Homes Builder

Tips for a Budget-Friendly DIY Move

Moving without the help of professionals can often save a lot of money, but it can also increase stress. If you want to save money and have a low-stress move, follow these guidelines for a more pleasant DIY moving experience.

Plan and Set a Budget

Count up how many rooms you are moving to get an estimate of what size truck you might need. Budget for non-rentable items like boxes and tape. Budget for any accessories you may have to rent like blankets and dollies with rigid caster wheels. To save money here, ask friends and family if you can take any unwanted boxes off their hands or if you could borrow old blankets to protect your bulky items.

Take Inventory and Begin Packing

Take stock of how much you have and estimate how long it may take you to pack. Build a timeline and begin packing. Starting to pack as many items as you can weeks before your move. This will help ensure you get things packed up and ready to go on time and on budget.

Get Rid of Stuff

Now that you’ve taken an inventory of your items and you’ve begun the packing process, pare your items down by getting rid of any items you don’t want or need. This will reduce the amount of time you spend packing, the number of items you have to unpack once you move, and it can often reduce the amount of money required to move. Have a garage sale and sell your things to help fund your move. Or simply donate any items you don’t want to take with you.

Enlist Friends to Help

When it comes to packing and moving, the more helping hands you have, the better. Friends will often work for free, or for the price of pizza. By offering food and drinks, you can host a packing party with loved ones to make the occasion fun, all while getting extra help for your move. If you implore this route, ask your friends well in advance so they can add it to their calendar and so you know how much help you will have. It’s also helpful to know how much pizza to buy.

Moving to a new home, whether it’s across town or across the country, can be an exciting adventure. Start it off right by saving money and lowering your stress with these helpful tips for a great DIY move.