No matter what you think of moving, sometimes in our lives, it is inevitable sometimes. Have you ever wondered how many time does the average American person move during the lifetime? Probably not, but we did. And it is over 11 times. Yup, it seems like we are moving quite a lot during our life. It can be due to various reasons and your move might be different each time, from moving residentially to commercial moving, one thing is always a constant – a moving budget. Whenever you are moving, you need to set the moving budget so you can determine how much money you can spend on which part of your upcoming move. And moving comes with many expenses, we are aware of that. Thanks to this guide, you will be able to see the moving budget any time in the future when you are moving and you will be able to do it easily. Even if you are not planning a move currently, make sure to save this article for future references.
Plan ahead
If you leave your planning for the last minute, that will lead to many unexpected expenses during the moving process. That is why it is crucial to plan your upcoming move in detail way before the moving date. Leaving the move at a last-minute might lead to hiring local movers at the last moment, which is always more expensive because they have limited availability. A good plan is the best way to prevent any unexpected expenses. Oh, and don’t rely on your memory when it comes to planning, because you will probably forget something along the way. Moving comes with a full to-do list, so make sure you don’t forget anything. Keep things in writing, you will be grateful to yourself.
Do your research when it comes to local movers
There are different local movers out there, and they are all offering different prices and services. If you do decent research, you will be able to find budget movers that are suitable for any type of moving project you are planning. You shouldn’t worry that budget movers are bad movers, that shouldn’t be the case. Many professional moving companies just want to offer their neighbors affordable moving services. When it comes to researching before hiring local movers, you should first read some of the reviews you can find online.
After that, you should call local movers to learn more about their prices. Make sure to come up with the list of questions before calling your chosen local movers so you can hear more about any additional or hidden charges they might have. Don’t hesitate to shop around until you find the local movers who can meet all of your needs while fitting your moving budget.
Factor in additional costs
Hiring local movers is not the only thing that affects the moving budget, some additional expenses are not tied to this. Firstly, you should put all the expenses on paper, so you can know anytime how much money you have spent and how much you can spend in the future. Besides local movers, you will have to spend some money on preparing for a move – packing materials, last-minute repairs in your current home, maybe a cleaning service, etc. Even if you decide to move on your own, you will have expenses, so don’t think that this is the cheapest option you have.
Also, you will need to prepare your new home for moving in. And we are not talking about buying new furniture, even though that might be needed as well, but also repairs, painting, etc. There is probably a security deposit as well. You will also need to set up some technical things, such as transferring utilities. Since your local movers will need you to provide them with a parking spot – think of that in advance. If you need to apply for a parking permit, that comes with some expenses as well. Since every move is individual, the expenses are unique too, so think of everything that will affect your moving budget.
Put money aside for everyday expenses
Whenever you are moving, you should consider that you will still have to continue your regular life until the moving day. That is why you should put money aside for your everyday expenses. This way, you won’t confuse your daily money with your moving budget. It will also be easier for you to determine how much money you have spent on moving and what you have left. If you spend the money from the same budget, you won’t be able to determine if you have gone over the moving budget or you are within. Try to keep track of everything you have to spend on moving, so you can know for the next time if something should be changed or updated.
Be flexible with the moving day
If possible, be flexible with the moving day. Why? Many local movers are offering discounted rates for moving on weekdays, so you might ask them if they are offering something like this. The most wanted day for all of us when moving is Saturday, because we have some time to settle down and unpack before we start working. If you are moving on the budget, you should try to avoid the moving season if possible. The moving season is during the summer, so if you have an option – try not to move in this period of the year. Keep this in mind when planning every next move you will have.
Tips for local movers
The most common question in the moving industry is whether you should tip local movers or not, and we are not here to provide you with the answer for this one. If your local movers have performed an ideal moving service for you, that is everything you have expected, you should tip them. It is pretty much the same as for any service you are getting. We are just here to remind you to consider this when planning a move as well. People easily get carried away, and they don’t plan tips for local movers into the budget, and later on, they are not even sure where did they spend their money.
Leave some money for rainy days
Whenever you are planning your moving budget, you should leave some cash for rainy days. Going over a moving budget is nerve-wracking because you will feel like you failed or you won’t even have enough money with you when the moving day arrives. If you plan a thigh moving budget, this will probably happen, because it is very hard to predict every single expense when it comes to moving. That is why you should come up with as many expenses as possible, write them down, and on that amount – add more money so you can be sure that if something unexpected appears, you can still cover it.
If you are moving on a budget:
Here are a couple of tips when moving on a budget, it is still possible to have a worry-free move even if you don’t have unlimited finance
Pack on your own
You can hire local movers, and to save on the moving process – you should pack on your own. No matter how affordable movers you have found, packing service is an additional service local movers are offering, so it will be more costly than the standard service. Packing on your own will take more time, that is for sure, but you don’t have many options when you have limited sources. On the other hand, you will have local movers who will take care of your heavy items and keep them safe and sound.
Get some free packing materials
It may seem like an obvious point, but paying for boxes can quickly drive up the cost of your move. Especially if your home is on the larger side, you will need a lot of boxes. If you keep your moving organized, you won’t need to get packing materials from local movers, but you can find them for free. Boxes are everywhere! You just need to ask for them. If you are working in the office – that is a goldmine for boxes, so ask if you can take it.
sk colleagues to save boxes for you, before packing day, so you’re ready to get to work. People will be more than happy to free up space, and you’ll see significant savings. Also, you can ask someone in the liquor stores or supermarkets around you, maybe they have some boxes to share. However, for the most fragile belongings, you should buy some quality boxes so everything can stay safe throughout the process.
Declutter (sell some items)
Local movers are charging hourly rates, so the less items you have – the cheaper the move will be. That is why you should declutter whatever you won’t use or whatever you don’t need in your new home. Not only this will help you save some money while moving, but you will have a fresh energy in your new home once you move there. When it comes to the items that you don’t need, split them into 3 tiers: selling, donating, throwing away. For the items that you want to sell, you can either organize a garage sale or sell them online. This will positively affect your moving budget, that is for sure!
Don’t try to perform a DIY move
This might seem as a paradox, but if you try to perform a move on your own, it might lead to many additional expenses. You will need to get a packing and moving equipment, wrapping materials, tools, etc. All of this comes free of charge when hiring local movers. Needless to mention that DIY can lead to many expenses due to the damages that you can make since you are not experienced with moving. Hiring local movers from the very beginning will save you some money and a lot of time, for sure.
Bonus Tip: Try to stay within the moving budget no matter what.
No matter the moving situation, you should plan the moving budget to be realistic. If in the middle of the planning process you notice that you have more room to wiggle, don’t relax and start spending on unnecessary items. Wait until your move is done, and if you have some spare cash, feel free to spend it anywhere. But don’t do it until the moving process is over, because until the very end, you won’t be sure if there are some additional expenses or not.
If you are looking for the best LA movers, you are in the right place! Elite Movers Ontario is serving clients in California and meeting all of their requirements when it gets to local moving. We have started as a small family business, and now we are one of the leading local movers with many years of experience. Thanks to that experience, we can guarantee that we will make your moving dreams come true. No matter if you need help with some smaller moving project, such as packing or labor only moving to a complex corporation relocations – you can count on our team of local movers. They are all skilled, trained, and professionals, so you won’t have any worry on your mind during the process. And yes, all of this is pretty budget-friendly. You can have it all! Affordable movers and high-quality moving service. If all of this sounds like a YES to you, feel free to reach out to our team so you can learn more about the services and prices we are offering. Our team is here for you every day of the week and ready to answer any question that you might have. Our local movers are here to take any worry off your mind during the moving process. We are looking forward to talking to you, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Let’s chat about your move! Getting a quote is free and no strings attached until you decide to schedule our services.