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THE BRANDON SUN • YOUR HOME YOUR WAY • SATURDAY, MAY 6, 2023
Cut down on costs this moving season BY CHRISTOPHER REYNOLDS
a handful of household items. “If it’s just boxes, if it’s light furniture — those are defi- nitely doable on your own,” said Tiam Behdarvandan, who runs Let’s Get Moving. But those looking to limit the stress and physical effort of leaving a sizable home may want to opt for professional movers, with time and exper- tise as key considerations. “We will do something in six hours that a regular client would do over 12 hours or over two days,” said Aaron Park- er, who owns Toronto-based Parker’s Moving. “People have lives to live; they don’t want to physically be lifting.”
He said well-reputed mov- ers protect items more ef- fectively than clients would themselves, partly because of the equipment available, such as moving blankets, mattress bags and plastic wrap for leather or fabric furniture. However, customers may want to transport some of the most fragile objects on their own, such as lamps, pictures and mirrors, according to New York-based Oz Moving & Storage general manager Nancy Zafrani. “You can lay that painting in the back of your car and drive it from your old home to your new home,” she said. Preparation and organi-
zation are crucial to save on moving time, and thus cost. Customers should purge as much clutter as possible pre- move — kitchens, closets, basements and attics are all sensible starting points — so you’re “not moving things that’s basically future trash,” said Zafrani. Selling goods online — via Facebook Mar- ketplace or Kijiji, for example — offers a way to recoup some costs. Efficient use of space is also essential, by packing awk- wardly shaped objects togeth- er, like plants in a crate, for example, or using cardboard boxes for their “stackability.” » Continued on Page 11
As moving season dawns, those looking to save money on the process have a truck- load of options before them. Preparation, research and timing are all factors in deter- mining whether a move emp- ties your pocketbook or mere- ly lightens it. A small move might be done for less than $200, with companies such as U-Haul offering half-day rentals of trucks with a 10-foot-long cargo bed for $170, complete with dolly and furniture pads. That can suffice for a sparsely furnished one-bedroom apart- ment or a storage unit hosting
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