What’s the Cheapest Way to Move out of State

First Step – Make a Plan for the Cheapest Way to Move Out of State

Finding the answer to questions like “What’s the best time of the year to move” and “Where should I move” is what puts the relocation process in motion and being organized is one of its essential parts. Make the job easy for yourself by creating a plan and a checklist to help you keep track of all the tasks you have done or need to do before moving to a big city or a small one. Learn how to deal with moving stress to avoid relocation depression and don’t let it ruin your new beginning. Put everything on paper, from reasons to move and budget planning to looking for a job in an unfamiliar place. Having a sense of how much time and money you will need for relocation will lower your anxiety about moving out and reduce the chances of making some of the common moving mistakes.

Picking the Perfect Date for Moving out of State

When looking for the cheapest ways to relocate to another part of the country, one of the most useful moving day tips is to time your move in the right direction.

If you are not in a hurry to switch homes and start house-hunting, you should avoid summer moves. After all, it is the peak of the season for movers. And it is not the cheapest time of the year to move. Due to high demand, companies often increase their prices between May and September.

Also, if you are thinking about moving during the holidays, keep in mind that not only the traffic jams will be tiring, but relocation companies might charge more. Avoid the beginning of months and weeks since those are the times when renters usually relocate.

Think About Insurance

If you are looking for cheap ways to relocate, insurance might seem like an excessive cost. But keep in mind that you are boxing up your entire life and shipping it to another state.  Even when you carefully pack your computer or glassware, accidents can happen. So, it might be a smart move to have your belongings protected in case something unexpected happens. If you are relocating on your own, you should research insurance policies and get the one that fits your budget needs. And if you are hiring professionals to handle your belongings, make sure that they offer some kind of insurance.

Money-Saving Tip – Find Free Moving Supplies

Relocating on your own entails looking for supplies as well. And if you wish to reduce moving expenses, finding free materials is a good way to do it.

One of the first helpful packing tips is to ask your friends and family if they have some boxes, duct tape, ropes, markers, or any other materials that will help you while you are packing furniture, books, clothes, and other belongings.

Also, check local grocery stores, ask around, and see if they have some crates they don’t use that you can take. Many liquor stores have boxes of various sizes and paper thickness. Those can be useful when you decide to pack glassware, box up electronics, or any other fragile object.

There are many places online for you to find the best-sized boxes and other supplies as well. You can search on Facebook or Craigslist and look for free materials. And if you cannot find them free of charge, do some research on where to rent supplies such as a four-wheel dolly and loading ramps. If you decide to hire movers who offer packing services, their crew will bring all the necessary materials with them.

Additional Tips – Decluttering Lowers Costs

Depending on the approach you choose for the move, you might need to leave some of your belongings behind. If you are not too keen on getting rid of your things, you could just use a storage service that many movers offer. But if you want to lower your cost of the move, think about decluttering as a way to reduce costs when moving.

Go through your house and create a household inventory list After that, you will know just how many objects you are using and how many are not working or you have a spare pair. If you’re moving into a smaller home, throw away the things that don’t work, and the rest you can either donate or sell. If you lack time to organize a garage sale, create a list of unwanted items to donate, and donate your furniture to a charity. Having fewer things to pack means fewer supplies and a lower cost of transportation if you are using moving services. Also, with fewer things you won’t spend so much time unpacking when you relocate.

Keep Receipts – Save Money

If you have a job that requires relocation, you should keep your moving receipts. Some employers reimburse their workers for some expenses that happen during the move, so put this among essential relocation questions to ask your employer if you’re trying to find a job before moving to another state. Read through the relocation policy and get familiar with what is covered and what is not. This is one of the most efficient ways to save some money.

Take the Bus

You came to the conclusion that it is time to move and now you are looking for the cheapest way to do it. Taking the bus might be one of the advantages of moving alone and a solution for those who don’t have too many belongings. Traveling by bus might be the most economical form of transport, but it comes with some restrictions.

Benefits and Downsides of Taking the Bus

Firstly, go through your items. If you have bulky objects and large boxes that are over 250lbs, you won’t be able to use a bus. If you are a college student moving from your childhood home to a dorm, a bus will be the right choice for you. Packing tips for students are quite simple since they usually don’t need to bring heavy objects with them, just the necessities to get them through everyday college life.

If you have pets, they might not be able to travel with you, so if you are moving with your cat or relocating with your dog, make sure you pick another form of transportation. You should also make sure that you start preparing your pet and brain train your dog for the new home.

Use Train Freight

Using railways to relocate is the right approach if you want to save some money. Train freight is the best choice if you have some bigger objects as well. You are usually allowed to ship 500lbs per load, and if you have more things, you can break them into multiple cargos. Also, you should not forget to pick up your items within 48 hours of delivery, so that you could dodge extra storage fees. You will most likely get to bring your pet with you on a train. Although it comes with size restrictions, you get to move with your furry friend if they are of a smaller size.

Why Is Train Freight a Good Way to Relocate?

Amtrak, as a national railroad corporation that provides train freight services, has a few restrictions related to shipping. Make sure that you contact them and find out if your objects are eligible for shipping.

Also, when packing, think about the size and weight of your cargo since it should not be heavier than 50 pounds and larger than 3ft x 3ft x 3ft. Remember that your luggage might not be handled with care. Invest in padding supplies such as packing paper and bubble wrap, but also in sturdier boxes.

You might not be able to move your vehicle via train. So, consider learning how car shipping works and hiring professionals to take care of auto shipping for you. It could be convenient to transport your car across the country and have it around if you’re relocating to the suburbs.

Rent a Trailer or a Truck

Are you a good driver with a vehicle that has a trailer hitch? You should consider renting a trailer when relocating. If you have more items than can fit in your car, but not enough to fill a whole truck, using a trailer is the perfect way to relocate. This can be an excellent approach to transporting that couch from your living room or some smaller IKEA furniture. Also, if you have a small load but you do not own a car, you can always rent a truck. Just be careful, calculate if you will be able to move your items in one day since it can become expensive very quickly.

Benefits and Limits of Using a Truck

Using a truck to help you in switching homes has many benefits. It gives you the opportunity to move a small load pretty quickly. Also, they are comfortable to travel in, and you are allowed to bring all of your pets with you. Additionally, you can take your time, nobody is rushing you to change the address, and tie all loose ends.

But they can be very expensive if you don’t transport all of your belongings in a day. You will have to think about insurance and possible damage that might happen during the ride. Also, you will need straps, ropes, lifting ramps, and dollies to load your things.

Use Portable Containers (PODS)

You want to move to another home, but driving your own truck doesn’t seem that appealing to you? Use PODS. You will be in charge of doing all the heavy lifting, packaging, and loading, but movers will drive it to your desired location. Make sure that your new house doesn’t have drop-off restrictions. This can happen if you are going to inner-city areas. When you leave your belongings in a PODS container, you are free to take a ride or a flight with your family and pets to your new home. One of the helpful tips for using PODS is that you can treat them as a temporary storage unit when they arrive at your home.

Ship Your Boxes out of the State

Do you want to send a few big crates to another state? Shipping might be the most economical and the best solution for you. If you have less than a truckload of items, you can use services like UPS or FedEx to relocate your things. But if you have to transport large loads, freight shipping might be for you. You can choose between a doorstep drop off, which is more expensive, or you can collect your items at the closest storage. Talk to companies that offer these kinds of services and pick the one that fits into your moving budget.

Consider Professional Movers

You are looking for a cheap way to move out of state. We get it. But sometimes, taking the bus or renting a truck doesn’t work. They have too many limitations and you will have to do all the work by yourself. To avoid this, you should not dismiss the idea of hiring a good professional moving company to take care of your relocation. Movers are highly trained and equipped with tools that speed up the process of relocating and, at the same time, protect your items from damage.

And if you are traveling overseas, look for trustworthy professionals that offer international shipping services to assist you. They will know how to properly pack and ship your belongings, lowering the chance of damage. Ask some friends who already moved to get recommendations for reliable movers.

Go Through Reviews

Before you pick the relocation team to handle your belongings, make sure that you do your research. This will be a team that will be in charge of relocating your entire life. You will want to know how they work and how efficient they are. Go through reviews and see how their previous clients describe their experience with the movers. Check if the company is regulated and has all the necessary licenses. When you are done with that, pick the best company and give them a call, asking for a quick estimate of your move.

With professionals by your side, all you have to do is sit back, relax, check the safety of your future neighborhood and learn about your new home.