How to Simplify Family Moves Without Breaking the Bank?

It can be quite expensive to move, especially over long distances. An even bigger factor, however, is how many people and how much luggage and household appliances are going to be involved. Simply going abroad by yourself with a couple of suitcases isn’t all that pricey. However, moving your entire family and home can be an incredibly expensive experience.

Finding ways to minimize those expenses can have a major effect on your finances, even if you’re generally not too worried about your budget. If you plan ahead and organize things the right way, you can save thousands of dollars, if not more, and you can also make the whole move much more efficient and convenient for you and your entire family. To that end, here are a few tips for how to simplify family moves without breaking the bank.

1. Find The Right Movers

This is the first and arguably most important thing you can do. As with any other niche, there are many disreputable businesses out there that nevertheless know how to market their services well, even if said services are rather subpar. So, it’s always a good idea to look around ahead of time and get quotes for at least several different services, look into them, read some reviews, and so on.

Our recommendation, for example, would be to visit Three Movers for their efficiency, affordable services, and reputation. However, we would still suggest that you look into at least a couple of other services to make sure you find the best possible match for your needs.

2. Look For Discounts

While looking for expertise and reputability should be your main criteria when choosing your movers, it is still a good idea to look around for a tempting discount. Offering discounts isn’t something only startups or struggling companies do, and many of the best movers around frequently offer discounts of up to 20% to attract new customers. This is especially common during the off-season (typically September to April, but it depends on where you live).

And a discount of around 20% can save you thousands of dollars if you are looking for a major move with your entire family and household, especially over a long distance.

3. Make Sure They Have Proper Licensing And Insurance

This can seem like a no-brainer, but many moving companies aren’t actually fully licensed or insured. Another pretty common problem is that, even if the company itself seems fully licensed, not all of its drivers are. So, when researching into your future mover, it’s crucial that you look into that aspect too.

While this may not seem directly related to your cost-saving efforts, your move can suddenly become much more expensive very quickly if you’ve stumbled upon a company or a driver that aren’t fully insured and an accident happens. So, Department of Transportation (DOT) numbers and licenses from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) are the bare minimum you should look for.

4. Remember That You Can Usually Negotiate

People in the West are usually not accustomed to negotiating for their goods and services, the way other people across the globe are. Moving services, however, are usually something you can negotiate about.

Even if the movers are relatively adamant about their rates and services, you can often find some wiggle room and look for alternatives that would cut down on your overall costs.

5. Look For Local Haulers

Working with a local company is usually more efficient if you don’t need to travel abroad or across different states. This is especially true for states or countries with lower standards of living, as larger companies often have rather inflated prices.

6. Using A Rental Truck Or Van Can Be A Good Idea

It’s usually advisable to look for movers who own their own vans or trucks, as that means they are a proper and reputable business. That is often true, but it doesn’t mean that using a rental is always a bad idea. In fact, it can often be more cost-effective if you get a rental van separately.

7. Do The Movers Offer Additional Services You Don’t Actually Need?

There are a lot of factors and services that go into the total price a moving company is going to give you. This is usually why it is better to hire movers than do everything yourself, precisely because it is easier for them to handle both the major and smaller parts of this complex process.

However, everyone’s case is different, and you may not need all the additional services the movers have included in the overall rate they have given you. So, it’s a good idea to go over all the details of the services they are offering and make sure you’re not paying for services you don’t actually need.

8. Avoid Peak Moving Times And Seasons

A huge tip many people ignore is to always try and move during the off-season. The prices for moving services are much higher during the peak season (usually May to September) and during weekends, because that’s when moving companies are busiest and can afford to charge more.

So, if you can arrange for your family to move during the fall or winter months, as well as during weekdays, this will drastically lower the overall price you’re going to have to pay.

9. Plan The Whole Endeavor Ahead Of Time

To manage to benefit from all of the above tips, as well as to make sure the whole move gets done as easily, efficiently, and affordably, it’s always a must to start planning the whole thing ahead of time.

Leaving things for the final possible moment and rushing through the whole process will usually deprive you of many opportunities to save money, as well as to just arrange the whole thing in a way that’s as convenient for you and your family as possible.