How to Get Help with Moving Expenses

This is a guest post by the team at MovingWaldo, our moving partner.

Moving is not only a tedious task, but also an expensive one. Whether you’re a tenant or a buyer, reducing your moving expenses is highly beneficial. The less organized you are and the less you do yourself, the more your move will cost. Moving at the right time and looking out for moving scams can save you tons of money. There are several more ways that you can get help with your moving expenses, let’s check them out!

Pack Appropriately

When you pack appropriately, you will avoid unnecessary trips with the moving truck and therefore save time and money. Here are some tips to pack appropriately:

• Label all your boxes with their contents and what room they belong to.
• Get boxes with handles so you can handle them better.
• Get boxes that are easily stackable so you can maximize the space in the moving truck.
• Avoid putting too little or too much in your boxes.
• Place the largest and heaviest items at the end of the moving truck.

Buy or Rent Secondhand Moving Boxes and Bins

Buying or renting secondhand moving boxes and plastic bins is less expensive than buying them brand new. New large boxes cost an average of $3 each and the average 2-bedroom apartment needs 50 of them to move comfortably. You can get free boxes at your local grocery store and on secondhand items websites. Inspect the boxes well first; check for water damage and insects. Renting plastic bins also has many benefits. They are waterproof, easy to clean and easier to stack. They are expensive to purchase so people rent them for an average of $1.50 per plastic bin.

Sell Your Unwanted Items

Selling your unwanted items will help you make some extra money you can spend on moving expenses. Have a big storage cabinet in the basement you don’t want to move to your new place? Someone might be willing to pay for it! Sell it to save yourself the hassle of moving it and make some cash at the same time! Here’s how to sell your unwanted items:

• Host a Garage sale (check city regulations first)
• Sell them online on websites like: Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist
• Make a post on social media with your items to sell

Avoid Moving During Peak-Times

The peak time to move in Canada is in the spring and summer (May to September) because of the better weather conditions. The moving industry is aware of peak-times and lowers their prices during non-peak times like fall and winter. If you have the option, avoid moving during peak-times to help reduce your moving expenses.

Use a Rewards Credit Card

From buying boxes to hiring movers and cleaners, moving comes with a lot of expenses! If you know you’ll be spending a lot of money on your move, use a rewards credit card to your advantage. There are two types of rewards credit cards:

1. Cashback Credit Cards: will automatically give you money back on most purchases you make.
2. Store Credit Cards: will give you rewards on moving-related purchases in that specific store.

Take on the Move Yourself

It’s no surprise that taking on the move yourself will help you with your moving expenses. Renting a moving truck will save you the hefty price tag that comes with movers, but you will have to pack and move yourself. If you have a lot of things, consider renting a moving container. With a moving container you’ll have to pack and move yourself, but the container will be driven for you. In the end, your best option to save on moving expenses is to gather friends and family and take on the move yourself!

Watch Out for Moving Scams

Moving scams are becoming a popular way to take advantage of people during their move. Knowing how to spot a moving scam will help you save the money you would otherwise have wasted whilst uninformed.

How to spot a moving scam:

1. They have an incomplete website.
2. They are only present on third party websites (i.e. Kijiji & Craigslist).
3. Cash, e-transfers, and PayPal are their sole payment methods.
4. Their phone number isn’t local.
5. They emphasize on payment first before anything else.

Use a Free Digital Moving Concierge like MovingWaldo

Using a free digital moving concierge service like MovingWaldo will help you tackle all your moving tasks in minutes. Directly from your moving dashboard, you can find exclusive deals and/or easily compare services like professional movers, moving truck rentals or internet plans, just to name a few. Your moving concierge also shares handy checklists with you to stay on track of your move.

Conclusion

Moving will completely empty your wallet if you don’t make that extra effort to reduce your moving expenses. Selling your unwanted items and taking on the move yourself will help reduce your moving expenses the most.

Want to prevent future expenses? Don’t forget to get tenant insurance to protect your belongings in case they get damaged, destroyed or stolen by events related to the building.

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