Are you looking for the cheapest way to move house? It may seem challenging to save money moving when you opt for the services of removalists Canberra, but we’re here to tell you that with careful planning, a little decluttering, some DIYs, and other cheap moving tips, you can relocate without blowing through your hard-earned money!

Moving On a Budget 101: Simple and Cheap Moving Tips

The key to affordable moving is realizing that it’s the small things that rack up the total move expense. If you’re all for a budget move, discover the avoidable costs.

Let’s help you figure it out—with some easy tips for moving on a tight budget!

1. Declutter, Organize, Sale, and Donate

Do you still have a bunch of old artwork, clothes that you'll wear 'one day', and school arts and crafts supplies that nobody has used in the past five years? Time to make some precise, hard decisions and downsize as much as you can.

Not only will a complete declutter help with the stress of the move—you'll have less stuff to pack—but also enables affordable moving. Part of your moving costs depends on how much stuff you have. You'll save on packing materials and even go for one rental truck less!

Here’s how you can be organized and cost-effective when moving on a budget:

• Start by donating stuff. You can give stuff to family and friends as well.
• Organize a garage sale—the perfect way to turn your junk into money!
• You can also sell stuff online, but make sure to factor in the time it will take.

Finally, save money moving by selling and re-buying essentials in case of a long-distance move. Belongings like furniture are a must for a move, but planning interstate removals means a higher move budget. Selling your furniture and getting a new one at your new destination might be cheaper!

2. Be Frugal to Save On Buying Boxes

Careful packing is a no-brainer when it comes to moving to a new home—which is why some people go crazy on boxes and bubble wrap!

While these are necessities, consider getting what you can for free and use alternatives for affordable moving. Let’s start with the boxes, which you can get from:

• Nearby stores and supermarkets that have lots of boxes and are willing to get off them.
• Friends and family who own spare boxes in their storage and are happy to help!

Make sure to disinfect all these boxes, and you're set with containers for your things without overspending. Another useful tip to save money on packing supplies is to use your bags and suitcases where you can instead of boxes.

3. Use Linens and Paper as Packing Supplies

Moving on to wrapping and padding materials—yes, bubble wrap is a necessity. However, for many fragile and valuable items, using old sheets, towels, and blankets may actually be more effective—both in terms of safety and saving money.

You can also use your newer linens for clean, grime-free belongings. This not only helps you save money, but you also no longer need to pack those linens and bedding in a separate box, freeing up space and bringing down your moving costs for both boxes and materials!

Note: Get old newspapers and other paper material for wrapping vases, kitchenware, and various fragile items. If you have paper plates and cups lying around, these make great liners between plates and glasses. It's much cheaper and effective too rather than individually wrapping breakable stuff!

4. Do As Much As You Can Yourself

Small expenses added to necessary moving expenses such as the residential relocation movers and packing supplies make for the financial burden of moving.

Luckily, DIY moving measures make these small expenses avoidable. Here's a brief breakdown of DIY moving tips:

• When it comes to cleaning your house before moving out, you may be tempted to pay professional cleaners. Don’t do this—instead, make some time to clean yourself.
• If you’re moving with kids and/or pets, try to have family and friends help out with watching them rather than relying on babysitters.
• A significant part of DIY moving on a tight budget is: packing yourself. Yes, many moving companies offer the convenience of packing, but this usually costs extra, factoring in both material and labour.

Schedule your move's to-do list smartly. Start as early as possible to avoid tiring yourself out. It takes a bit of planning to be able to do many of the tasks yourself—which you would otherwise pay someone for to get done quickly.

5. Plan Meals for Your New Place

How to move without breaking the bank? A significant reason why the moving period tends to get pricey: eating out. Naturally, you’re too tired to cook or your new kitchen may not be properly set up yet. Plus, there is the fact that you take time to unpack everything—especially during a long-distance move.

Save money moving by prioritizing home-cooked meals over eating out constantly. Try doing meal preps and packing up cooked food beforehand. Keep it simple, stuff you can cook easily in the microwave or the oven—or something that requires the use of a couple of cooking utensils which you can pack for easy access.

6. Move When It’s Cheaper (Non-Peak Season)

When moving within Australia, be mindful of external factors like weather, school holidays, traffic, and such that add to your total moving expenses.

Winters may be the best time to move houses in Australia—if you’re moving in a region where it does not snow heavily. There’s usually less traffic on the road in winter in Canberra and schools are off, which makes it easy to get a cheap rate from residential and commercial moving experts.

On the other hand, avoid March to May, when it is peak moving season. Yes, longer daylight hours make the move easy. However, from a spending perspective, busy move times mean high rates and difficulty securing your ideal date and time with your moving company.

7. Cancel Subscriptions Beforehand

Whether you are going for a cross-state or local move, don’t forget to cancel any subscriptions such as magazines, gym membership, delivery services, and so on. You don't want to end up paying for an extra month when you're not even around.

At the same time, try signing up for services at your new place as early as possible, so that you can enjoy these right from the first week. Leverage cost-benefits such as new member deals from cable companies and internet providers to save some cash and gain some much-needed peace of mind!

8. Avoid Delays and Last-Minute Changes

As it is the rule anywhere, last-minute changes for a service may cost you more.  Planning your move well means you save money. Here are a few time-organization cheap moving tips:

• Schedule your movers ahead of time (ideally 2-3 months) to get a competitive moving estimate and a convenient timeframe.
• From disconnecting appliances and turning off power to securing your pets and packing up your kids’ moving backpacks, get it all done beforehand.
• Complete the move-out paperwork a couple or so hours before your movers arrive. Nothing holds up a moving process as much as looking for missing documents and other essentials.

Keep your move from going over the allotted time, as you may end up with extra charges. Make sure you finish packing early!

9. Compare Rates and Services by Removalists

When hiring a moving company, do some research, check services and reviews, and get quotes from more than one company. Ideally, you want to look for Canberra movers who offer economical rates without compromising quality, enabling you to customize your moving plan to fit your budget.

At the same time as keeping affordable moving companies on the top of your list, go for experts who offer all-around expertise in relocations, such as packing services or special moving measures for piano removals and other valuable belongings.

Note: Transparency is the finest quality. Don’t settle for a company that gives you a ballpark quote—only to add to it extensively later on. Go for a near-accurate moving estimate, leaving only room for last-minute changes on your end.

10. Look Into Moving Insurance Carefully

From poorly packed items to mishandling of valuable belongings, there are so many things that could potentially go wrong during a move. Therefore, it's always smart to plan ahead for any unexpected accidents.

Opt for mover's insurance to safeguard against potential losses. You will need to pay a small fee to your insurance company in advance, but you gain the benefits of recovering full value in case any valuable items are damaged or lost during the relocation.

In case you are hiring a moving company, make sure they provide sufficient coverage to protect you in case of any damages that might happen while loading, in transit and unloading.

Planning a Budget Move? K&M Removals Is Here To Help!

Ready for your move? K&M Removals offers economical rates for local and interstate moves in Canberra. Call us today at 0431469073 to book your move, or message us online for any moving tips or questions about our services!