The “5-Minute” Hack That Saved Me Thousands on My Long-Distance Move (So Simple!)

It’s been nearly three years since my family and I made a long-distance move from Florida to Tennessee. It was an unexpected relocation, and I learned a lot about the best moving techniques and hacks along the way — especially ways to save money.

I’d moved seven times before our 480-mile trek in 2022, so I knew that the practical details involved with relocating are exhausting (and expensive!). There’s also the added stress of leaving everything you know and stepping into the unknown. So, I was open to anything I could do to make the looming price tag on this venture come down.  

While moving is going to cost money no matter what, knowing some smart ways to cut down on costs (before you’re in the throes of moving itself) can save you a bundle. To help get you started, here are some basically free ways to prepare for your move, including recommendations from moving pros as well as tips I learned from my own experiences.

It doesn’t cost any money to do your due diligence, and you can potentially save thousands of dollars by being strategic when you schedule your movers. 

First, check reviews online and call around to get a few estimates. And don’t expect to get the same quote even from the same moving company. I got drastically different quotes from the same moving company depending on what my origin point was. The Tallahassee office sent someone to the house to give us a quote, but the Knoxville office gave us a quote over the phone, which was half the cost. Needless to say, we booked with Knoxville as the origin point. The movers drove from Knoxville to Tallahassee, loaded up the trucks, and drove our things back to Knoxville. It ended up being thousands of dollars cheaper to use Knoxville as my origin point as compared to Tallahassee — and all it took was a five-minute phone call.

Another tip is to try scheduling your move when fewer people are moving, if your situation allows for it. “If your upcoming move is flexible, aim to schedule for a weekday or during an off-peak season like fall or winter,” says Ryan Cox of North American Moving Services. 

“Summer and weekends are the most popular times to move, which usually means fewer options and higher prices,” she adds. “A little timing adjustment can make a big difference in what you spend.” 

In addition to getting multiple estimates, make sure your final agreement is a binding estimate so you aren’t surprised by unexpected added-on fees. 

Buying boxes can get expensive, especially considering you’re likely going to get rid of them after the move! For instance, a 10-pack of medium moving boxes at The Home Depot costs about $20 — and you might need upwards of 50 boxes, depending on the size of your home. 

But with a little ingenuity, you could spend way less than $100 — in fact, you can get boxes for free. To make this work, start collecting boxes as soon as you know you’re going to move, and add box collecting to your weekly errands. For instance, you can pick up empty boxes that are up for grabs every time you go grocery shopping. 

You could even widen your net to include nearby businesses. “Every store that sells physical products receives regular deliveries, often leaving managers with heaps of cardboard waste,” says Realtor Darren Robertson of North Virginia Home Pro. “Ask around local stores to see if they’d be willing to save a few boxes for you, or as a few of my clients have done, take note of a store’s usual delivery pattern and pop round after they’ve unpacked to position your request as a way to save [the] staff some work.” 

Some good places to scope out free boxes include grocery stores, liquor stores, office supply stores, Facebook Marketplace, and U-Haul Customer Connect, which is the company’s online forum for customers to share or exchange boxes or moving supplies.

The more you have to move, the more it’s going to cost you. Start early and declutter as much as you can before packing, and then again as you’re packing. “Decluttering is the first thing to think about when trying to reduce moving expenses. The less you move, the less it will cost,” Cox says. “I always recommend sorting through your items ahead of time and choosing what to sell, donate, or recycle.” 

Decluttering not only saves you the cost of moving extra items, but also supports a fresh start in your new place. One surprising thing I regret packing and moving is cleaning supplies. Decluttering these as we were packing would have saved a good deal of space in the moving truck and it wouldn’t have cost much to start fresh in our new home. Of course, everyone’s situation is different, but it’s a good reminder to be picky as you declutter.

As you’re getting rid of items that you won’t bring to your new home, sell what you can. You can make a significant amount selling furniture (which will also save space in your moving truck). “Moving can present a great opportunity to declutter, which in itself can help you balance out some costs,” Robertson says. “Facebook Marketplace and eBay are great platforms for selling unwanted items quickly, but I’ve heard from a few clients that AptDeco is a more convenient and consistent option for selling furniture in good condition.” Another option is seeing if the buyer of your new house wants to purchase any of the furniture you’re leaving behind; if you’re renting, you could also bring this up with your landlord to see if the new tenants might be open to buying anything you’re getting rid of.

Getting creative with what you already own can save you cash when you’re packing. Rather than buying all new supplies, use what you have first. For instance, Bryan Hoffman of UNITS Moving and Portable Storage suggests using towels, socks, and scarves instead of bubble wrap to protect smaller fragile items — though you probably still want to protect large items like TVs and mirrors with the recommended coverings. He also says to pack heavy items like books in rolling suitcases. 

When my family and I moved, we wrapped our hanging clothes, still on their hangers, in large plastic bags rather than folding and packing them. We also left clothes in dresser drawers. This not only saved money on supplies, but also made settling into our new house more efficient. (You’ll want to double check with whatever moving company you use about leaving items in drawers.)  

Thinking ahead and making some phone calls has the potential to save you a good deal of money. Rob Rimeris, founder of EverSafe Moving Company, has this important tip: “Keep your utilities tight. Overlapping service at your old and new place can sneak up on you. Make a few phone calls early on to transfer service with minimal downtime, and you might save yourself an unnecessary billing cycle or reconnect fee.” 

Moving costs add up quickly, so finding ways to cut down before you head out the door for good can save you hundreds of dollars or more and help alleviate the pressure involved in one of life’s most stressful events. 

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly named the North American Moving Services representative cited. It’s been updated to reflect the correct representative.

Check out the The New Mover to discover the latest tips and most innovative hacks to make your next move the smoothest one yet. This content was presented by a sponsor; it was created independently by our editorial team.