Tips for saving money when you move to a new home

The bad news is that moving to a new house is unavoidably costly.

The good news is that there are lots of opportunities to save your hard-earned cash when moving house with our top tips.

Save money before you move.

1. Chuck, donate or sell belongings you don’t want or need. If you are using a moving company, you’ll be paying to move items unnecessarily.
2. If you’re moving long distance, consider getting rid of all your heavy cheap furniture. If you do the sums, you’ll find that buying new cheap furniture at your new location might be cheaper than moving your existing furniture.
3. Avoid spending a fortune on takeaway just before you move. Eat up your leftover food in the fridge, freezer and cupboards the week before. Not only will you save money by not having to move it due to the weight, you’ll also save money on your grocery bill in the lead up to the move. If you really don’t want some items, donate them to a food bank.
4. Have a garage sale or car boot sale, it’s an obvious money maker. Remember, it’s just as much about getting rid of your items so you don’t have to lump the costs of moving them as it is about profiting from the sale of your belongings.
5. If you’ve not sold your appliances with your old property, consider selling them. The cost of moving old, tired appliances could outweigh replacing them.
6. Cancel unused subscriptions, especially if you are moving out of area, such as a gym subscription. If you forget, you could be paying for a month extra when you’re not even living in the area.
7. Avoid buying too much decor and furniture for your new home before moving. Wait until you’re all moved in before buying some of these items. Set a budget and avoid being impulsive.
8. It’s helpful to start with only buying the necessities and then later on look at the additional items you’d like to add to make your new place feel like home.

Save money when packing!

1. Start early! The earlier you start, the more time you’ll have to source low cost or free moving supplies. You’ll also have more time to dispose of items you don’t need to move. Additional expenses during moving often come from last minute panic buying due to not being prepared.
2. Ask neighbours, family and friends for any unwanted moving boxes, tape or packing materials.
3. Check with your moving company if they’ll let you use their wardrobe boxes on the moving day, some movers offer free use on moving day.
4. If you’re moving yourself, use blankets to protect your furniture. If you are using a moving company, you won’t have to worry about the supplies needed to protect your furniture.
5. Packing your items yourself is the easiest way to save money. The more you’re packed up and ready to go, the quicker it will be for movers on the day. However, this can be tricky if you have young children with you during the process.
6. Save on expensive packing paper and use your sheets and towels to wrap and protect some items (but not dishes, plates or bowls). You will need to use packing paper or newspaper for your breakable items.
7. Suitcases are perfect for packing items like books and other heavy items.
8. Ask for help from family and friends, you can return the favour when they move.

 Save money when hiring a removal company.

1. Check they are reputable and members of the British Association of Removers and that you are happy with the level of insurance and financial protection offered. No point in a cheap moving quote if your belongings are not sufficiently insured during the move.
2. Move during less popular times. Movers usually increase their prices between May and August. As it’s their busiest time of year. Avoid Fridays as it’s the most popular day of the week to move.
3. Ask your removal company for a fixed rate quote when moving locally. Many companies simply will only charge by the hour so however long it takes is how much it will cost.
4. Shop around and compare quotes. Just because a company has a lower quote doesn’t mean it will actually cost that much. It’s important to check their hourly rate versus how long it will take them to move.
5. Check for any extra fees or charges such as stair charges, fuel charges, long carry charges, use of packing materials etc. Always check with the moving company what is specifically included in the hourly rate and what additional charges might be incurred.
6. If your removal company charges by the hour, make sure you are all packed up and ready to go when they arrive. For example, don’t let your hallways be blocked by stuff, it will take movers longer to move your items. The more organised and ready you are for when the removal company arrives, the better.
7. Storage costs – If you need to use a storage facility, shop around and compare prices and security arrangements at storage premises – get a sense of average costs. Try to estimate the length of time you’ll need storage, as prices will depend on this.

Saving money when moving in.

1. Don’t leave any mess or breakages behind. Whether you’ve sold your home or are moving out of a rental property be careful as you leave. If you cause damage, you could be liable for the cost of repairs. If you’re moving out of a rental you could find your deposit is affected if you leave the property in a state.
2. Figure out the new household utility bills as soon as you can. You don’t have to stay with the seller’s providers. It’s a great opportunity to shop around and find a better deal.
3. Many cable/TV services have ‘new customer’ price deals. If you cancel your current service and put the service in your spouse’s name, for example, you should get the new customer prices.
4. Source new, cheap, or free furniture on local Facebook selling sites, Gumtree, Freebay or Ebay.
5. If you can’t sleep in your new house on the first night or two, stay with family or friends and avoid hotel costs.

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