Yopa has stated that, the most stressful life event is moving house according to 40% of us, which has been gathered from new research.
The main issue for tends to be the cost of moving your belongings between homes….
Moving House Checklist – 15 ways to cut the cost of moving home
From a recent study it is revealed that the average home mover pays £1,192 for a removal firm to move their personal belongings. So we have compiled these ways to reduce the costs of moving that you can add to your moving house checklist.
Choose your move day carefully
Friday seems to be the most popular day for most house movers. In 2015 research shoed that 42% of house moves occurred on a Friday, this followed by Monday at 17%. The beginning and the end of the week are the most popular decisions as it means the individuals have the weekend to either finish packing or to unpack.
However due to how busy these days are with removal firms there may be a limited availability to choose these days.
To make sure you get a better chance of securing your first choice of a removal firm moving mid-week would guarantee this. This is down to the fact that it is less popular to move during the week, meaning it is easier to a haggle a price, this will help cut the cost of moving home.
Declutter
The cost will increase the more of your belongings you wish to take. By having a declutter a few days before the moving day means that you will need less packing materials. Depending on this it means that you could also get a smaller van or less of the team’s time. This can make a large reduction in the cost of moving home.
Anything that you have discovered while decluttering that you don’t want you can sell which can potentially be put towards helping the cost of the move.
Do it yourself
If you have don’t have much stuff to move then you may wish to consider potentially moving it yourself. By rounding up family and friends to help and hiring a van this would help to cut the cost. However, there would be things to consider when moving your own property. This includes things may get broken and then be replaced. By making sure you have home contents insurance on the moving day and check that it covers the items you are moving during the process.
Shop around for a removal firm
Make sure that you shop around for the best firm at the best price. By searching for reviews and asking locally for recommendations you may get a removal hire for cheaper than you originally were going for.
Book early
By allowing notice to the removal team will that you can have your pick of the removal company that you would like rather than the one that is available at the time.
Check for discounts
Discounts are offered by some removal companies which will help you cut the cost of moving. You may qualify for these discounts if you are in the armed forces, a key worker, student or an OAP.
Plan your move
By carefully planning your move you will be able to avoid any unexpected costs that could occur. For instance, after you have been given an estimate quote from the removal firms and have chosen the best firm for you, get the firm round so that they can give you a more accurate quote. Do as they are only giving you a rough estimate for the price and you don’t want them to turn up with a van that is too small to get all your belongings in.
Haggle
If you can be flexible on the day and time you have planned to move, you might have a better chance to negotiate a deal with the firm that is moving your belongings. If it is easier for them to fit you in their calendar then you have a better chance of negotiating for a lower price.
Another way to reduce the cost is by asking the removal firm if you can cut their cost by reducing the work they have to do. A way to do this is, if you can pack your belongings yourself then don’t pay them to do it. Another way would be to ask the removal firm if it would be cheaper if you moved your belongings onto the ground floor rather than them move it for you.
Cut your packing costs
Costs can quickly add up when you must buy bubble wrap, tape and boxes. To cut this cost start saving boxes in advance and ask family and friends to do the same if they have any boxes. On eBay, Facebook or Gumtree there will often be second-hand removal boxes will often be for sale.
Even though you want to cut back on the spending, remember not to save to much here as you still want your belongings to be safe while moving. If not then the money that you could potentially be saving you will have to be replacing what gets broken.
Pack carefully
By making sure that you take the time to pack all your belongings safely by not overloading the boxes and making sure that they are labelled correctly then this will be easier and safer for travel.
When packing make sure that it is done strategically so that you don’t have to pay more money on a larger van etc. For instance, for smaller items place them in Tupperware boxes so that there is room in other boxes for more stuff.
Get insurance
Firms will often include an insurance when they move your belongings, so when comparing all the firms make sure to check what insurance they offer during the move.
Another thing to check is that the contents insurance from your old residence is valid until you have moved out and that your new house is insured on the day you moved in.
Time is money
Be aware that time is money and that if anything slows down the removal of your belongings then you will have to pay extra. This can be the same for if you have hired a van then you will be on the clock and will be charged the longer you are.
To avoid the above make sure that you are as prepared as you can be. Make sure all the packing is finished and the boxes are taped up before the removal van turns up. Also make sure that there is some where for the van to park outside your house and that you have the correct parking permits for them. The smoother and quicker it takes for the removal men to do their job then the more chance you have of having a lower cost.
Take things apart
By disassembling part of furniture this help the removal men get your belongings out of your house quick and smooth, ways you can ensure this is by removing the feet off armchairs and sofas and take apart wardrobes and beds etc. Whereas if none of this is done then removal men will struggle to get stuff out of your house.
Think back to when you first moved into your house and what furniture you had to dissemble, and hinges being taken off etc.
Be careful
When leaving either your property or a rental property then makes sure that you have not accidently damaged anything while moving out. If there are any damages you could be accountable for the cost of fixing these.
Clean up
Before leaving make sure that at least one person is assigned for the cleaning up of the property. If you were living in a rental property and it has not been cleaned before you have left then this could potentially affect your initial deposit. Equally, if rubbish is left in the property then you could potentially face criticisms from the new owners.
How We Can Help
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Our Conveyancing Quote Generator can provide you with an accurate Quote breakdown for your conveyancing fees with our trusted partner solicitors. Once you have received your quote you can discuss it with us by calling 0800 002 9498 or email info@simplymovehome.com. You can also now text/whatsapp us on 07482 669789.
