Moving should not cost a fortune
Moving can get expensive. It’s not just the truck or the movers. Even if you do it yourself, you have down payments and deposits on your new place eating up your cash reserves while you try to figure out how to get rid of the stuff the junk company cannot take. Boxing supplies, cleaning supplies, and painting the walls to attract a buyer can bust the savings account.
What if there was a way to save money –– maybe even a way to make a few dollars on the whole process?
Don’t Rush the Preparation
One of the biggest regrets I have from the last time I moved homes is the environmental damage. I had a lot of old junk and I didn’t know about junk hauling services. I tried to do everything myself. I made five trips to the local dump. By the time I was done with the second trip, I was shortcutting on things that could have been recycled or upcycled. By the last trip, I would have just as happily lit fire to the whole pile. I was exhausted. I was not nearly diligent enough about protecting the environment and reducing my waste. I should have sold or shared a lot of the stuff we ended up throwing away, which means it cost me money instead of making me money.
If you’re selling the place, you will want to get the maximum return on your investment by fetching the highest possible sale price while putting in the least amount of money to stage and prepare the house. Don’t spend $15,000 upgrading the kitchen when it will only fetch a sale price $15,000 higher. Stage the place cleanly and affordably by going minimal. Get rid of stuff you won’t move with you, and store things you do not need while you sell the home. If you’re heading from an apartment to a new place, you need to get your full security deposit back. Be sure to wisely invest in the cleaning and junk hauling necessary to get your place sparklingly clean for the landlord walkthrough.
Organize and then pack. You cannot do this quickly. Take your time and do things in the proper order. When you pack up stuff all willy-nilly you lose track of what you own and where it is. If you need something in the new place, you end up frustrated as you search endlessly through boxes. Next thing you know, you’re buying something you already own because you cannot find it. Organize first. If you really want to be efficient, list each item in a master catalog and cross reference it with a color coded or number coded box-labelling system. Not everyone has the obsessive drive for that kind of organization, but the most important thing is having a system and sticking to it.
Save Money
I wish I’d known about Curb-It. All you have to do is snap a pic of the stuff you no longer want. You get multiple bids from background-checked haulers, and they come and haul your stuff away in just hours. It’s on demand junk removal, and I knew nothing about it when I went to move. The most important part, for the frugal mover, is that Curb-It’s competitive, transparent bidding process is up-front and affordable. It’s easy and inexpensive to clear out and clean up.
Bringing less saves money. It’s easier to pack less, so yes, you save on time. But the real savings come when you can downsize enough to get your whole apartment in a van instead of a moving truck. They are more fuel efficient, and they usually do not come with a mileage charge like trucks do. If you’re fortunate enough to have movers helping you, you can save a lot by having things organized and minimized. I’ve seen two movers do a three bedroom home in just two hours. I’ve also seen it take six hours.
Make a friend for life with a money saving bargain. Offer to help them move if they help you move. Not only do you save on hiring help, but you can bond a bit over the heavy couch you have to get down the stairs. You also will save big by sharing cleaning and packaging supplies. Moving boxes will get you through three or four moves, so once you break everything down from your move, save it until your friend moves. Split the costs in a way that seems fair to both of you.
Make Money
It takes some extra effort to make money on your moving process. I like to suggest a garage or yard sale. If you’re truly patient and prepared, you can run the sale with higher starting prices and then run a cheaper sale the subsequent weekend to get rid of the rest. It helps you fetch a high price for sought-after items. Just remember not to tell folks about the sale the next week until after your first week.
Craigslist is still a great way to have stuff removed for free or for profit. Take a photo of the couch or TV you don’t want to bring, and then offer it for an affordable price. When you write up the details, remember to state that the buyer has to pick up and remove the item on their own.
Every so often, you’ll find yourself in a situation where you have to move before the landlord has filled your place or before you’ve been able to sublease it. Sometimes you even have to move houses before your last one sells. How about making some serious cash by using AirBnb or VRBO to rent out your vacant space? Check your apartment or HOA rules, but by all means, it’s your space, make some cash on it.
Curb-It is on-demand junk removal
You snap a pic of the stuff you want gone
You get upfront prices from background-checked Providers
You select your Hauler and your stuff is gone within hours
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