Listen, let’s be real: moving can be expensive.  It can range from pricy to there-goes-eating-out-this-month to unaffordable.  Depending on your move, you can be looking at spending anywhere from a few hundred dollars to many thousands to get your stuff from point A to point B.

Fortunately, there are many ways to cut your moving costs to make your grand total much more manageable, and even, dare we say, downright cheap.

Sell Your Stuff (Just Say Goodbye)

If your moving costs look like they’ll be too high, you can sell some possessions.  The benefit of selling your possessions is two-fold: it can save you money on moving while putting money in your pocket.

If you plan and sell the right items, you can cut down dramatically on your moving costs while keeping the important stuff.  Here’s what you should know:

Everything you own can be boiled down into three different categories:

Stuff you can’t move on your own – including large, heavy furniture, vehicles and electronics… things that you need to hire professional movers for because you don’t have the power or means to move them yourself.

Stuff you can move but need transportation for – even possessions you can lift and carry without help might not fit in your car.  You’ll need to rent a truck.

Stuff you can move on your own – some things can be boxed up, stuck in the trunk and moved in your vehicle without outside help.

When deciding what you should sell, you need to consider your specific move.  Generally, though, you will want to sell the items that are forcing you to make a more expensive move.  For example:

• If you currently need to hire a moving service to move your bed, desk and fridge, you can sell those possessions and avoid having to hire that moving service;
• If you currently need to rent the largest moving truck to fit your couch, you can sell the couch and get a smaller, cheaper moving truck;
• If you only need to rent a moving truck because you can’t fit your recliner in your truck bed, sell the recliner.

You see, you don’t need to sell everything, you just need to sell what’s preventing you from getting a cheaper service.

Free Moving Supplies

Buying moving supplies is a quick, easy way to prepare for you move.  However, it’s unnecessary.  Moving supplies are all around you.  Seriously.  Those free newspapers you never read?  Packaging.  Your comforter?  Cushioning to prevent scratching on your wooden furniture.  Your dresser?  A box to hold your books.

You don’t need bubblewrap and a box that says “moving box” to move your stuff in.  Use what you have and what you can dig up.  It’ll work.  For more ideas, check out our article where to find free moving supplies.

Forego Self-Storage

Self-storage can be very useful if you are in moving limbo, living in a smaller place waiting for a larger one, or waiting to transfer some of your belongings.  However, if you are looking to save a couple hundred dollars over a couple months, cram what you have into your new place or sell it off.

Negotiate with Moving Companies

Moving companies are businesses, and all businesses have different approaches, some of which are better for others and some of which are better for you.

When looking for a moving company, don’t take the first one you get.  Call around; see what their different prices are for the days you are looking at moving.  If you are moving on a Sunday, look for Sunday specials.  If you need help moving down stairs, look for someone who won’t charge you extra.  If are looking to move your piano, look for someone who specializes in that.

Just check around.

Take Multiple Trips

If you are moving within close proximity, you can hire a moving company and get it all done in one, or you can pile your stuff in your car and take a couple of trips.  If you calculate the cost of gas and other intangibles, you might find that using your own vehicle and spreading your move out over a couple drives can cut down on the cost of your move.

Tax Deductions

In some cases you can deduct the cost of your move from your taxes.  This can be a significant amount saved.  For example, if your move cost you $6,000 and you would be taxed on that amount at 28%, then that’s $1,680 back in your pocket.

Learn more about when you can deduct moving expenses from taxes.

Return to: Calculating the Cost of Your Move