Few events in life are more exciting than moving, except some homeowners dread it because they believe the costs are too high. The real truth about moving is it’s only as expensive as people make it. Every decision can swing the costs up or down, and a few smart choices can make the process downright inexpensive. So if the goal is to save some green, UF Mover Guys has a few moving tips to reduce expenses and still achieve the desired outcome.
Do The Packing Yourself
The same moving companies in Gainesville that provide packing services also sell do-it-yourself moving supplies (cardboard boxes, tape, foam peanuts, etc.). To save a little money, skip paying the pros to pack up and instead do the job yourself; maybe invite some friends to help and pay them in pizza and drinks.
Use Alternative Moving Supplies Found In You Home
Professional packers aren’t that expensive to hire. So while DIY packing cuts costs, the savings aren’t a huge amount. One way to reduce expenses further is not to use moving supplies and instead pack using the materials already in your home. Here are a few ideas.
Substitutes For Cardboard Boxes
Cardboard boxes aren’t expensive. Yet, completing a large moving job can take dozens of boxes. That can eat into your budget. If you’re strapped for cash, our movers recommend using one of these alternatives to boxes.
Suitcases
Even if you can’t remember the last time you went on a vacation, chances are you have nestled in the back of the closet one or two suitcases. What’s nice about suitcases is they’re not only a cost-effective alternative to moving boxes. But they often have wheels, making them ideal vessels for transporting your heaviest items.
Plastic Trash Bags
Trash bags ain’t pretty. But they’re low-cost, expansive, and thus effective for packing items on moving day. One downside of trash bags is the lack of protection; you may not want to use them to carry your laptop, flatscreen TV, or similarly fragile items — unless you wrap these in towels beforehand. But most household items, such as your wardrobe, can be packed into trash bags with no issues.
Low-Cost Packing Peanut Alternatives
Well-trained movers utilize assorted types of padding to protect items during transit. The prices for these materials, such as packing peanuts or foam wrapping, are mostly low. Yet, when a budget is tight, it cuts costs to find alternatives.
Towels
Proper packing techniques call for filling up empty spaces in boxes with paper or foam matting, so the contents don’t rattle around during transit. If you can’t afford packing materials, an alternative you no doubt own already are bathroom or kitchen towels. Towels can wrap delicate items or be placed on top of nearly full boxes to fill in the gaps and keep contents secure during travel.
Clothing
The household items that are most temperamental are made of glass or ceramic, such as dishes or decorative pieces. You’ll see movers in Gainesville wrap these pieces in paper before packing them. The paper reduces the risk of chips or cracks when items collide. Instead of moving paper, one cost-saving option is to use your clothing. Examples include using T-shirts to separate dishes or clean socks can protect stemware.
Save Money By Reducing Waste
When you pack up old belongings you no longer need or allow food to spoil before moving because of poor planning for shopping, these are examples of waste that cost money. By eliminating the waste, you improve the affordability of the move.
Moving Resources
Many people have clothes they don’t wear or boxes of home decorations they never intend to display. Getting rid of unwanted items before moving saves money. First of all, some items may be sellable, and the profits can offset moving expenses. Furthermore, it takes resources to pack and transport items. Every item you move that shouldn’t be moved is an added expense. To avoid waste, plan about three months prior to moving to downsize your home. Create an inventory of your belongings. Mark which ones you’ll keep, sell, donate, or throw out. And by the time moving day arrives, try to have gone all the items you don’t need. For more expert moving tips, contact UF Mover Guys!
Food
Throwing away food is an obvious waste of money. But it happens often to people who face a fridge full of perishable items when moving day rolls around. To avoid having to waste food, consume all the perishable items ahead of time, and don’t buy anymore within a few days of the move. You can find plenty of creative recipes for utilizing those leftovers from Allrecipes.com. If you have unopened, nonperishable food donations, you can bring those to Bread of the Might Food Bank in Gainesville.
No matter your budget, UF Mover Guys offers customizable services that can be tailored to your move. For full-moving services, we charge no travel or fuel fees on local residential, commercial, and student moves. We also have affordable rates on moving trucks rentals and moving supplies. Contact us to learn more!