How to Move Long-Distance Inexpensively
Statistically, most Americans, about 72% off us, live in or close to, within say 50 miles, of the place they grew up.
My husband and I are not part of that crowd. He’s a Navy brat and has lived on both coasts. I grew up in Michigan and Colorado, met him in Illinois and now we live in Pennsylvania.
But when we moved from Illinois to Pennsylvania in 2016, it was the first time in our adult lives that we had to plan a major multi-state move. And we had to do it fast. We moved 900 miles in 14 days.
Here’s how we move long-distance relatively inexpensively.
Pack Everything Yourself
Because we work in the self-storage industry, we get to hear all the horror stories of using professional movers. A lot of people choose to use professionals thinking it will be faster than packing themselves.
That may or may not be true.
If you use professional movers, be sure to plan to be with them the entire time they are packing your home. And make sure you have good pictures of the condition of your furniture before they move it. I can’t count the number of times we’ve heard someone say their furniture was damaged in transit and that the moving company claimed it was that way when they got it.
Additionally, plan on it being expensive. We priced moving a two-bedroom apartment from southern Illinois to near Philadelphia and the estimate was close to $10,000.
Where we did breakdown and hire professionals was to get stuff on and off our moving truck. Hiring a crew to load and unload the truck cost us about $500, including tips, and meant the truck was loaded in about an hour. When they unloaded, they took the boxes to the specific room we asked them to.
Minimize Your Supplies Cost
Moving an entire household is going to take a lot of boxes. While you will have to spend some money on markers and tape for labeling and closing the boxes, try not to spend on the boxes themselves.
Boxes cost anywhere from 49 cents to $2 each at your local home improvement store and even more if you buy specialty boxes. A box designed to hold you kitchen glasses can run about $10 and a box for your flat screen television can be almost $20.
When you announce you’re moving, ask friends and family for any good boxes they have lying around. With the ubiquity of Amazon deliveries, chances are everyone will have some.
Then hit up your local stores for boxes. You may need to give them a heads up that you are looking as most break down boxes for recycling.
Some of the best places to look for boxes are:
- Liquor Stores
Remember those fancy boxes for glassware? They’re really just wine boxes with foam sleeves for your glasses. Wine or liquor bottle boxes work amazingly well.
The other advantage of liquor store boxes is they are fairly uniform in size and not too large. They’re great for packing heavy items.
2. Hobby Stores
This one was a surprise for me, but it turned out they had exactly what we needed. We were looking for boxes for artwork and our flat screen TV and the idea of paying premium prices for them was a bit nauseating.
Instead, we talked to the frame department at our local hobby store and got frame boxes. Frame boxes were perfect for a single television or two pieces of framed artwork. Just make sure to stand those on their side for shipping. Lying them flat will mean broken glass and replacing the TV.
3. Home Improvement Stores
Now mostly they’re going to tell you where to buy their boxes, but they can be a great source for appliance boxes.
Got a bunch of throw pillows, stuffed animals or other light bulky things? Appliance boxes are great. Just keep them light.
4. Grocery stores
Grocers and warehouse clubs are another great source for boxes. The only downside is that they will be all shapes and sizes.
When you are picking out boxes, remember smaller boxes will be easier to carry, especially if you have books or other heavy possessions.
Use Your Soft Goods As Packing Materials
Bubble wrap and foam sleeves for dishes aren’t cheap. And you will use a lot of it when moving an entire household.
One way to keep those supply costs down is to use your soft goods as wrapping. Use sheets or blankets to wrap you television or large artwork.
Use clothes and towels to pack around breakables like figurines.
And in the kitchen, wrap dishes in hand towels and dish rags.
You’ll likely still need some bubble wrap, but not nearly as much.
You might see some people saying to use newspaper in place of packing paper, but only do that if you know what you are packing won’t be damaged by newspaper ink. A large role of craft paper makes great packing paper.
Use Every Inch of Your Moving Truck
Many moving trucks have an “attic” over top of the cab. Be sure to use this. It’s especially good for small items and things that might get damaged moving around in the bigger part of the truck.
Wrap furniture in blankets or shrink wrap to prevent scuffing.
And if you are driving or towing your personal vehicle, don’t forget to fill it too.