How Can I Move Cheaply in Tacoma? 4 Proven Steps Toward Savings
Summary: The cheapest way to move is by doing everything yourself, but there are ways to save a lot of money and still hire a moving company in Tacoma. You can move during Tacoma’s off season, pack your own home and dispose of items you don’t need before your move begins.
Planning a move on a budget? You’re in the right place. In this blog we’ll cover a few of the highest impact ways you can save on your move in Tacoma.
Move During Tacoma’s Moving Off-Season, Winter-Spring
Timing is one of the easiest ways to lower your moving bill. Most people move in the summer, when kids are out of school and the weather is nice. That makes summer the busiest time for movers in Tacoma, and the busiest weeks are often the hardest to book.
In Tacoma, Winter and early spring are much slower. With fewer people moving, it’s easier to find an open date that works for you, and you may have more room to negotiate rates. You’ll also have more flexibility to pick a weekday or a time of day that fits your budget.
Tacoma’s rain is a normal part of life here, and a good moving crew knows how to protect your furniture and boxes when the weather turns wet. But moving during the rainy season does carry natural risks, which is why many moving customers choose to avoid it.
If you’re also thinking about which day of the week to pick, our guide on the cheapest day to hire movers in Tacoma can help you save even more.
Where to Find Free Moving Boxes in Tacoma
Local online groups: Tacoma neighbors give away boxes all the time. Search “moving boxes” on Nextdoor, Facebook Marketplace, Buy Nothing groups, and the free section of Craigslist. Recent Tacoma-area listings include wardrobe boxes, packing paper, and bubble wrap, and the Craigslist results span nearby spots like Parkland, Lakewood, and Puyallup.
Tacoma Recycling Center: Try visiting local recycling centers which commonly have cardboard disposal areas.
- The Tacoma Recycling Center is located at 3510 S Mullen Street Tacoma, WA 98402
Bookstores, coffee shops, and restaurants: Local shops get deliveries in sturdy boxes and usually toss them within a day or two. Bookstores are a great bet because book boxes are built to hold heavy loads. Small, independent businesses tend to be the most flexible. Walk in during a slow hour, ask a manager to set boxes aside after the next delivery, and look for clean boxes with strong flaps.
You may also be able to borrow some strategies from our free moving boxes guide for Seattle.
How to Save by Packing Your Own Home
The easiest way to save money on a move is to save time.
Movers work by the hour on local jobs, so every minute the crew spends working is a minute you pay for. Packing your own home is the single biggest way to cut that time down.
Give yourself a few weeks and work room by room, starting with the closets, the garage, and anything you won’t miss before moving day. Keep your boxes a reasonable weight, with heavy things like books in small boxes and light things like linens in big ones.
Tape the bottoms well, fill empty space so nothing shifts, and write the room name on every box. A crew that can read your labels moves twice as fast as one that has to ask where things go.
On moving day, have everything sealed and stacked near the door, with hallways clear and pets out of the way. This alone can save you hundreds of dollars on moving day.
Reduce Prices by Reducing Property
Every box, chair, and bin in your home has to be carried, loaded, and unloaded. The less you bring, the less time your crew spends on the job, and less time means a smaller bill.
So before you pack a single box, go through your home and be honest about what’s worth the trip. Open the closets, the garage, and that one kitchen drawer everyone has. If you haven’t used something in a year, and it isn’t a keepsake, it probably doesn’t need to ride along to your new place.
A few easy ways to lighten the load:
- Sell what still has value. Furniture, tools, and electronics move quickly on Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor, and OfferUp. Start a few weeks out so you aren’t rushing to meet buyers the night before the move.
- Donate the rest. Tacoma has plenty of thrift stores and donation centers that take clothes, housewares, and gently used furniture.
- Give it away locally. Buy Nothing groups and curb alerts clear out odds and ends fast, and your neighbors get something useful.
- Toss what’s broken or worn out. Old paint, half-used cleaners, and propane tanks can’t go on the truck anyway, so plan a trip to the transfer station or a hazardous waste drop-off.
Downsizing helps in another way too. If you’re moving out of the area, long distance moves are usually priced by the weight of your shipment and the miles traveled, so shedding a few hundred pounds of things you don’t want can make a real difference in the quote.
Tacoma Mover Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to move in Tacoma?
At Lincoln Moving & Storage, local moves generally run from $900 to $3,500, and long distance moves generally run from $2,500 to $12,000. Your price depends on how much you’re moving and how far it’s going, so two homes on the same street can have very different quotes. The best way to find out what your move will cost is to get a free estimate at (888) 685-5048 or through our online quote form.
Is it cheaper to rent a truck and move myself?
Renting a truck is usually the cheapest option on paper, but the savings shrink once you add fuel, equipment, insurance, and a few days of your own time. You also take on the risk of damaged furniture or an injury, since heavy items like appliances and pianos are hard to handle without the right gear. Many people land in the middle by hiring movers and using the tips in this blog to keep the hours down.
When should I book my Tacoma movers?
Book as soon as you know your moving date, since the best dates get claimed first. Summer fills up fastest, so if you’re moving between June and August, give yourself extra lead time and stay flexible on the day of the week. Winter and early spring are easier to book on shorter notice, which is one more reason the off-season saves you money.
