Moving is tedious, time-consuming, and expensive. These three factors don't really change, even if you're moving a short distance from your present home. If there was a way to get around it, many Americans would have preferred to avoid it. Unfortunately, this is one of those things that you just have to do when the time comes. While you may not be able to make the move less time-consuming or tedious, you can definitely make it less expensive if you approach it the right way.
Book a Mover in Advance
One of the simplest ways to increase your moving costs is to forget to book a mover in time. Many people will wait until the last possible minute before moving. However, this means that when moving day comes, you'll have to move by any means necessary. If you organized your move in advance and already made found the right short-distance movers, this isn't something you'll be worried about. However, if you're waiting for that last-minute rush, many movers will charge a premium. Some will do this simply because they know you don't have other options while others will charge extra because it'll cost them more to organize a move on such short notice.
Do the Packaging On Your Own
You can save a little bit of money by packing your stuff on your own. This means you'll have to go shopping for packing supplies such as boxes and tape. If you know someone who has moved recently, you can save some money by borrowing the supplies they used during their own move. You can also fashion some home-made packing material from stuff you may have around your house. The advantage of this is that unpacking can be easier if you know where you put certain things.
Consider a Rental Truck Driver
Finding a rental truck driver for hire can save you money because it reduces your liability. If you have never driven a larger vehicle before, doing so can be challenging on the highway. You don't want to put all of your belongings and yourself in jeopardy. Also, if you have a rental truck driver, they can take the truck back to the facility as soon as you're done moving in, which can save you money on your rental truck fees.
Avoid Stressing or Straining Yourself
It's easy to focus on the movers' costs as the thing that makes short-distance moves expensive. However, if you consider the damaged items, injuries and other issues that may develop as a result of trying to handle things on your own, you may find that these are significantly more expensive.
Don't add to the costs of your move by doing something that gets you injured or damages something fragile. Leave the difficult jobs to the movers whether it's packing fragile items or securing things in the truck. If they damage anything, their insurance should cover it.