Move House for Next to Nothing

Posted on Thursday, September 10th, 2009 at 5:20 pm in Financial Planning

Moving is stressful enough without all the expense that usually goes with it. When you’re on a tight budget, every penny counts. But as long as you don’t have a huge house full of stuff and you’re prepared to spend a bit of time, there are quite a few ways to cut your costs down to the bone.

You don’t need to buy boxes: Go to your local liquor stores and drugstores and ask if you can take some empty boxes off their hands. It’s better to get your empty packing cartons here than from the supermarket, where they can often be dirty and torn. You should also look on Freecycle and the free section of Craigslist for people who are giving away boxes.

Hold the bubble wrap: Don’t spend your cash on fancy packing materials. Get creative with towels, blankets, sheets and comforters for larger pieces. Use your t-shirts, sweaters, socks, pillowcases and hand towels to wrap and cushion small breakable items. Start saving newspapers ahead of time to use for wrapping dishes and fragile ornaments – though you might have to wash them before you eat as the ink can smudge. You’ll need a few rolls of packing tape, however, so check out local online sites for people who have moved recently and have stuff left over.

Have a clear-out: If you can get rid of some of your stuff, you won’t have to move it, which will save you money – and you might actually make some cash from selling your old treasures. Advertize online or in your local paper if you’ve got furniture or collectibles to offload, or hold a yard sale if you have a lot of different things. If you have items left over that you don’t want to move, donate them to charity and claim a tax write-off.

Avoid storage units: If you can’t or don’t want to move it, get rid of it – don’t spend valuable dollars every month on a storage unit if you’re not going to even see the stuff for ages.

Get a little help from your friends: This is where you can save a lot of money, and have some fun too. And don’t forget to give back whenever they need a hand. Get as many of your buddies together as possible, and make sure each one knows what they need to do. Some people are great at packing up fragile china, while others are invaluable when there’s heavy furniture to be shifted. You might want some people to come before the big move to help you pack up all the small things, and others on the day itself. However you organize it, make sure you have food and drinks for everyone – pizza and beer is always a great standby. And invite them all to your housewarming party once you’re settled in.

Borrow a truck: We all know someone who has a truck. If you’re not moving too far away or have too much stuff, ask to borrow a truck or van to save the cost of renting one.

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