You may be preparing for a move across town or even across the country. If you have lived in one place for a few years, it means that you may have accumulated a lot of items; from furniture to children’s toys, clothes and shoes to a lot of necessary and unnecessary belongings. Moving may now give you a reality check as you begin to pack. You may realize that you have way more than your new home could accommodate, or that you actually have more items than you need. Your first instinct may tell you to look for storage because it is quite normal to have attachments to particular items in your possession like furniture or toys your children have outgrown.
Getting moving storage is not a cheap venture. Some basic, no-frills storage units cost about $100 dollars a month. To drastically cut down on your moving storage costs, here are a few tips that you can apply as you plan to move.
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De-clutter
Going through tons of items you may not have used in a year is not the best way to spend your afternoon. However, paying to keep items you do not need is not a better option either. Go through your belongings, furniture, clothes and get rid of what you do not need. If you haven’t needed it in a year, you probably may not need it at all.
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Have a garage sale
After going through your basement and garage, you may have come up with tons of items that are still in good condition but you do not need. Set up a garage sale in your front yard, put reasonable price tags on everything and invite your neighbors over. You may be surprised at how much you will make from what you did not need. This is also a great way to bid your neighbors goodbye without hosting a going away party. What a great saving!
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Donate
After your garage sale, chances are that you will still have lots of items left over. You can choose to donate what you have left over for a tax deduction, be sure to keep the receipt! Most charity organizations will send a truck over to collect what you have to give them.
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Weigh replacement cost against storage cost
You may have to get rid of some furniture and buy new ones at your new destination. If this saves you some cash, it would be a better option than to pay for storage.
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Rent the smallest space possible
Once you have ensured that you are not carrying any dead weight, you may still have to pay for storage. Rent the smallest space possible to reduce your storage cost.
Remember, moving is a costly affair, so any other additional costs will just put a bigger dent in your pocket. Save by following these tips and you will be well on your way to a stress-free moving experience.
