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How to budget your moving expenses

Posted on May 23rd, 2011 3 Comments

Moving house while trying to save some money may seem like an oxymoron; let’s not kid ourselves, moving can be an expensive undertaking whether you are purchasing or renting a property. Purchasing a home can set you back quite a bit especially when legal and closing fees are involved. Renting a house or apartment is not cheap either; most landlords require that you make a two month security deposit before moving in as well as you may also be required to pay for your own background check.

Just thinking about how much money one has to spend on moving is enough to make you want to stay put and make the best of where you currently stay. But it really does not have to be that way especially if you get down to some good old budgeting.  With the economy forcing most to tighten the grip on their wallets, this is one good way that you can see your money and know exactly how to spend it.

If you are not in a hurry to move from where you currently stay but have intentions of moving someday, it would be wise for you to start a savings account specifically for moving. For those purchasing a house, while the cost of your house may be covered by the mortgage banks, remember that you also have to save for other things that you would need for the house. These essentials may include the cost of paint; you may also need to pay for lawn care as well, not to mention you have to save money for the movers or may even need to install a security device. You can start as soon as possible to save towards the above mentioned essentials.

For those hoping to rent you should be saving for your rental deposits, money to pay the movers plus have a little left over for emergencies.

Now here is where the budgeting comes in. With the money that you decided to save each month, you can now go forward with hunting for your new home. For renters, if you have managed to save at least $7,000, you should be looking for a rent that is ten percent of what you save especially if you want to be able to pay your bills and have surplus. Looking for an affordable rent does not mean that you have to compromise your taste and safety; if you have to spend another hundred dollars or two to get the kind of home that you want and in your desired neighborhood, then by all means you should do just that.

You may also want to get quotes from those involved in the move including the movers, or the rental truck for self move, as well as the rental deposits for the homes you may be interested in. Once you gather this information, you can use these quotes against what you have saved to determine if you would have enough left over to go forward with your move or if you would have to continue saving some more.

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Inventory List

Posted on April 17th, 2011 1 Comment

If you talk to a moving expert and ask them about one of the more essential parts of the moving process, they would immediately tell you that keeping a list of inventory is a good thing. This list is essential in that it would allow you to see exactly what you have in your household so that should something go missing, you have your list to show to the movers. A list is also important to track damaged items as well should the unfortunate happen.

Making an inventory list is easy; you simply go to each room in your house and itemize every item that you own there. It would be best to actually list them by room example Matt’s bedroom or upstairs bathroom etc.

In addition, keep inventory of all the valuable items that you may have in your home as well as a list of all the electronics too. Separating each category would help you keep a better tracking system for which you can quickly scan and immediately address, while the movers are still there.

You should also try to pack your items according to how they are written down and grouped on your list; you should also label your boxes accordingly as well.

Thanks to the power of technology, keeping moving inventory has also become much easier.  By using your digital camera, you can take pictures of your items or put the camera in video mode where you can not only see pictures but also vocally record each item. If you are using the still picture function, detailing is very important to capture on film. For instance if you have brand new items you should zoom in to show how impeccable the items are before moving day. That way should they get damaged the movers would never get the chance to say that they picked up the items from your home in that condition. When you start talking your still pictures, also ensure that the date and time is set on the camera. Videotaping inventory is quick and easy than still pictures; you can also use the zoom feature to identify special detailing on your items. Remember that even if you are using the above form of technology for inventory, you could never go wrong with having a backup paper list. If you can’t get both the list and videos done, ask a family member to assist you.

 

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Moving Insurance Tips

Posted on November 10th, 2010 1 Comment

Planning on moving without getting your household items insured could very well be equated to a skydiver jumping out of an aircraft without his parachute – it is that risky. Accidents while moving are almost inevitable and if they should happen, would you be prepared?

There are many types of moving insurance that you can apply for; you just have to know which one would be best for you when moving day arrives.

Prior to moving you can take your time and look at different types of moving insurance that would suit your every need. Usually moving experts would first point you into the direction of your homeowner’s insurance to see if the moving aspect can be covered.

Even if your move isn’t covered by your home insurance, you would be glad to know that you do have options that you can explore.

One of the most common kind of moving insurance around is that of Release Value Insurance. With this type of insurance the protection is limited and it would only allow you to come away with a small percentage should your items be lost, stolen or damaged. Companies that offer the Release Value insurance would give you some 60 cents per pound which works out to be much less than what you paid for your household items in the first place.

There are other options that you can explore such as Third-party insurance. This type of insurance is pretty similar to the aforementioned Release Value Insurance in that you your mover would give you 60 cents per pound for any items that are damaged, stolen or lost. In addition, with this insurance you can also source additional insurance from an outside company which would probably pay the balance of what your items are worth.

If you choose the mover’s released value option, you may be able to get additional coverage from an outside company. With third-party coverage your mover is liable for 60 cents per pound of damaged goods. The insurance company would pay any remaining costs.

Finally there is Full Value Insurance, a type of insurance that allows coverage to your entire household items. This type of insurance is one of the more expensive types on the list and it offers a variety of compensation plans should your items get damaged, lost or stolen. For the damaged items, the moving company would either replace your item with one that is similar although it may be cheaper in price or they may offer to pay you cash for it or even repair it. Whatever method the movers choose to compensate you, it is definitely means that they would have to absorb the many costs to do so. Movers are now trying to avoid losing money in this process by ensuring that your items get to its destination in good condition.

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Getting to know your moving vehicles

Posted on October 13th, 2010 1 Comment

Moving vehicles are essentially an important part of your move no matter how big or small. If you are self-moving and you are thinking about renting a moving van to do so, you may not be sure which type of van you should use. To avoid renting a van that may be too big or too small to move your items, here are a few things that you should know before visiting the van renting company.

One of the more compact moving vehicles is the Panel Van. Panel Vans are small in size which makes it a perfect vehicle for a small moves such as studio apartment or even a room. Even if you are not moving a small dwelling, it is also ideal for moving one large item at a time. For the latter though, if you have more than one large item to relocate, then be prepared to make several trips back and forth.

For those of you who are planning to self-move to another city, you would enjoy the convenience of a city van. City vans are enclosed and most have features that make city driving much easier. Among these features include steering wheels that are tilted which assists in navigating the vehicle throughout the city as well as they also boast of having wide windshields so that the driver can see a wider range and angle while driving.

Parcel vans are quite popular with grocery store delivery, but they are also great for moving up to 3,000lbs of household items as well. If you live in a medium sized two bedroom home with a small amount of furniture and appliances, you should rent a parcel van. One of the better features of a parcel van is that it has an enclosed cargo and in some vehicles one can easily stop driving and get to the cargo area without even even having to get out of the vehicle.

Moving a six bedroom home with lots of household items inside? Then a Straight Truck may be ideal for you. Also accommodating those with medium moving needs, one can stack close to 10,000lbs of items in this vehicle. Straight trucks are usually up to 26 feet long and it also features a cargo area.

You will need a tractor-trailer for not only moving long distance but also for moving an extremely large home or office. Tractor-trailers are up to 53 feet in length and provides enough space for you to stack every item most comfortably. The most convenient part about a tractor-trailer is that the tractor portion of the vehicle can easily be detached and placed on another trailer.

Let’s say you are moving from New York to Maryland, because of road travel restrictions the moving vehicle from New York may not be able to cross over to Maryland. What would happen is that the Maryland movers can easily detach the trailer from the New York moving vehicle placing it on their vehicle so as to continue the move.

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Money saving tips

Posted on September 14th, 2010 3 Comments

The words “moving” and “saving money” are not usually used in the same sentence especially since moving is a huge financial undertaking no matter how near or far away you move.  And while you may be a bit nervous about how much money you need to put aside to make your home relocation happen, there are actually some ways in which you can scale down your moving finances so that you would have a little cash left over after you are all moved in.

You can start saving money right away if you were to self-move which would allow you and your friends to do everything from packing, to loading and eventually driving the moving vehicle en route to your new home. With a self-move, the only money you would be spending out is for the rental of the truck which is way cheaper than if you go with a full-service moving company.

Next, if you have control over the months when you can move out, you should choose those months that are considered the slow period in the moving business. Stay clear of the summer months as they are not only the busiest but also the most expensive months to move.

You can also spend less money moving if you were to pack your own boxes instead of leaving it up to the movers who would charge an additional fee to get the job done. When it comes to packing, you should seek out boxes from your neighborhood grocery store or from friends and family which would save you from purchasing new boxes. Also, if you have items in your home that you really do not need then you can decide if you want to sell them all or donate it to a charitable organization. Either way you would be clearing out the clutter from your home and ultimately cutting down on the load in the moving van.  Keep in mind that some moving companies bill you by the weight of the items that you are moving; get rid of as much unwanted items as you can.

Always keep your receipts from the move since when tax period rolls around; you can claim it as a tax-deductable expenses. Visit the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) website to find out more information about that.  Finally when you get to the new place,  you should also have some friends there who can help you unpack your items so that the movers would not have to do the job for an extra cost.

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