Negotiating paid off for Laurén Green when she moved from Los Angeles to Pasadena, Calif., in June. Several moving companies asked Ms. Green, a training and development coordinator at a law firm, to pay a per-mile premium to compensate for rising fuel costs. “I ended up negotiating with multiple moving companies,” she said. “Eventually, I circumvented the surcharges by agreeing to a minimum three-hour flat rate of $150 per hour instead of paying premiums on per-mile charges.”
Find Free Boxes and Moving Supplies
Moving companies charge extra for boxes, plastic wrap, tape and other packing supplies, so you’re better off getting moving materials on your own. That’s what Blake Young did when he moved in July from San Francisco to New Orleans. Mr. Young, a registered nurse, received free boxes from work, grocery stores, a bar and a neighbor who had recently moved into his apartment building. Facebook Marketplace, Buy Nothing groups and Craigslist can also be good sources for free moving supplies.
Get a Contract in Writing
Many local movers charge by the hour. Long-distance movers, on the other hand, set rates based on the distance and weight of the move, said Ryan Carrigan, a co-founder of moveBuddha, the company that collects moving data. Either way, make sure you get a written contract that states the terms of the move, including taxes and fees. Mr. Young, who moved from San Francisco to New Orleans, said he received a moving estimate, but the company charged him an extra fee later, since the movers had to climb a flight of stairs to reach his apartment.
Take Advantage of Your New Employer’s Relocation Assistance
If you’re relocating for a new job, the company may help you foot the bill. In a survey by the U.S. moving company Allied Van Lines of 1,000 workers who recently moved for a job, roughly 64 percent said they received some sort of relocation expense package from their employer.
Courtney Durham, a social media manager, and John Durham, a supply-chain analyst, used Mr. Durham’s employer-provided relocation assistance to help offset their moving expenses when the couple moved with a newborn in June from Omaha to Atlanta. “Before even looking for jobs outside of where we were previously located, we knew we could only afford it if relocation assistance was offered,” Ms. Durham said.
Downsize Your Possessions
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nytimes.com
