The average cost of moving house is around £10,000, can you believe it? But it doesn’t have to be this expensive. There are certain ways you can reduce the cost when you move house. From being flexible on moving dates, to decluttering your personal belongings before the move, today’s blog post covers the 5 best ways to save money when moving house…
1. DECLUTTER
Before you book your removal company, you should have a thorough declutter of your belongings. Not only will this allow for a fresh start when decorating your new house, but will reduce the charge for how many items you’re moving.
If you take fewer items with you to your new house, the cheaper your removal company costs will be. Either sell on eBay, donate or recycle your decluttered items and the money made can be put towards your moving house budget to further reduce the cost.
2. BE FLEXIBLE ON MOVING DATE
The time of year and day of the week that you move house will affect the price of your removal. Avoid a Summer, Friday, weekend or bank holiday move as these are popular times to move house, meaning moving companies will put their prices up to match the demand.
If you can book your removal company in advance with flexibility on your moving date, you will be more likely to get a better deal on your removal costs. Make sure you get a quote only after you’ve decluttered your belongings, as you will be charged for more items that you will end up taking.
If your move date is less flexible due to separation or divorce, you could speak to the lawyers at Marble to extend your time. They may be able to delay the sale of your home.
3. GET A PROPERTY SURVEY
You will need to hire a RICS chartered surveyor to carry out a property survey on the house you plan to buy. The importance of a property survey is usually underestimated, with many homeowners opting not to have one. The survey will highlight any hidden damage in the house that you would only end up noticing once you’ve moved in.
If the survey uncovers any serious defects or damage to the property, you can back out of buying the house or use it to renegotiate your original offer, potentially saving you a lot of money in the long run. It may also mean a delay in your moving date while you have the problem repaired before you move in.
4. USE FREE PACKING MATERIALS
To save money on buying packing materials, make the most of old cardboard boxes, newspapers and bubble wrap – save up any packing items you receive from deliveries throughout the year to reuse during the move. You can also save space by wrapping some of your items in towels and bed sheets.
Save cardboard boxes you receive from any large deliveries. Your family and friends may have some leftover packaging materials from their move, or visit your local shop or cafe as they often give away cardboard boxes and materials for free. I packed my whole house into banana boxes from the supermarket!
5. COMPARE CONVEYANCER QUOTES
You will need a licensed conveyancer or conveyancing solicitor to help with the legal side of moving house. Whilst this is an additional cost, you can still get a good deal for your conveyancing by comparing conveyancer’s quotes on comparison websites. Conveyancing is a vital part of moving house as it transfers the legal ownership of the property to you. If you risk doing this yourself, you could end up in a complicated mess. This is best left to a qualified conveyancer or solicitor.
By following these 5 tips, you’ll be able to keep the costs down when it comes to moving house. Let me know your own home-moving hacks in the comments below – I’d love to hear how you saved money on your move.
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