Hiring a full service moving company for your move can be expensive but there are some ways to save money. Because movers use a cube sheet as a big factor in pricing your move then the biggest thing you can do to save money is to reduce the weight of what you’re moving.
By looking at the cube sheet you can easily see which items have the greatest affect your total weight. Items given a high number of cubic feet per piece are determined to be the heaviest, even if these items are not as large or heavy as indicated by the cube sheet.
Typically on an interstate move, if you are given a binding estimate, the actual weight will not affect your price because the estimated weight will be used to determine your price estimate. If, on the other hand, you are given a non-binding estimate then the actual weight will be used to determine your final price, regardless of the estimate. Although intrastate moves don’t necessarily follow this pattern and are governed by a state’s regulations they will still depend on the weight to estimate and determine final cost.
Either way, you can see that getting rid of certain items can drastically cut weight and save money. If you have a bed, couch, refrigerator, freezer or other large appliance or piece of furniture that you’ve been thinking about replacing, now is the time to do it considering how much you’ll pay to move them. This is especially true when you’re moving across country or very long distances and the cost to transport large items long distances can be several hundred dollars.
Another consideration, especially when given a non-binding estimate, are those heavy items that aren’t indicated as such on the cube sheet. Items like boxes of books, china or anything else that is small and heavy really add up. If you really need or want to keep them you might want to take these items with you in your car if you’re driving because it will save you money.
I’m not suggesting that you just throw these items out, but by being creative you can replace them with new items for very little out of pocket expense. As discussed in an article from Joshua Zerkel about what to do with your unwanted stuff there are several options when trying to dispose of these items.
I highly recommend trying to sell them using a free online classifieds service like Craigslist where you can likely get a little cash. If that isn’t an option consider donating them to a local charity and use the donation as a write-off on your taxes. Finally, if your stuff is in bad shape, post them in classifieds as a free item (or leave them on the curb if this is an option in your area) and you’ll surely find takers.
Finally it’s important to remember that the amount you pay per pound to transport your goods varies greatly and depends on whether the move is interstate or intrastate and the overall distance of your move. Using California as an example it can cost anywhere from $.30 to over a $1.00 per pound to transport your household goods. Even with an average of $.40 per pound and figuring a queen sized bed that weighs 560 pounds it can cost you about $224 to move it, and that’s just within the state.
So to save money it makes sense to take a really close look at what you’re moving (and how much it weighs) and make decisions on those items before you move. A little time spent doing this now can really pay off in the long run.
Joshua Zerkel, Certified Professional Organizer ® is a guest blogger for One Simple Move and the founder of Custom Living Solutions, an organizing and productivity consulting firm specializing in helping clients maximize their creativity and productivity in their offices and homes. He is the 2009-2010 Chapter President of the National Association of Professional Organizers, San Francisco Bay Area chapter, and speaks nationally and locally on organizing and productivity topics. For more information and FREE organizing ideas, visit 
