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Posted in How-to, Moving Preparation on September 26, 2022
Anastasia Hill

Apart from being the next fashion icon, Anastasia is also a freelance writer and expert on moving (and packing clothes).

This Is the Cheapest Time of the Year to Move to the West Coast

If you are looking for an affordable way to move to the West Coast, you are probably wondering when is the cheapest time of year to move there. Many factors can determine the final price of your move, and you can learn interesting relocation tips that will save you from overspending and help you achieve your goals without violating your budget.

Finding the perfect timing for a move isn’t easy, but there are some things you can do in order to save on moving costs while still managing to handle everything without any stress. You can choose the dates that aren’t busy, compare relocation quotes from different companies and handle some of the tasks by yourself instead of paying for professional help.

Relocating to the West Coast Provides Many Benefits, but It Can Also Be Very Costly

Living on the West Coast of the United States has many advantages, so it’s not surprising how popular this area of the country truly is. If you have reasons to move to the West Coast – you found a job there, or you plan to move for love, you probably wonder what to expect from the relocation itself. Life in some cities, such as LA and San Francisco, is known for unreasonably high living costs, especially when it comes to housing. This is why you should read this relocation guide and learn how to plan your relocation budget. With our convenient long-distance moving tips, you’ll be able to save on relocation costs and afford the life you always wanted.

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What Are the Cheapest Months to Move? Moving During Less Busy Seasons Is the Best Option

What month is the best time to move to the West Coast? If you have a limited relocation budget, you are probably trying to find all the ways to lower your potential expenses. It is no secret that some periods and months in a year are more expensive for relocation than others. This is especially related to relocating in summer. Summer months are known as the period when most people choose to move – especially those relocating with kids.

Why is this the case? It is highly recommended that children don’t move in the middle of the school year because this can lead to severe relocation anxiety, sometimes even worse relocation-related mental health issues such as relocation depression, or other symptoms such as adjustment insomnia. Children usually adapt to changes easier if they don’t make extreme changes. Another reason for this is simply the fact that the temperature and weather during this period are usually better, so this makes the whole relocation process easier than if you choose to move during winter.

Moving From September to April Is Usually Cheapest

With that said, you can probably guess that July and August are the most expensive options, which automatically makes other months cheaper, especially during winter. The cheapest months for relocation begin in late September and last to April. You should also know that relocation during holidays such as Christmas is usually much cheaper because not many people decide to move on such a big holiday.

This Is Important to Consider if You’re Hiring Professional Long Distance Movers When Moving Across the Country

Now that you know when to relocate, you might start wondering how to organize your move and what are the exact expenses that are lower during this period. This is mostly related to getting professional long-distance moving services – the busier the movers are during a specific season, the higher their prices will be. This usually happens during the summer when professional relocation companies and movers are fully booked, which is why their moving services cost more. Long-distance relocation isn’t that simple, especially if you’re relocating from the East Coast to the West Coast.

For example, getting a professional car shipping service can save you from the trouble of driving your vehicle across the country. Professionals can also offer you additional relocation insurance for some valuable stuff you want to move or high-quality packing services if you’re relocating fragile items. The best part is that this is completely up to you to decide which service you’re getting, and you can find out the estimated cost for all of them by requesting a free quote. If you switch dates, even during the same month or season, you may also notice that the potential price of your move will change.

This isn’t unusual practice because the price of relocation service won’t depend only on the month you choose for relocation, type of service, and relocation distance. There are still some other factors related to specific timing that might affect the final cost, and we’ll go over this in greater detail in the following text.

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What Days Are the Cheapest to Move? Mid-Week Day Is the Best Choice if You’re Hiring Movers

If you want to learn all the smartest relocation hacks, you probably want to find out which days in the week are the best to move and lower your expenses. As we already suggested, the key to this is to choose days that aren’t very busy, so if you look at the weekdays, Monday-Thursday is the suggested period. Why? Because most people schedule their moves for weekends because of their job and other responsibilities that usually take place on weekdays. If you have the freedom to choose and can manage to schedule your move on weekdays, you will almost certainly get a better price for the required services.

If you look at the days in a month in general, it is recommended that you choose days in the middle of the month. This is suggested because most of the leases begin at the beginning of the month, so this is the period when people usually move, especially in LA and other popular areas on the West Coast. This can be problematic if you can’t find an available apartment to rent in the middle of the month and don’t know where to keep your stuff until you find the right place for your new home. If that’s the case, you should definitely consider renting a storage unit and keeping your things there until you find them a new home.

What Is the Most Cost-Effective Way to Move When Hiring Professional White Glove Movers?

Deciding to hire a white glove moving company can be very beneficial and help you avoid unnecessary relocation mistakes. The thing with hiring professionals, in general, is that some people believe that their services will cost you more than relocating on your own, but this is just a myth. For example, imagine that you handle everything on your own and move from one coast to another – you’ll need to rent a truck to relocate your furniture, buy all the packing materials to protect your items, and drive a vehicle across the country by yourself.

These are only the most important responsibilities, not to mention many other things you’ll need to handle during the whole process. All of this can be very time and energy-consuming, not to mention how rapidly your costs might grow if you don’t plan everything carefully or make some mistakes. On the other hand, professionals can assist you with all your needs for a specific price, and you don’t need to worry about a single thing. For example, they might supply you with all the proper packing materials, including boxes in all shapes and sizes, bubble and plastic wrap, and everything in between in order to protect your belongings.

Even if you do get these supplies on your own, you may not know how to use them properly, buy too much of them, waste money, and so on. One of the ways to lower potential costs when hiring professionals is to get specific services and try doing some things on your own. For example, you can pack clothes and other stuff that won’t get damaged so easily and let professionals deal with the fragile inventory. This way, you’ll partially lower relocation costs without risking that the quality of your move gets worse.

You Need to Learn How to Avoid Potential Scams When Preparing for a Relocation Day

In case you’re preparing for a move and want to save money, you also have to learn how to avoid potential relocation scams. They can be really dangerous for your budget, so recognizing any red flags is a lifesaver. Before making any arrangements with relocation businesses, you should look for an:

  • MC license,
  • Reliable website,
  • A trustworthy team of professionals with proper knowledge, experience, and equipment,
  • Trustworthy reviews from multiple sources,
  • Professional contract.

If everything seems legit and they offer you a reasonable price, you can sign a contract but still, make sure you read everything that’s in it in order to avoid hidden costs (for example, date differences in price). They also shouldn’t require a big deposit in advance – it is usually to pay the full price only after the relocation process is done. In case something bad happens to you, and you think you’re a part of a scam, you should contact FMCSA and report this incident.

Reliable Companies Will Offer You a Free Quote and Reasonable Prices

Every trustworthy company will offer you a free quote, so you’ll know the estimated price of desired white glove moving service. You can always try switching dates in order to see how prices might change and how that prices work for you.

It is important that you stay flexible for possible changes if you want to lower your expenses. This is why you should ‘t limit yourself to some specific dates – it is much more efficient to choose a season and month and decide to discuss the details and possible discounts with the chosen company. Once you give them the full inventory list and decide where to live and what you’re relocating there, they will offer you a potential price, and you’ll be able to plan your budget without any stress or unexpected spending.

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Reliable companies will always offer you a free quote

Find the Cheapest Time of Year to Move, and You Won’t Have Any Worries

Now that you know about the best time to move out and the cheapest month to move in general, you are probably relieved, so you can start planning your move without many worries. Just make sure to follow all the previously mentioned steps and search for the potential prices moving companies offer in order to find the best possible solution.

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