How to Get The Most out of Your Money When Moving House

Moving house is undoubtedly a costly affair. Between the cost of the house itself, estate agents’ charges and conveyancing fees, this exciting milestone is not without financial complications. Therefore, when it comes to the actual moving process, you want to make sure you’re doing all you can to get the most out of your money and avoid unnecessary costs down the line.

Thankfully, with a little bit of strategic planning and insider knowledge, you can reduce your moving expenses without compromising on quality or convenience. Save your piggy bank and follow these simple steps to saving money with your move:

Compare Moving Quotes

One of the biggest expenses that come with moving house is hiring removalists. Therefore, when looking for a moving company it’s essential to gather quotes from various places to compare before committing to one. While their expertise are invaluable, prices can vary dramatically between companies and the services covered within those prices can be particularly misleading. Start by finding multiple reliable moving companies and ensuring they have appropriate accreditation and experience in the kind of move you’re looking for. Experienced movers will save you money with their efficiency and expertise. Once you have selected your top three movers, then you can work through the process of gathering quotes to compare prices.

Insider tip: Some removalists offer cheap quotes upfront with hidden extra costs such as wrapping and protection materials, when comparing quotes make sure you have a complete breakdown of what will be covered in your quote.

Declutter Before Packing

Every box you move is costing you money, both in packing materials and truck space, which means that being selective with the belongings you take to your new home can help save plenty of money. That’s why decluttering before packing is a critical step in a cost-effective move. To avoid becoming overwhelmed in the process of decluttering, it’s important to use a systematic approach that makes decluttering extremely simple. Firstly, always work through room by room, rather than trying to declutter different sectors of each room simultaneously. Secondly, make sure that each room is split into the following sectors: Keep, Sell, Donate, Store, and try not to spend too much deciphering what items should go where.

You should try and sell any belongings that you no longer wish to keep that still hold monetary value, this way you can generate extra funds to offset other moving expenses. For any items that you can’t decide on, try placing them in storage for around 6 months and seeing if you need them during this time. Doing storage decluttering every 6 months is also advisable as this can save you from paying for storing unnecessary items.

Create a detailed Moving Budget

One of the best ways to ensure that money is not being wasted carelessly is by creating a detailed moving budget. This requires you to create an in-depth plan/moving checklist and then work through that to add a cost breakdown of each element that needs completing. These costs should be accompanied by dates that each payment needs to be made and transferred into a detailed budget spreadsheet. This way you have a clear breakdown of your moving costs to avoid surprise expenses and can identify areas that need cutting back on.

Organise Timely Utility Transfers

A lot of the time when moving, people lose money in completely avoidable areas. An example of this is often through not organising their utility transfers correctly. As with the moving budget, planning is everything for a cost-effective relocation. To avoid paying for utilities in two different homes, schedule your disconnections and connections for electricity, water, gas and electricity strategically. Also, take it as an opportunity to see if you can get any better deals on your utility providers. You may find that new companies offer substantial sign-up discounts and promotions for new customers. Taking the time to research and negotiate these details can help significantly with savings over your first year in the new home.

Invest Your Money Wisely

Of course, spending money when moving is unavoidable and while it’s important to save where you can, it’s good to recognise that some expenses are more of a valuable investment than a cost to cut. High-quality removalists and comprehensive insurance are two substantial costs that are worth putting more money into. Not only do they ensure the safety of your belongings throughout the move, but they also provide protection that far outweighs its premium if something goes wrong.

Taking this balanced yet strategic approach means that you can make your move as cost-effective as possible. By hiring dependable movers, decluttering before you pack and ensuring that everything is thoroughly planned, your home relocation can be both budget-friendly and stress-free. That way you focus on enjoying making your new house a home, which is, after all, the true reward of making smart moving decisions.