artwork you need to transport.
4. Consider your destination
The quality of a moving company is also determined by where they will be moving you to, so think about whether it’s an apartment complex in the city or an estate in the country before choosing a company.
5. Start comparing and eliminating to get the best quote from different moving companies
Once you’ve got a list of moving companies that seem like they would be a good fit, start comparing them based on specific price quotes.
You may need to call each company individually and see what they have to say about the matter. The cheapest quote might not always be the best deal — you’ll want something that considers your needs and wants as well.
If you want to choose a moving company, then get started finding the best movers as soon as possible, because this will take a lot more time than you think!
6. Choose an experienced team
Some companies like to save money by hiring inexperienced employees.
This is a very dangerous idea since you might end up with people who don’t know what they’re doing — or worse, workers working for the wrong company!
The last thing you want is for someone else’s property (including yours) to be destroyed or lost in transit, so hiring a company with years of experience in the business is definitely recommended.
7. Distance should be a problem
If you live a particularly long distance from your new location, then the company you choose might end up charging an arm and a leg for shipping.
They’ll get paid by the hour while they’re driving, and if they have to stop frequently for bathroom breaks or food (as is likely on a long drive), this will continue to increase their costs.
8. Look for Local Movers rather than National players
Local movers are the most popular these days since they can relate to you more easily, and their prices are usually lower than their national counterparts.
Their pricing is also negotiable. You will get a better estimate of how much the move will cost if you choose Local Movers rather than National Movers.
Local movers are your best option when moving, they have more experience, and you can trust them with your valuables.
When moving to a new address, the local movers will know the area better and are more likely to be familiar with the types of challenges you might encounter, such as tricky access points or hidden costs.
9. Look for Deals and Discounts
Big moves usually mean big discounts, and you can find them by signing up with moving companies that are doing promotional campaigns.
You need to be sure that these deals will apply to your move before signing any contracts or making any payments.
It’s not uncommon for companies to offer deals like this in the winters when people are less likely to be moving.
10. Move During the off-season
Moving companies offer lower rates during the off-season.
If you have to move during a popular time of year — for example, before or after school starts — you can end up paying more than necessary if you don’t plan ahead.
Moving Services are more expensive in Summer because many people are on vacation and moving.
The best time to move is between January and March when the weather is usually bad, and moving companies charge less to incentivize you to leave your home during a cold winter day!
11. Wisely choose the day and time of your move
Moving companies offer special rates for weekday moves, so you can save yourself some money by moving when there’s less traffic on the roads (and therefore fewer accidents).
You should also bear in mind that it’s more expensive to move on a holiday because there are many people around looking to relocate, which will make it harder for you to find the right moving company.
Conclusion
We hope that this blog post has given you some helpful tips on choosing the right movers. It’s important to take your time and do your research before deciding, but it can be hard when there are so many moving companies out there. Remember that distance should not be an issue for most people, as long as they have enough notice about the move date (at least three weeks).
