How to save money when moving home
This November our blogs are all about packing and moving tips. With the best tips, tricks and advice for every move, our moving series is here to help you. Whether you’re moving down the road, across the country or to an entirely new country, we’re here to make this the easiest move of your life. This week’s focus: saving money on your home move.
We know that it can seem like there’s money to be spent at every turn of a home move. From putting deposits down on a new property to travel and transportation, moving comes with inherent costs. But there are loads of simple ways you can save money whether you’re moving locally, cross country or internationally. And our moving team are here to tell you how!
1 – Book your move asap
The sooner you book, the cheaper things will be. It’s a simple one, but getting ahead of the game will mean you can really shop around for the services you need. You may even have the chance to negotiate a discount or money off. But the main benefit of booking in advance is you will avoid paying any last-minute fees or inflated prices. It’s worth discussing with your moving team whether they offer ‘off peak’ prices for certain days or times or discounts – this can save you a lot of money.
2 – Travel off peak
Just like booking your moving services, travel costs can be minimised by booking ahead and shopping around. This is less of a concern with local and domestic moves, but for international home moves this is where some serious savings can be made. Look around and try price comparison websites where you can. Even better, get alerts to let you know when your flights or rail travel drops in price.
3 – Lighten the load
Whether you’re paying a moving team to transport your things, or renting your own van, the less things you have to move the less money you will spend. By spending time decluttering your things in the months before the move you can get rid of anything unwanted or no longer used as well as work out if there’s anything you need in your new home.
All this clearing saves you money on packaging materials, moving costs and storage. And it’s a great way to streamline your life and get ready for your new home. Plus you can sell, gift or donate everything you’ve cleared out.
4 – Get a moving survey
Check with your removals company to see whether they offer a home survey. This is especially important for long haul and international moves. The survey will assess all the items in your home, and make sure that you only pay for the shipping, moving or storage space you need. This is a great way to make sure you don’t waste money on unused space. And your itemised survey can also help when getting accurate shipment protection and insurance cover.
5 – Smart packing
There are a couple of ways you can save money while packing. Firstly, make sure that you pack everything properly and safely, so you don’t break or damage anything. There’s nothing more annoying and costly than having to replace your things at the other end of the move.
Then there’s packing materials. Try to use second hand materials where possible. Ask your friends and family for spares, and you can even get old boxes from shops for free. Or you could rent them from a removals company, who will then collect and reuse them when you’re done. Other removals companies will provide packing materials and pack up your things as part of a full-service removal – this may seem more expensive but weigh up how much you’d spend yourself on providing these items.
6 – Minimise childcare and pet care costs
If you’re moving with a family or pets, it makes a lot of sense to have some extra help on hand during moving day. However childcare and help with the animals can be costly. So ask friends and family ahead of time and try to secure some free help. More than just saving you money on hiring professionals, having a familiar and supportive face around can help ease any stress.
7 – Do the admin!
Last things last, getting ahead of the admin can save you money in the long run. Make a list of subscriptions and communications that will need your new address and contact them ahead of time. This will save you from paying to have your mail redirected.
It’s also clever to start shopping around for your new utilities’ companies and providers ahead of time. By looking on comparison sites you can secure the best price from your new providers and save money going forward.
For all the help you need with your next move, get in touch with us today. Get a free, no obligation moving quote, or find out about our removal services. We make moving home easy for you.
