Moving is expensive, so when you have an offer in hand for a new job in a new place, you’ll want to start considering how you’ll pay for your move as soon as you can. Here are some tips for making sure you save as much as you can in the process.
Ask Your New Employer for Moving Costs
The first thing to do is to see if any amount of moving costs can be part of your salary negotiation. While a higher salary is overall better, some companies who cannot budge on the salary offered may be able to do a one-time moving costs reimbursement.
DIY Some Aspects
Try to pack your own boxes and pack your car/suitcases with whatever you possibly can. The less you have to move, the cheaper the bill will be from a moving company.
Get Referrals and Quotes from Moving Companies
Moving companies vary widely in their costs and in their reliability. Consider both traditional movers (who will move your items into a truck themselves) and container delivery (where you fill a pod-like structure with belongings yourself and someone comes to move it). Don’t just look at price: ask people you know who have moved about their experiences.
Subject Your Belongings to “The Test”
While we all have sentimental attachments, look at your larger belongings and decide, is this item truly worth more than the cost to ship it? Could you, for instance, purchase a pre-owned replacement for this item once you arrive at your destination? If so, work to sell or donate the unneeded items before you move.
Slower Can Be Cheaper
Some services will cut you a deal if you don’t need your items right away. If you can be happy for a few days or weeks on an air mattress in an empty apartment, you can often save quite a bit on your move. Negotiate with the movers about what timeframe works for them and for you.
Don’t throw your back out lifting a couch you cannot handle, but also don’t assume that you must hire people for every stage of moving for a new job. You can save money on the elements that you can do, while making the moving process easier with paying for help.