When moving home, there are a lot of incidental costs associated, which increase the cost of moving. How much this increases the cost of moving home will depend on the choices you make. Whether you are buying a new home or renting, there will be higher costs associated with your first month.
So, we have put together some tips to help you keep other costs down in some of the main areas you will encounter when moving home.
Packing
When you think of packing your home, do you think of moving boxes, packing tape, and labels? This is the most common type of packing, but it is not the only way to pack. It is becoming more common for people to pack their homes with items still in place on shelves.
If you have bookshelves in your current home, you can wrap them with plastic wrap, or saran wrap for smaller items, while still on the shelf. Wrapping the shelves with books in place will mean you can move them without having to take every item off the shelf. This will save you from having to find or buy boxes and save you the time of having to pack and unpack the items.
Storing
When you are packing, it is important to have somewhere to store the items you have packed. If you want to save money on the cost of a storage facility, we recommend that you pack one room to begin with. This should ideally be a room that is easily accessible and rarely used or not needed until you move.
Utilizing this option will save you the cost of a storage facility and will make loading a moving van quicker and easier when you move. It is imperative that you ensure the room you use within your home is easily accessible and ideally on the ground floor to make carrying boxes easier too.
If your current home has a garage, this is the ideal place to store boxes and furniture before you move.
Moving
Removals and storage are the most expensive aspects of moving, so finding ways to reduce moving costs is a huge benefit. Depending on your circumstances, asking a group of friends to help you move is the best idea.
Hiring your own van and having friends help you to lift and carry your boxes and furniture into the van and into your new home. This will be significantly cheaper than the cost of a removal firm, and if you are organized and live close enough to your new home, you may be able to hire the van by the hour to further save money.
Providing your friends with food and drink on the day they help or even a small gift will cost you much less than a removal firm would cost.
If you are looking to move house, saving money is an excellent goal to have. If you are looking for other ways to save, you should break down each task of the moving process and see what you can achieve cheaper or for free.