If you’re a student on a low budget, the cost of moving from one location to another can be high. Because of this, you want to find as many ways as possible to keep the price down so that you can afford the move. Removalists in Sydney provide a professional service, but they may charge you more than you can afford.
As a student living in the Sydney area, you have a lot of expenses to consider. Not only is there the mounting cost of tuition, but also your living costs too. Rent, food bills, and book costs can all add up.
Moving is a regular part of student life. Some universities will provide accommodation on campus during the first year, but relatively few will house you in halls for the duration of your course. Most students move at least once per year, incurring substantial expenses in the process.
Are you a student on a low budget? Do you want to improve your bank balance? Take a look at the following moving tips.
Tip 1: Check For Coupon Codes
Sydney removalists know that the average student doesn’t have a tremendous amount of money but that they can still benefit tremendously from removal services. The question is how to get services at a price that students can afford?
Many removalists offer discount vouchers or coupon codes for students. These codes enable students to get a big chunk of money off the cost of their removal while receiving essentially the same level of service when moving house as a regular homeowner.
Finding coupons can be a challenge. You can go to coupon websites or check directly with the removal company itself to find out whether they offer student or concessionary discounts. Remember, it’s still often worth their while taking your business even if you pay less, especially during off-peak hours and times. Students are a vital revenue stream for movers in Sydney.
Tip 2: Find Free Boxes If You Can
Moving and storage boxes can be expensive. You can either opt for reusable plastic or wooden boxes or do what most people do and order cardboard moving boxes. Both options enable you to transport all of your possessions with ease, but they come at a cost. Even cardboard moving boxes can set you back a considerable amount. It’s not uncommon to pay $100 for a few disposable boxes – that’s an expense you’ll want to avoid.
So what can you do? The first thing to do is to find free boxes where possible. Often you’ll find that people who have moved recently have kept their moving boxes and are willing to lend them for you for free or a small fee. You can also approach supermarkets and other retailers to see whether they have any boxes they will give you.
Be careful though: only choose sturdy boxes. You don’t want your boxes collapsing and all your possessions falling out over the floor during the moving process.
Tip 3: Reuse Old Documents
These days, all of us should be recycling. But don’t be so quick to put all your old newspapers and magazines in the paper bin on campus. It could come in handy when you move.
Packing materials like polystyrene foam and bubble wrap is costly. If you want to purchase it new, you’ll pay a premium. Paper from old magazines and newspapers is, however, nearly as effective as professional options. And what’s more, you can get it for free, bringing down the cost of your move.
Using paper as a packing material is easy. Just screw up the paper into balls and use it to pad your delicate items. Make sure to stuff boxes full and take up any gaps to prevents objects from moving around during transportation. Professional packers and movers in Sydney always ensure that there’s minimal movement in the box before picking it up and loading it onto a truck.
Tip 4: Label Your Boxes Clearly
Labelling may not seem like an obvious way to cut the cost of your move, but it’s something that furniture removalists in Sydney do all the time to bring prices down.
Labelling boxes not only saves time, ensuring you know what’s in all your boxes but money too. When you know the contents of your box, you’ll know which are fragile and which aren’t. A box containing all your chinaware is much more likely to incur damage than one containing your bedding. You’ll be much more careful with the chinaware box when you know what it contains, cutting your overall moving costs.
Tip 5: Get Rid Of Old Stuff You Don’t Need
Furniture removal companies usually charge you according to the amount of time the removal takes. So if a removal requires five hours and thirty minutes of labour, that’s what you’ll pay for. The amount of labour involved in a move scales with the number of possessions that need moving. The more belongings, the more time it’ll take, and the more the company will charge you.
As a student on a budget, you want to get the cost of moving down as low as possible. The best way to do this is to reduce the number of possessions you own so that the time it takes to pack them goes down.
Students tend to accumulate all kinds of belongings that aren’t required. Top of the list is books of all types, including cookery, academic and entertainment.
Next, are CDs and DVDs. Do you need to move your entire collection with you each time you move or could you store more of your media online?
Kitchen stuff takes up a lot of space too. As a student, you may be cooking for yourself for the first time before. It’s tempting to buy lots of things that you think you need but never use (like a dehydrator). But when it comes to moving, shifting all that stuff can cost a lot of money. Do you need your juicer? Do you use it regularly? Or could you live without it? If you’re honest, you probably can.
Tip 6: Move Your Stuff In The “Off-Season”
Furniture removal rates vary by season. Most businesses and homeowners want to move during the spring and summer months. It’s just the way the market works – similar to how most people want to go on vacation in December and January. Moving during these months is, therefore, more expensive. The same number of house removalists in Sydney have to move more people in less time, forcing prices up.
Students moving in the summer, therefore, could end up paying more. The lowest prices are during the autumn and early spring, coinciding the with starts of the academic year at most institutions. If you want to save money, find a tenancy which provides you with a place to live for the whole year. Then, at the end of the year in the spring, move all your stuff to your new location. If possible, try to do this a week or two earlier than every other student at your college to avoid spikes in prices.
Tip 7: Become A DIYer
It’s probably not a good idea to try to load your clothes, computer, and treadmill into the back of a car and ferry all your possessions across the city. That’s what Sydney house removals are for. But you can reduce the costs by doing all the packing yourself.
Packing services in Sydney are usually affordable, but they still cost money. Professional movers and packers have the skills and know-how to pack effectively and safely, but you pay for it. Students, therefore, might benefit overall by going down the DIY route.
Becoming a DIY packer isn’t always recommended. Professional packing ensures that your possessions aren’t damaged during transport. But if you are operating on a shoestring, you might have no choice. Packing all your stuff yourself can cut costs dramatically.
The good news is that packing yourself isn’t that difficult. You’ll want to remember, however, to do the following when DIYing:
- Label all your boxes so you know where they will go and what they contain
- Stuff voids with packing materials, like screwed up magazines and newspaper
- Choose boxes that are a suitable size. The heavier the object, the smaller the box should be. So, for instance, you’ll want to put heavy items like books in small, sturdy boxes. You can use larger boxes for lighter pieces, like pillows and bedding.
- Tape shut all your boxes. Most boxes come with a closing mechanism, but it’s always worth taping around the edges to make sure that your boxes don’t fly open during transport.
Tip 8: Use Flat Rate Movers
The way that furniture removal in Sydney works can be complicated, especially from a financial point of view. Firms charge for house removals and office relocation in one of two ways: variable rates or a flat fee.
Packers and movers who charge a variable rate make you pay by the hour. Paying by the hour is fair because it pays the removal company for their time. If you have a lot of things to move, then it makes sense to pay more. However, if you’re a student on a budget, the cost of your move can soon get out of control if you pay by the hour. Moving could take longer than you expect, and you could find yourself seriously out of pocket.
The other option is the flat fee. This fee structure is where the company charges you a fixed amount for a particular service, such as moving all your student possessions from one location in Sydney to another. Flat rates help to protect you against sudden increases in fees if, for instance, the removal van gets stuck in traffic.
A flat fee, unfortunately, isn’t a guarantee that you’ll pay a fixed amount. Some less reputable movers will try to bolt on additional costs and then claim that they were a part of the terms of service. Popular removalists with excellent online reviews, however, don’t usually do this. The price they quote is the price you pay.
Tip 9: Put Some Of Your Possessions Into Storage
Storage has become a popular option for people of all stripes, not just students, thanks to the flexibility that it offers. With storage, you can keep some of your belongings at a third location, moving them to your new address when it’s convenient for you.
Storage, therefore, may help you get the cost of your removal down. It’s something that office movers use all the time to help companies store their computers and desks until their new premises are ready. You may find that you save money on your removal by doing the same.
Tip 10: Don’t Spend Weeks Packing
The majority of articles on the internet written about moving house suggest that people start packing well in advance, “just in case.” But it’s rarely the case that you need a month of planning before a move, especially if you’re a student. Packing early causes a host of inconveniences. Not only are you surrounded by boxes, but you’re also forever rooting through them for things you need.
Most professionals recommend that students wait until the last weekend before packing for a move. By waiting, you avoid all the usual hassle of packing too soon, saving you time you could use more productively. Lots of students like to work in the winter months to help cover their costs.
What’s Next?
Removals and storage don’t need to be expensive for students. There are all kinds of things that you can do to bring the price down to more affordable levels. The great thing about cutting costs is that you can replicate your strategy for each move you make during your academic career. You could save hundreds of dollars compared to your peers. What’s more, if you sell some of your old books that you don’t need anymore, you could finance a good portion of the remaining expense.
Are you a student planning a move? Here’s to cutting the costs of changing location and having more money left over for beer!
