It’s bound to be a costly affair, to pick up every bit of worldly belonging that you need and your family and your pets etc. from one place and dump it in another. Not that you can simple dump it. Relocating always requires much more finesse, planning and last but not the least, money. While we can be charitable while the sun is shining and we are making hay, in times of recession like now, money is as precious as water in dessert.

If you must relocating in the current financial market, even if you have surplus cash, it is better to be budget conscious and save it for a rainy day. For instance, rather then hiring a moving company to do everything for you at a higher cost, you can do it by yourself and saving that additional cost. Of course, having a professional do everything for you can save you lot of headache and stress. But it is possible to plan and execute a flawless move yourself. You can also go for partial professional help, if you can’t spare the time.

Plan ahead & case the joint

A good thief is a well prepared thief. Similarly, it is also prudent to first take the time to case out your relocation location. You should be looking out for things like how close can you park a van; how many flights of stairs will your things have to be carried; how narrow the doors are etc. Accordingly you might have to leave some larger furniture back, make your boxes smaller etc. Also you can take this opportunity to arrange for some students or any one else looking to make some extra cash to help you unload. This can probably be arranged by speaking with a local newsagent, grocery shop owner, or at a pub etc.

Count your greens

Let’s now get back to your home and sit down and plan your budget. There is always a ceiling on how much you can or are willing to spend. If you are doing the move yourself, you can expect the largest chunk of expenses will be taken by packing material and transportation. Other additional costs can be manpower if you need anything heavy to be carried far to reach the transporting vehicle etc. Always keep an extra margin in your budget as “danger money”, for unforeseen situations.

The cheaper options

Once you have a basic idea of how much you can spare, the next step will be to pick up the local directory or get on the net and find out what it will cost you to hire a Van or a U-Haul like arrangement depending on where you are located. If you feel it’s too long a distance for a drive or your license does not allow you to drive the large vehicle necessary for your move, you can go for local Movers or the Man-with-a-Van guy, who will simply take care of the transportation at a lesser cost. Remember though, if you plan to drive yourself, it will also mean no additional transportation costs for family members or pets.

Once the transportation is decided and taken care of, check if you got it under your planned budget. This may make the difference in how you plan the rest of the move. For instance, you will need packing boxes and materials. If you have spare cash, you can buy the packing boxes online. If you are strapped of cash, you can probably manage plenty of boxes from your neighborhood shopkeepers for almost nothing. You will also need to get bubble wraps for packing breakables. You can buy these wraps in big rolls from whole sellers in stationary or even online pretty cheap.

Packing like a professional

The reason why professional movers pack your things better is because they have been given the right tips during training. Here are a few things you have to keep in mind.
1.    Pack similar sized items in one box i.e. showpieces in one box, cutlery in another etc.
2.    Don’t make any box too heavy, or the bottom will fall out while moving.
3.    Fragile items should be wrapped with enough bubble wrap and then scotch taped. This will mean very view such items will go into one box.
4.    Large items like wall mirrors need not be boxed. Just make sure it is nicely wrapped in bubble wrap and you can put a note on it reminding you to place it in the vehicle so that it doesn’t move around in transit.
5.    Last but not the least number each box and keep a note of the content in a diary with you. This will make life easier when you unpack.
6.    Give yourself lots of time to pack.

Getting there in one piece

The next step is transportation. Give your self a few minutes to get comfortable driving the van. It will prudent to get the van a little earlier then your helpers arrive, so that you ca have a plan of loading the van in place before the actual loading begins. If you have opted out of hiring a professional mover, at this point you can get your friends to help you pack the van. Or else you can get hold of a few students or teenagers who will be willing to move the stuff for some cash. If you have arranged for some help to unload before then this should be easy for you to arrange.

How you place your things in the van can make the difference between them reaching in pieces or in one piece. Always place sturdy things below and fragile things above. Wedge things like mattress and other softer things in between boxes so they do not jostle if you have to apply hard break. Once every thing is placed, you can use something like an old badminton net or something similar you can find in the flea market to secure everything down. This is optional.

Every little helps

Many people are not aware that in certain countries, relocation expenses are tax deductibles. Also, many companies offer relocation money, if you can show that you will incur a substantial loss by relocating now i.e. you will have to break contract with leasing agents, phone connection provider etc. Additionally, this is also the best time to get rid of all the junk that you never use – old clothes in good condition, extra freezers that never work, and old bicycles that are simple lying around. Have a garage sale for dual purpose – earn some money and avoid the added hassle of packing all that junk.

People relocate for various reasons and recession is not always the best time for relocating. Hopefully, you will be able the use the tips below to keep your cost down to minimum.