By Karen Tooley
Relocation.com Staff

Editor's note: Karen Tooley is a certified moving consultant with over three decades' experience in the moving industry.

Question: How can I save money on my moving quote?

Answer: Moving can be expensive, but there are ways to reduce your costs.

• Do a complete assessment of your belongings.  The less you move the less you will pay.  If you have items that you no longer use -- or need -- this is a great time to get rid of them.  If you are moving locally, it will take more time to move items that you really did not need to move -- you're generally charged based on number of hours for the move.  If you are moving long distance, you will pay more because your move will be based on weight.

• Consider doing your own packing.  Packing services can be almost as costly as the loading/unloading and transportation charges.  Some moving companies will provide cartons for you to pack yourself at little or no charge.  In addition, the moving company will have information available for you on how to pack your items for safe transit; check this information to pack items the same way a moving company would pack them.

• Moving companies won't take on the liability of bulky items such as home gyms, outdoor play sets, trampolines, and other items, so a third party is usually hired to do it.  The mover will load and unload these items after you disassembled them, and place them in the area that you want in your new home for you to reassemble. So if you can assemble and disassemble them, it will save you a considerable amount of money. 

• Refrigerator icemakers and washer/dryers also require a 3rd party company to disconnect at origin, and reconnect at destination.  If you are able to do this yourself, you can save money.

• The moving company will offer you valuation coverage (similiar to insurance) above their standard liability for your goods.  There is a premium for this coverage, which could be several hundred dollars depending on the weight of your shipment.  Check with your homeowners insurance to make sure you are not covered anyway so that additional coverage is unnecessary.    

Talk with your moving professional when getting your quote to see if they may have other suggestions that will help lower your costs – many customers ask for this advice regularly.  Your mover is trained to help you, and should have other ideas. 

Your Next Move:

13 Ways to Cut Your Moving Costs