Moving house costs money, but it doesn’t have to break the bank. There are many ways in which you can save and one is to book some good removalists early so you get the right size truck and have time to compare prices. That’s not to say you should choose the cheapest offer. Sometimes being cheap means they don’t have insurance or their trucks are not well-maintained.

Here are some more tips to make your moving day more affordable.

• Pack your own food for the trip. Buy food enroute can be very expensive. If you have your own sandwiches and snacks, you can stop at any park and let the kids run around; you won’t be limited to finding a fast food place.
• Source free boxes from stores rather than purchasing them.
• Use clothing and linen for packaging instead of bubble wrap.

• Don’t take stuff you don’t want; get rid of it by selling it or giving it away. If you have less stuff you may only need a small truck, thus saving money.
• If you are moving between cities, rail removalist might be cheaper. You’d need to research this and find out the cost of taking goods to and from the rail station. Rail can be cheaper for long distance travel.
• Consider renting a truck if you or a friend can drive it. You’ll all have to pitch in to load it as well. This is a good option for those who don’t have too much heavy stuff.
• If you are not going far, you may be able to rent a trailer and make several trips in one day. This would work out much cheaper, so long as you have some strong friends to help.
• Avoid packing services; these cost quite a bit extra on top of the usual moving fees. If you are feeling overwhelmed start early and do a little bit at a time. You can start by packing all those things you don’t use all the time.
• Avoid putting things in storage. Find a place to keep them at home or sell them.
• Try and move during the week as moving at a weekend is more expensive.
• Don’t rent or buy blankets for packing things in. Use your own. If you hire a removalist they should provide packing to protect furniture in the truck.
• Make sure you get a written quote for the price of moving so nothing else can be added.

Once you put some of these tips into practice you will start to see a savings and may even think of more ways to save the cost of moving day. If you do, share them with others.