Moving to Canada can be extremely stressful and an expensive project. Thus, it requires a lot of nerves and money. Even if you have excellent organization skills, it will still cost you a lot of money. In order to cut your costs, you can do a various number of things. And I will lead you through some of the most common. But before I start, I would like to say something – you made a good choice. Canada is a beautiful place to live. You are moving to a country of diversity and equality. Country of the beaver and the maple. Place with one of the best healthcare systems in the world. I can continue like this all day. To make a long story short – once you move to Canada, you will never want to move anywhere else.
Now, let’s switch to the moving tips. So, you have already spent a small fortune on a new home. Now it’s time for planning the actual move. Once you put everything on the paper, you’ll figure out that it will cost you way more than you thought. But you do not need to worry. Just follow these simple steps, and you’ll do it successfully even on a tight budget.
Organize a Yard Sale
If you currently live in Mississauga, bringing all your stuff while moving to Toronto could be a great idea. But, if you are relocating to a different province, or moving to Canada from another country, you should reconsider that. Certainly, there must be some things in your house you do not use anymore. And, let’s be honest, there are those you forgot you have as well. So, you have extra stuff, and lack of money. Selling some of your belongings prior to your move can benefit you on in two different ways:
- You will increase your moving budget – selling some of your old stuff will put extra bucks in your wallet. That money will definitely come handy during the upcoming relocation process. Or you can use it to buy new things once you move to the new home. So, while you’re making a selection of items you’re going to sell, think of those you can replace as well.
- You will lower your moving costs – having fewer belongings to move means lower transportation costs. Most of the moving companies are estimating costs based on the weight of the loaded truck. Hence, try to sell as many things as you can. After moving to Canada, you can buy yourself new things, and as a bonus, it will ease unpacking process.
There is one more thing I would suggest. In case you are selling your current house/apartment, you should think of selling it with current furniture and appliances. This way you can move just with suitcases and have enough money to equip your new place.
Be Smart When Hiring Moving Company
We can both agree that there are things you’ll need to pay in order to safely move your things. Let’s say you are moving from Toronto to the west part of the country. You’ll need to hire reliable moving company with the reasonable price. But not all moving agencies are same. First, you need to find a company that can meet your requirements and transports your belongings safely hundreds of miles away. That means they need to have good trucks and experienced truck drivers. Next, the agency you chose must have insurance and licenses for the job. This way, you can sleep tight as you’ll be compensated in case of misfortune events like damages or delays. Not to mention that you need to be careful when picking due to many fraudulent movers on the market. Even if you are not on a budget, you won’t throw your money in vain.
Smart bargain
Having these reasons to hire long distance movers in Toronto on your mind, do some thorough research online. Once you find at least three moving companies that sound good, make sure you compare them. Ask for quotes from each of them and try some negotiation in order to get the best price. Never accept the first offer you get, even if it fits your budget. You can always use other quotes you collected as a negotiation tool.
Moving to Canada – DIY Packing Tips
To summarize, you get rid of all unnecessary stuff and put some extra money in the pocket. After that, you use your research and negotiation skills to find cheap, but reliable and experienced movers. Now you are ready for the fun part – packing. You can pay extra to the moving company to do it for you, but you won’t do that if you’re trying to cut costs. So you’ll do it yourself.
Make a packing list
This one is unavoidable. This list will help you to keep track of all your belongings during move and unpacking after moving to Canada. Keep this list safe with yourself, and if anything is missing after truck unloading, you can react fast. On the other side, this list will give you insight on what you need to buy for your new home.
Get necessary packing supplies
Here are some things you will need for this fun activity:
- Bubble wrap (a lot) – to se3cure all your belongings from scratches and damage.
- Carton boxes – do not throw your money on these, as you can easily acquire them for free. Try at your local liquor shop, bookstore, or supermarket.
- Packing peanuts (foam peanut, packing noodles) – to fill the gaps in the boxes.
- Wrapping tape and Labels
Packing party
Do not do it yourself. Make a day of it. Buy some snacks, call your friends, and play some good music. You will not need to spend a whole week on this, so you’ll save a lot of time to say goodbye to your friends before your adventure of moving to Canada.