Moving to Ohio on a budget

Getting ready to relocate to sweet Ohio? There’s no reason why your move should cost more than necessary. Before we share the tips to minimize your relocation expenses, here are some fun facts about the Buckeye State.

Half of the population in the US live within 500 miles of Columbus, Ohio.
The minimum wage in Ohio is $8.55.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is located in Ohio and is one of America’s most popular music tourist destinations.
Farming is the biggest industry in Ohio, and the state is the largest producer of Swiss cheese in the US.
Seven past US presidents are from Ohio – James Garfield, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, William McKinley, William H. Taft, Benjamin Harrison, and Warren G. Harding.
The largest cuckoo clock in the world is in Sugarcreek, Ohio.
Ohio’s manufacturing sector produces more electrical equipment, plastic, rubber, and fabricated metals than all other U.S states. The industry employs over 700,000 people.
The Shawshank Redemption movie was filmed in Ohio State Reformatory, Mansfield. The facility is open for tours.
Ohio is called the Buckeye State because it’s where buckeye trees are most commonly found in the US.
America’s first professional baseball team was Ohio’s Cincinnati Reds. Initially, the team was called the Cincinnati Red Stockings.
Thomas Edison was born in Milan, Ohio.

If all these Ohio facts have you excited about your move, here’s a checklist to help make your relocation a smooth one.

Plan a budget for your move. Your budget should cover logistics (renting a U-Haul or hiring a moving company), cost of food, boxes and packing materials, and other essential things.
Get an on-site estimate from multiple moving companies to research who offers the best deal.
Know how long the trip will take. If it’s a long drive, you may consider flying ahead of the movers instead of driving.
Pay overdue bills before moving.
Research what neighborhood you’d like to move into at your destination. The neighborhood you choose should preferably have a low crime rate and easy access to amenities.
If you have kids, picking an area that’s child-friendly and close to schools is important.
When picking a home, make sure it has energy-efficient appliances installed, that it is adequately insulated, and that it is pest-free. A professional home inspection will provide you with a report with all the information you need.
Set up utilities before your arrival. For example, compare natural gas prices Ohio to find the cheapest gas in Ohio. Do this by performing an apples-to-apples comparison. The cheapest gas suppliers currently in Columbus, Ohio are Frontier Utilities, Constellation, CenterPoint Energy Services, Quake Energy, and XOOM Energy.

Save money on your move with the following tips:

Get rid of stuff you don’t need. Moving is the perfect opportunity for spring cleaning. You can finally get rid of all that unnecessary stuff you’ve been hoarding. If you’re lucky, you can sell some of the things via a yard sale or Craigslist to raise some money. If you can’t sell them, donate them. The less stuff you have to move, the less the move will cost you.
Move during the offseason. Because there’s less demand for movers during fall and winter periods, movers charge less to stay competitive. You could save up to 30 percent on movers this way. Another way to save money is by hiring a flat rate mover who won’t suddenly ask for a higher price at the end of the move.
If you’d rather not pay movers at all, go DIY. If your cargo can’t fit into your car, hire a portable container. With a portable container, you can pack, move, and unpack at your leisure.
Don’t buy boxes or packing materials. You can get free boxes from friends, stores in your neighborhood, or anywhere else you can think to find discarded boxes. And instead of buying bubble wrap or peanuts, use old plastic bags, towels, sheets, or old clothes. They work just as well and they save you money.

That’s everything you need for a smooth relocation to Ohio on a budget.