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Are you looking for help to move from, to or within Melbourne? A removalist Melbourne can help you with your house move, office relocation or delivery of items from a local furniture shop or even a garage sale.

Here are some tips that you can use to literally cut your moving costs in half.

The average family spends as much as 2 to 3 thousand dollars (AUD) on a typical move when considering the cost of supplies, shipping, temporary housing and post-move start-up fees. A good way to start saving money is by developing a moving budget that will include shipping costs, items you can sell and items you have to buy for getting settled into your new location. It is a good idea to start setting aside funds to cover your moving costs as early as possible.

Use a computer connected to the internet to locate, and your phone to call, moving services to get rates so you can balance your convenience with affordability. Costs for removalists Melbourne vary but start at around 30 dollars to move a single item in Melbourne CBD. For small moves involving one man and a single moving van, you can expect a removalist Melbourne to charge at least 50 dollars per hour. While online see if you can find any coupons or discounts related to off-season or mid-week rates since they are usually cheaper than summer or weekend rates.

Try to locate only removalists Melbourne that do not charge depot to depot charges. Make sure you ask since they may not volunteer this information upfront.

Keep records and all your receipts during your moving process since many of your expenses may be tax deductible for such things as travel for house hunting, job search costs, and even mortgage points if you are moving into a new house.

Some removalists Melbourne do not require you to be present during your move as long as all the packing is done and is all ready to be loaded. By doing the packing yourself beforehand, you may not have to lose money taking a day off from work on moving day.

Protect your property by organizing and packing your items yourself as spending money to replace lost or repair broken items is a common moving expense. Check with your moving company and your own insurance company to make sure that you have adequate coverage for any damage. While it is usually a good thing to be helpful, this is not the case when using a professional moving company. If any damage occurs to items during the move, it may be very difficult for the moving and insurance companies to determine who caused the damage and which damaged items might be covered.

Try to do as much packing and cleaning by yourself as much as possible. The more you do, the less you have to pay someone else to do. Ask friends and family members to help out. Afterward it is a good idea to thank them for helping by doing something nice for them. Be creative.

Discarding, recycling or donating items that you rarely use can save you a lot of unnecessary moving expense. For some items, you can have a yard sale or post your items on a classified ad website to make some extra cash to help defray moving costs. If you have heavy or odd items, consider the difference between the costs of packing and shipping them versus simply replacing them after you have settled in at your new location. For larger furniture items, it is a good idea to have them disassembled before calling the movers. This includes furniture such as beds, baby cribs and dressers with mirrors. Some movers charge an additional fee if they have to disassemble and reassemble furniture.

Try not to pay for packing supplies unless you have to. Get your boxes from grocery stores for free. Many stores will save boxes for you, but only if you ask. Some people think they can save money on packing supplies by keeping items inside drawers. This is normally a bad idea when using professional movers, since this can cause damage to your furniture. By leaving items in the drawers, this can cause damage to breakable items within the drawers, and to the furniture due to the weight of the contents during shipping. By emptying drawers, this allows the movers to remove the drawers to be able to handle the furniture more easily avoiding damage not only to the furniture itself but also to the walls in your old and new location.

Make sure your boxes are packed and sealed prior to the actual move. Movers love it if you are still packing when they arrive since they charge by the hour and are clearly happy to wait to load boxes while you are still packing them. One thing often forgotten is to disconnect all connections to electric and electronic equipment, such as washers, dryers, refrigerators, televisions, radios, computers and cable boxes. By disconnecting them before calling the movers you will reduce the time the movers will take in loading your electronic items.

One simple trick to reduce moving costs is to put all of your packed boxes into a single room before calling the movers. This will make the loading process go a lot faster. Remember that moving services use dollies and pallets to load items onto their moving vehicles. If you have loose or unpacked items it will require more trips to move your items since they will not be stacked inside the trucks efficiently.

Your bank account will always take a hit when you move, but with a little organization and planning life will return to normal faster in your new location, and so will your bank account.

If your child is heading off to college, boarding school or camp, bedding becomes an issue and sleeping bags are not the solution. Some dormitory bedding is designed as twin extra long; also known as twin XL, so the actual box spring and mattress are longer than a conventional twin bed. As such, new bedding is generally required. You will need to shop for twin XL sheet sets which typically include a fitted bottom sheet, a flat top sheet and a standard pillow case.

There’s no need to seek out twin XL comforters or quilts as such items are not made – the standard twin comforter or quilt will fit the XL bed format but you’ll still most likely wish to invest in new dorm bedding for this move away from home. Things to look for are easy care, machine washable quilts and comforters; a reversible comforter is another good idea. Experts suggest three sets of bedding, with one on the bed, one in the wash and one at the ready, and that’s a good idea as laundry may not be tops on the priority list.

The real priority is for your child to get a good night’s, sleep so put your mind at ease and invest in the best bedding you can afford. Top quality bedding will stand up to repeated laundering and still feel great. When selecting woven sheets look for a thread count of at least 300 or more; soft jersey knit sheets are popular and recall a comfortable t-shirt while flannel sheets are warm and cozy, so you may one set of each type to address all concerns.

Whilst at University we once came across an unused mattress in our halls. We flipped a coin for it and I was the lucky winner. But want do you do with a spare mattress?

My solution was to use it as a spare bed. Saying goodbye to my foot pump airbed I provided my visitors with a comfy mattress to rest their weary drunken, danced-out feet. From that moment on I have never been without a spare mattress.

You may be thinking that mattresses are expensive and therefore having two seems ridiculous. But if you actually compare the prices of a mattress to say, a futon, there is not a lot in it. You are buying comfort for your guests rather than looks.

I usually keep my spare mattress under my bed. This way it is not taking up extra space and can be easily pulled out when needed. I also, later on, had the ingenious idea of keeping the spare bedding on the mattress, resulting in another space saving solution. As we all know, keeping space in your bedroom is key, so this really is a useful idea.

You will find that your guests will be perfectly satisfied with their sleeping arrangements. They may be low to the floor, but they have space and comfort, and at the end of the day that is what results in a good nights sleep.

A single mattress will suffice, and  you can purchase a perfectly satisfactory one for £65. This compared to the fold up beds suggested for guests is much cheaper.

This really has helped me out on many occasions and I would suggest you give it a try. The worst that can happen, is that you then buy a frame for the mattress and you have a permanent spare bed.