Ideally, when you move, you will have your new house or apartment lined up before you leave your current home. Unfortunately, not all moves are ideal, and it is common to have to move to a new city for work or school without securing housing before you move. This can make moving your belongings to your destination more expensive and complicated. However, there are several things you can do to cut the cost and hassle of moving when you do not have a specific address at your destination.
Narrow Down Your Destination to a Single Zip Code
If you are moving to a large city, there may be multiple offices for your moving company there. Knowing the neighborhood where you will be looking for a home will allow your moving company to get your belongings to a storage unit or warehouse close to your final home. This will allow you to get your belongings quickly and cheaply once you have signed a contract on your home and are ready to move in.
Consider Storage at Your Current Location and Your Destination
Most moving companies have higher storage rates than storage companies. If you are looking to save money, you should consider finding a short-term storage unit on your own. You can either store your items in your current city and have your movers pick them up once you have a final address, or you can store your items at your final destination. The benefit to storing your items in your current city is that you will not have to move unnecessary items, such as appliances and furniture, if you find that your new home has them. However, you will need someone in your current city that will be able to handle sorting and moving things for you once you are gone.
Be Highly Selective About the Items You Move
Any time you move long distance, you should try to get rid of items you do not need. This will cut down on your moving expenses. However, if you have to pay for storage in addition to the move, you should be even more selective about the items you move. You should try to get rid of items that can be easily and cheaply replaced once you move into your new apartment.
Consider Using Your Moving Truck for Short-term Storage
If you will only need a few days to look at a couple of different apartments and sign a lease, then you may want to simply rent your moving truck for a longer period of time. This will save you the hassle of unloading the moving truck into storage, renting a storage unit, and renting the truck again once you move into your home. However, if you do not have appointments lined up to look at units that are available immediately, the extra rental fees can add up quickly, so this is only a good idea if you will be able to move in within a couple of days of reaching your destination.
Be Aware of Extra Moving Fees
When you hire movers, usually you can estimate extra moving fees such as stairs or elevator fees or shuttle fees. If you do not know where you will be moving, you will not know whether you will need to pay these extra fees. It is a good idea to budget for these extra fees, just in case your new home requires them.
Opt for a Longer Delivery Time
Many long-distance moving companies take several weeks to deliver your items. If you can fly or drive to your destination immediately after packing your old home, you may be able to find a new home before your belongings arrive in your new city. If you do, you simply have to call your moving company to give them your address and avoid storage fees.