Planning a move in the future means a lot of thought needs to go into the process before you make any concrete decisions. Most people dislike everything that comes with moving for several reasons. It’s a tedious process that takes a lot of time, energy, and nerves to complete. If you are moving with pets or with your family, it gets even more difficult to plan as you have more factors to consider.
Most people just want to get the move over with and prefer it to be as affordable as possible—and reasonably so. Moving can get costly quickly, especially if you haven’t planned or prepared for it enough before it happens.
One thing that can significantly affect your moving costs that you must factor in when planning your move is your moving date. You may not think anything of it, but we are here to show you exactly how to save money simply by pushing your moving date for a few days. Let’s get started!
What is Off-Season Moving?
The moving industry works by the principle of demand. More demand means higher prices and lower availability. During the off-season, you may have luck finding even last-minute movers at a much lower price than you would booking them months in advance for a summer move.
This is because people tend to move during the summer months when kids are out of school, and the weather is nicer.
During the colder months of the year, people don’t move as much. This means that you have more flexibility with your moving date, and you can pick and choose your moving company based on their prices, the services they offer, and their ratings.
What Are The Ideal Months for Budget-Friendly Moves?
As mentioned, the summer months are usually the peak months for moving. This means that from September to April, you would be moving off-season and securing lower rates for your move than otherwise. If you can push your summer move a bit farther into the year, chances are you will have more options and smaller costs than moving in the middle of the year.
The Difference Between Weekdays and Weekends
Not only does the month you are moving affect your price, but weekdays and weekends may also differ in cost. Most people will wish to move on a Saturday or Sunday when they are out of work, which is why there is more demand for these days. According to the logic previously mentioned, this is when the prices may be higher due to lower availability. Tuesdays and Thursdays are usually the least popular days of the week to move, so if you want to save some money and receive lower rates from your Dallas movers, choose one of these days.
You can also simply ask your Dallas movers if there is a difference in pricing for weekday and weekend moves. If there isn’t, secure any day that works best for you. If they are offering a discounted price for a weekday move, and you have the luxury of moving on a Thursday, why not save some money during the process?
The Peak Moving Holidays
Believe it or not, people are in a moving frenzy during the holidays. This is primarily because they are probably off work and have time to get the move done. If you have flexibility with your moving date, avoiding any holidays or the days around them is best, as people are looking for movers left and right. While most holidays are usually during the off-season, these are the only times when Dallas movers have high demand during the colder months, so avoid them if possible.
Does Booking Early Help You Save Money?
Yes, it does. There are a few early booking hacks that can help you secure lower rates for your Dallas movers.
The first reason booking early helps is that you’re probably among the first people to book that date, and the prices are still low. As the availability gets lower, the prices will get higher.
If your moving company offers guaranteed rates and confirms them in writing, you will have no problem on moving day as you’ve already secured the price initially quoted, no matter how far in advance your move may be.
This can also work for summer moves. If you book your move months in advance during the off-season, chances are you will get off-season rates even though you’ve booked your movers for the middle of summer.
Why?
Lower demand.
No one is yet booking these summer dates, so your Dallas moving company is most likely offering its current rates no matter which date you book your move. If this is the case, you can secure your summer move at discounted prices, and depending on your moving company’s flexibility, you may even be able to reschedule the move at the same rates if any changes happen in the meantime!
Flexible Dates and Negotiations
These money-saving strategies only work if you are flexible with your date. If you MUST move on Christmas Day, there is nothing you can do except pay your Dallas movers the rate they’ve given you. Not only would the prices be higher, but you might not have much choice for movers to begin with.
Being flexible with your dates means you can shop around, call different Dallas movers, ask for price matches, discounts, and more. If they tell you that you can save some money by shifting your Sunday move to a Thursday, you can work out a better price for your move and not have to change much in your plans except push it back or forth a few days.
- Ask your Dallas movers if they price match with other companies.
- Ask if there is a difference in rates or if they have affordable dates.
- Always book movers with guaranteed rates and ask if they are prone to change due to rescheduling or any other reason.
The Difference Between DIY & Professional Moving
Now, moving on your own does save you money – that is true. However, it comes with many risks and dangers that you are most likely trying to avoid at all costs. Paying professionals to do the heavy lifting may seem like a minimal price for the health of your back and knees and the condition of your belongings.
DIY moving saves you money because you dictate how much you will spend. If you don’t want to use professional-grade supplies – you don’t need to. But when that box falls apart during transit, you won’t have your movers’ insurance to cover the box’s contents.
If you don’t want to get straps and dollies for the move, you don’t necessarily have to. But lifting everything on your own, completely untrained for heavy lifting, may lead to moving injuries that are often more serious than not.
So, while professional moving does cost more, you know what you are paying for. Sitting back and relaxing during the move while trained professionals handle the move for you. It’s the same as any other service.
Organizing, Decluttering & Packing to Save Money
One of the phases of your move when you can truly cut a lot of corners and save money is the packing and organizing process. This is because you can get the most creative and plan it to perfection here. There are three phases of this process:
- Organizing
- Decluttering
- Packing
Organizing
Organizing the following phases will help them be less chaotic and more streamlined. It will give you an idea of all the tasks you must complete before you call everything done. Organizing both phases is equally important, as packing without decluttering and vice versa are both catastrophes waiting to happen.
So, grab a pen and paper (or your laptop and phone, let’s be honest) and start writing down everything that comes to mind. What tasks must you complete before, during, and after these phases? Which items do you want to give special attention to? Do some items need specialty boxes? Have you promised to give your family heirloom to your sister?
Write down everything.
Decluttering
Decluttering can be a genuinely magical phase of your move. You can kill two birds with one stone here.
Decluttering to move fewer items = fewer items to move; therefore, pay to move.
Decluttering to sell before your move = more money for your move.
Focus on getting rid of anything you don’t find use for anymore. Sell anything in good condition and of some value, donate what you can, and trash everything that no one will ever need – like your broken lamp.
Keep what you really need, and be brutally honest with yourself during this process. Otherwise, it won’t work and defeats the purpose of decluttering.
Here are some questions to ask yourself while going through your item collection:
- Have I used this item in the past year?
- Is it something I use regularly, or is it collecting dust?
- Is this item necessary for my daily life or plans?
- Can I quickly replace it if needed?
- Does this item hold sentimental or emotional value?
- Can I capture this memory in another way, such as a photo?
- Do I have duplicates of this item?
- Will I have space for it in my new home?
- Is this item broken or damaged beyond repair?
- Can it be repaired, repurposed, or recycled instead of thrown away?
- Is moving this item or replacing it at my new location more cost-effective?
- Will the item’s value justify the cost of packing, transporting, and unpacking?
- Is this item in good condition and suitable for sale or donation?
Once you’ve completed the decluttering phase of your move, you can sell items online or host a garage sale. This will help you earn some money to fund your move, and make your collection smaller and more affordable to move.
Packing
We welcome you to the worst phase of your move—packing. We won’t even dance around the fact that it is absolutely tedious and chaotic, no matter how you put it. But you still have the chance to make the most of it!
- Instead of purchasing new packing supplies, ask your friends and family for supplies they may have left over from their moves.
- You can ask local businesses for boxes and other supplies you may need to pack for your move.
- You can use items you have around the house to pack, like suitcases, bins, and trash bags. You can use blankets and linens for padding, for example.
Get creative and save some money!
Don’t forget that the more you pack before your move, the less time your movers will have to spend doing so.
You can even disassemble your furniture and move your boxes closer to the door on the day of the move to speed up the loading process! This can significantly reduce the time needed to complete your move – therefore reducing the total cost of your move!
Conclusion
Saving money while moving is more than possible, especially when equipped with the best tips from Legend Movers.
Carefully planning your move and gathering as much information as possible is the first step towards success. If you are flexible and looking to tackle your move creatively, you can cut corners and move within your budget, even with the help of professional movers. Hiring professionals doesn’t always mean going bankrupt, especially if you are targeting the most affordable dates.
Contact Legend Movers – Where Any Date is an Affordable Date!
If you are looking for a Dallas moving company that offers guaranteed rates, competitive pricing, and professional help every step of the way, give us a call! Our experienced relocation specialists will be more than happy to handle the logistics of your move, guide you in the right direction and help you secure the most affordable moving service for yourself while receiving the best moving help Dallas offers. We are one of the top Dallas moving companies for more reasons than one, and we would be honored to show you exactly why that is.
We are looking forward to your call! Let’s start planning your budget move today!
