Moving to a new place is always an exciting time, but it can also be stressful. The cost of living in New York City has skyrocketed over the years and that also means that relocating in and around the Big Apple can be stressful for you and your wallet. Luckily, there are many ways to save and have a much more affordable move. From packing supplies to finding the right movers, these are seven strategies for an affordable move in The City that Never Sleeps.
1. Hire Professional Local Services
Since New York is pretty expensive, it’s understandable if you’re hesitant about getting professional moving help. After all, the most you can save is when you do it yourself and just have to pay for gas. The problem is unless you own a moving truck you won’t be able to get your big items moved without risking damage to your belongings, vehicle, or even your back.
The good news s that there are dozens of options for you to get relocated anywhere in New York. Whether you need Brooklyn movers, Queens, or Manhattan, most movers cater to all the boroughs of New York and even the surrounding areas as far as Long Island, New Jersey, and sometimes even longer distances like across the state or the country.
There are also many options for saving on professional costs, since hybrid moves are fast becoming a preferred method, some services offer mobile storage units or truck rentals, and even labor-only services so you can pick and choose what’s best for your budget and moving needs.
2. It’s All In The Timing
In New York, the moving season is in the spring and summer, so if you can wait a few months to move into your new place, that would be best. Moving in the Fall or early winter will save on gas expenses that are higher than ever and help you avoid the peak rates of moving companies when competition for affordable movers tends to be high. This is because moving companies will have their hands full so prices can easily go up.
Winter presents its problems, especially with the potential of snowstorms and other weather conditions that could make it dangerous to even consider moving. Fall is a great choice since it has pleasant weather throughout the season and it’s far enough from the peak moving season that you could get some pretty good deals.
Moving on a weekday is also the best option. Most people will be moving on weekends and it may result in moving companies that already have blocked schedules between Friday and Sunday. If you can make time to move between a Monday and Thursday, you’ll most likely get a favorable schedule and fewer moving crews who aren’t exhausted or rushed from multiple moving jobs in the day.
3. Involve Your Inner Circle
There’s nothing wrong with asking for help and as a matter of fact, a lot of the time people are more willing to help than you would assume. Getting your family and even close friends involved can help you save in the move and it also allows you to have good company as well. Not to say professional movers can’t be fun, but of course, it’s different when you’re with people you’ve known for years.
Sure, it sometimes feels like they have better things to be doing than helping you pack and wrap your belongings but you’ll be surprised how much fun you’ll end up having on an otherwise dull and stressful process. And at the end of the day, it’s great to be able to kick back with some of the dearest people in your lives at your new home.
4. Learn to Pare Down
One reason moving can seem like such a daunting task is that you end up realizing just how much stuff you’re collected through the months and years. Especially if your family has been growing, there’ll be a lot of knick-knacks and doodads that you never realized you had stored for so long. But as it’s said, “healthy things grow and growing things change.” As you and your family embark on this new journey together you need to go with the change. And that means letting go of a few things.
Paring down is not something everyone enjoys doing when it means getting rid of things, but it’s an important part of moving forward and saving a few benjamins as well. If you try to bring everything with you, you add up the costs since you’ll need more space and more work for both you and the movers. Less is more, and once you get rid of the thing you don’t need anymore you’ll also feel much more relieved in the end.
5. Prioritize Your Items
Even if you opted for a full-service mover, it doesn’t hurt to get the ball rolling early on. Getting organized can help the professional movers get things done faster and it’ll be less of a headache for you when it comes time to unload and unpack since you know where everything is and where it needs to be.
Some professional services even offer organization, but that’ll cost extra. Handling some of the grunt work yourself can save you a lot and it doesn’t even need to be over complicated. Just set things so that you’ll need them, keep in mind that the first thing to go in the truck will be the last out, so it’s a good idea to make sure the most important items are the last to be loaded.
6. Pack and Wrap The Little Things
Again, you’re probably thinking that this is a job for the professionals you just hired after all everyone wants to get value for what you paid for. Although that is true, this is another area where you can save a few dollars. Since movers are usually paid by the hour by minimizing the time they need to pack and load you can save some valuable time and money.
On top of that, it gives you more peace of mind especially with some of the small fragile items like gadgets, electronics, or china. If you had taken the second tip and involved your close friends or family then this could also be a moment of bonding as well as allow you to get a better idea of all the things you own and be able to declutter a bit.
7. Reuse, Recycle, Resourceful
You’ll have to coordinate with your mover on this one, but if you have suitcases, bags, and other useful items you can pack with clothes and items then you can go ahead and make use of those as well. This will help reduce your reliance on cardboard and other packing materials which in turn will reduce the waste that piles up after you unpack everything n your new home.
But keep in mind that most professional movers will not appreciate you jamming dressers and drawers with items. Not only is it more likely to get damaged, but the extra weight might break someones’ back, and that’s not something you want over your head. So be creative with how you pack your belongings but also keep n mind what you can or cannot do when it comes to professional services.
Let’s be honest, no one looks forward to moving, it can be taxing all around and the costs can go over what you initially expected. But with the right attitude and a bit of help, you’ll find that saving time and money on relocating to the Big Apple is as easy as Pie.
