Six Insanely Creative Ways to Keep Your Relocation Cheap

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Moving doesn’t have to be stressful, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune either. With a little creativity and some advanced planning, you can move to your new home without breaking the bank.

1. Boxes Are Expensive

Why buy boxes when you can get them for free? There are plenty of places that give away boxes.

The following places have boxes in every shape and size:

  • Liquor stores
  • Craigslist
  • Target
  • Walmart
  • Best Buy
  • Home improvement stores
  • Book stores
  • Recycling centers
  • Grocery stores

cheap-relocation

2. Forget The Bubble Wrap

Instead of buying bubble wrap, wrap fragile items in your clothes. Everything is going to the same place anyway. Cut back on moving expenses and use less space in your moving van. Towels can be used to wrap more expensive items. Start saving your junk mail, magazines, and phone books too. Almost anything works as a buffer to protect your valuables during the move.

3. Clean Socks To The Rescue

Are you worried about smashing your favorite margarita glasses? Slide each glass into a clean sock before putting them in a box. Most socks are thick enough to stop the glassware from breaking during the move.

Ask your friends to save egg cartons for you. Egg cartons are easy to cut and flexible enough to protect oddly shaped items like vases.

4. Buy Balloons At The Dollar Store

If you’re thrifty, you’ll probably be heading to your local dollar store for drop cloths, bungee cords and packing tape. Pick up some cheap balloons while you’re there. Blow up the balloons and use them to stop your things from sliding around in the moving boxes. Be careful not to overinflate the balloons, or they might pop.

5. Sell Everything

Sometimes it’s easier to sell everything and start over. Thanks to modern technology, you don’t even have to have an actual garage sale anymore. There are apps for that. Take pictures of everything you’re willing to part with, create a listing and wait for buyers to come to you.

budget

6. Create An Open Me First Bin

Moving will wear you out. Don’t spend your first night in your new place rifling through boxes. Cheap Movers moving in Miami recommends packing everything you’ll need in a clear bin.

  • Cellphone charger
  • Toilet paper
  • Toothpaste and toothbrush
  • Paper cups and plates
  • Plastic utensils
  • Snacks
  • Box cutter
  • One change of clothes
  • One pajama set
  • Pet essentials
  • Flashlight
  • Soap and shampoo
  • Deodorant
  • Shower curtain
  • Towels

Every penny counts when you’re moving to a new home. Don’t be afraid to repurpose regular household items to stay under budget, and ask your friends for help. The more people you recruit, the fewer trips you’ll have to make.

How to Pack Furniture for Your Self-Storage Unit

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For most people, storing items in a storage unit is easy and fairly manageable. This might be the case; however, if you want to keep your stored items safe and well protected, you will need to plan and organize your storage unit accordingly. Below are some must-follow steps that will ensure you get the best out of your storage space.

Step 1: Label items in specific boxes

In as much as labeling might appear commonsense, it is not. Before you start arranging your storage space, you will need to understand the nature of items stored in the boxes. Proper labeling ensures you place fragile or heavy items exactly where they need to be. Also, it is relatively easy to retrieve goods that are correctly labeled.

packing-furniture

Step 2: Always start with the heavy items

Storage space is hardly ever enough; as a result, you will need to be creative and make the most of the available space. These movers in Dallas advise starting with the heavy items such as furniture since they occupy large amounts of space. Also, if arranged well, the heavy items can make a fantastic base for storing other things.

Step 3: Clean every item before storage

To prevent damaging your goods, be sure to clean them up before storage. Even more important, allow your items to dry before storing them. Moisture and storage do not go hand in hand; as a result, ensure that every cleaned item is allowed to dry up completely.

Step 4: Understand the specific storage needs of your items

Avoid cramming items together in efforts to conserve space. To get the most out of your storage unit, you will need to understand the varying storage needs of your goods. For instance, items such as leather and books can easily get damaged if stored in humid spaces. Ensure damageable goods breathe adequately. On the other hand, consider disassembling furniture such as beds to enhance your ability to manage space better.

Step 5: Separate metal from wooden items

It is vital to separate wood from metal items to avoid incurring unnecessary losses due to damaged goods. Always remember to store metal products together and well away from products made of wood. Ventilation is important in keeping both wooden and metal products protected from the various agents of damage.

Step 6: Always wrap fragile items

Failure to wrap fragile items can lead to breakage or damage. Therefore, be sure to wrap items such as glasses and mirrors in paddings, blankets and even bubble wraps if available. Once you’ve covered your fragile items accordingly, do not forget to place them on top of shelves or other bulky items; this will help reduce the risk of damage through accidental stepping.

furniture

Step 7: Map everything in your storage unit

To avoid instances of long-lasting searches, take the time to create a map of your storage unit. If you think arranging a storage unit is hard, try searching for items months after storing them. It is advisable to make a map immediately after you finish organizing your storage items.

Advice for Setting Up Your Seattle Utilities When Moving to the Emerald City

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Moving to Seattle can be a great decision. From local cultural landmarks like Pike Place Market to the beautiful majesty of the surrounding woodlands and ocean, it’s a truly lovely place to settle down. One of the few downsides to moving to Seattle is the same downside you’ll find with any move: getting your affairs in order.

One of the most tedious tasks involved in a move is making sure that everything is working properly when you arrive at your new home. That’s why we’ve made this guide for setting up utilities in the Emerald City.

seattle-utilities

Water

As is usually the case with municipalities, water services are handled through the city. You can contact Seattle Public Utilities directly through their website and use their online application. Be sure to give them a little advanced notice, as it normally takes three days on average to get your water hooked up.

You’ll need to provide the office with a water meter reading at your residence. If this is your first time living in Seattle, you’ll have to call the office directly at (206) 684-3000 to verify your identity.

Gas

Puget Sound Energy is the only residential provider of natural gas services in Seattle. Not all residences make use of natural gas, so be sure to check your utilities ahead of time to see if you need service established. Getting your gas turned on is as simple as creating an account and navigating through their online process for starting service.

In addition to your name, address, phone number, and a form of ID, you may be required to provide your proof of income.

Electricity

Electrical service is covered by the city itself through Seattle City Light who ensure fair rates for all the residents of Seattle. You can get your service established through Seattle City Light by calling, faxing, or visiting their office. You’ll need to show a valid government ID and provide them with your new address. A $23 administration fee is assessed for all new services.

Internet and Cable

Seattle is certainly not lacking when it comes to internet and cable providers. There are approximately a dozen internet providers in the area with options varying from international brands like Comcast to local providers like Frontier. Some of these companies allow you to package together internet and cable plans together as well. Just keep in mind that many of these smaller providers offer only limited access throughout the city.

You can compare rates, internet speeds, and service area here, and you’ll also find direct phone numbers for each of the service providers listed.

Trash

Trash is overseen by Seattle Public Utilities, and your garbage services will be automatically set up when you establish water at your new home. Garbage service can be managed directly through your account, and you can use the online portal to pay your bill, figure out pickup days for your neighborhood, and add, change, or replace garbage cans.

utility-guide

Setting up your utilities is part of the battle of conquering a move. For help with the heavy lifting, hauling, and back-breaking work of moving, we recommend Cheap Movers Seattle (cheapmoversseattle.com). They can help with local, long-distance, furniture, and office moves of any shape or size. As a trusted Seattle Moving Company with years of experience, you can trust them with licensed and insured moving services for your next upcoming move.

Tips for Packing Clothes, Shoes Before Your Big Move

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If you’re preparing for a big move, it’s important to plan. This will save you a lot of stress and struggles when the time comes. Most people are able to move big items easily. All you have to do is wrap them carefully or put them in their original packaging before moving them from one place to another. It’s packing up the little things that get tricky.

packing

An Abundance of Clothes and Shoes

When it comes to packing up belongings, most will find that their clothing takes up a good chunk of that. Many people have hundreds of clothing items, shoes, accessories, and more. It can be hard to move all of those due to the sheer number and the different weights and materials. That’s why some careful planning is needed.

The Struggle of Packing Shoes

Many people struggle with packing shoes. That’s because shoes are all different sizes and they don’t fit together nicely in a box due to things like pointy heels. In order to fit shoes neatly together in a box, stuff them. Any tissue paper, packing paper, cloth, or socks will do the trick. This helps them keep their shape during the move.

Hold Onto Your Shoebox

When you buy new shoes, try and hold onto the shoebox. This will make it easier to pack and transport shoes during a move. It’s easier to pack up boxes that are roughly the same size and shape. This also helps to make sure that each shoe has a mate and that you’re not missing any during your move.

Utilize Laundry Baskets

Most people have an abundance of laundry baskets in their home. The chances are that when you’re moving, you’ll have to take these with you. Might as well kill two birds with one stone and use them to transport your shoes. This helps ensure that no shoes get squished or damaged during the moving process.

What to Do with All the Clothes You Have

If you’re looking at your closet and feeling overwhelmed before a big move, you’re not alone. Most people have a ton of clothes and struggle with a simple way to move them. Luckily, there are options which aren’t just shoving all your clothes in boxes and hoping for the best.

Try the Garbage Bag Trick

If you have your clothes hanging up in your closet, there’s a quick and easy way to transport them all. Gather them all together, put a trash bag over them, poke the hanger handles through, and tie the bottom. This keeps them together easily. That way when you’re ready to move into your new closet, you have to take the bag off.

Consider Options that Work Best for You

According to Cheap Movers San Diego (7465 Mission Gorge Road Suite #137 | San Diego, CA 92120 | (619) 738-2128), there are a plethora of options when it comes to moving your clothes. You have to pick what’s right for you:

  • Leave clothes in original drawers and move the whole dresser together
  • Use wardrobe boxes
  • Use luggage to move clothes easily

packing-clothes

Conclusion: Start in Advance

Overall, moving doesn’t have to be stressful. Start packing a little each day, so you’re not overwhelmed. You can easily pack your out of season clothing and shoe months in advance so that you don’t have to worry about it.