Money Saving Tips For Your Cross Country Move

1. Money Saving Tips For A Cross Country Move
2. Weight Your Options To Find The Best Price & Fit
3. Obtain Multiple Quotes & Compare Prices & Services
4. Cross Country Moving Resources

Money Saving Tips For A Cross Country Move

If you’ve ever moved across the country, you already aware of what a daunting task it can be. If you never have and you’re planning to, you’re likely underestimating the amount of planning and organization required to make the process as easy as you hope for it to be. Fortunately, there are a few steps you can take to make the process easier and more affordable, which we’ll review in the paragraphs below.

Weight Your Options To Find The Best Price & Fit

Your first thought may be that the cheapest way to move long distance is to pack up a truck and do it all yourself. While there is some validity to this train of thought, it’s not always that simple. Depending where and how far you’re moving, the cost difference between doing it yourself and hiring a professional may be negligible, especially when you consider drive time, the physical work, and the possibility of having to stay in hotels for a couple nights.

Do It Yourself - Probably the most affordable route to take, the do it yourself move requires a lot of planning and organization for everything to work out correctly. Aside from making sure you’ve packed everything you need, you’ll also have to make sure that the rental truck is available as planned and do the loading and unloading too. If you plan to do everything yourself (or even with friends or family helping), give yourself plenty of time and plan for meals. Moving is hard work and there’s almost always some unexpected delays no matter how well you’ve planned everything.

Hiring Professional Movers - Hiring movers can sometimes cost more than the do-it-yourself method, but as mentioned above, the price difference is often a wash. Once you consider the cost of renting a truck, your time, gas, meals, and lodging, the money tends to even out, especially for long distance and cross country moves. If you’re moving across the country and driving your car as part of the trip, there’s also the possibility of mechanical issues that can be costly in terms of both time and money.

Obtain Multiple Quotes & Compare Prices & Services

The general rule of thumb is to get at least three estimates or quotes if you are considering using a moving company, perhaps even more if you’re really diligent about saving some money. Here are some of the things to consider as you go about this:

Discounts: Some moving companies offer discount programs for a number of different groups, though these are not always advertised as clearly as they should be. When you talk to a company you’re considering, ask if they have discounts available. You may be surprised to find that you can often save $50 to $100 just by asking a simple question.

Service Options: If you request a price quote from a mover without any additional information, they’ll give you an estimate, but it may include some services you don’t need. In order to get the most accurate quote possible, it’s helpful to go in knowing exactly what type of moving help you need. Some companies may offer packing help, supplies, storage, and any number of other options that you simply may not need. If you don’t specify, you’re likely to get a higher estimate than you would otherwise. See the link below under “Resources” to learn about your service options when hiring a mover.

Research Companies: Before you consider contacting a company for a price quote, you should do some basic research about them to make sure they’re properly licensed and that they are who they claim to be. Many companies in the moving industry have similar names—sometimes on purpose to confuse people—and this is an important step to ensure that you don’t end up dealing with a less than reputable company.

Cross Country Moving Resources

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration - The FMCSA website is about a lot more than safety and you can find valuable information here by looking up companies to verify their credentials.

Long Distance Moving Options - If you’re unsure of what exactly you need from a moving company, visit our services page to explore your options. Odds are, there’s more choices that you suspect and requesting the exact services you need will save you money in most cases.