Think outside the box to find cheap ways to move home.
Are you looking for tips to lower your moving costs and advice on how to save money when moving home, links to money saving websites, where to get council and government grants for home improvements, and money saving ideas for after you have moved into your new home?
Then read on, you are in the right place.
But saving money is not just about reducing costs, it is about reducing the likelihood of you incurring extra expenses by cutting corners, or not considering a certain aspect of your home move. The cost vs loss equation is an important but valid consideration in your home moving plans and we will help you make that judgment too.
So, here are our top 15 money savers for moving home cheaply, some tried and tested, and some a bit off the wall, but all tricks and tips to save money when moving home.
#1 Where you Move to Affects the Cost of Moving Home
To start off, a bit of a curve ball, have you considered moving to a cheaper area of the city or country? Yes, there are very desirable addresses in every town and city, but moving just a few streets away can affect purchase or rental prices dramatically. Even moving out of town may be an option if the commute is reasonable.
If you have no reason to live in the catchment area of a particularly good school then avoid that area. Prices will be inflated by people looking to place their children in schools with good ratings.
Are you retired and moving? Do you need to move where there is an abundance of work and therefore homes are in high demand and therefore more expensive?
Weigh up the pros and cons of moving just a little further afield and whether the extra costs to live ‘nearer the action’ can be justified. Equally that just a bit off the beaten track destination could be the next big boom district.
#2 When you Move will make a Difference to your Moving Costs
Try to move midweek and off season. The busiest moving times are in the summer on a Friday or the weekends. By moving midweek and in the autumn you may considerably reduce your home moving costs. The removal companies will be less busy and may be open to offering discounts to secure your custom.
When moving on a tight budget, being a little flexible with your move date could secure you a better price.
#3 What you Move Costs Money
When asking how to lower the cost of moving home, decluttering your home is the one simple answer.
Most of us accumulate a hoard of possessions, some of which never see the light of day having purchased them. Moving home is a great opportunity to get rid of all the possessions that just take up space and we never use. Reducing the number of items you have to move will reduce moving costs, packaging costs and, if you plan on selling those items, will also put a bit of cash in your pocket.
Moving your furniture to your new home will take up the most space in your removal van and therefore will make up the majority of your home moving costs. Consider whether it would be cheaper to sell your existing furniture and buy replacements for your new home.
Costs vs loss looms again here, chipboard furniture does not travel well if not dismantled. It is brittle and not designed to be transported, so is likely to easily damage during your home move. Equally, taking it apart can cause damage to the fixings, so consider if it is better to just try and sell it to the people moving into your old home, or the landlord.
It cannot be stressed enough how important this part of the home moving process is, and extra time spent sorting and disposing of your unwanted items is time well spent.
There is some useful advice here on how to get rid of things before moving home.
#4 Plan your Move to Save Making Costly Mistakes
Impeccable planning and organization will help avoid any costly mistakes come moving day. Your planning should start with a Moving Home Checklist and Planner.
Follow this link for your free downloadable and printable 8 Week Home Moving Checklist and Planning calendar.
The sooner you start planning your home move, the less chance there is of you forgetting to do something which could prove to be costly. The ideal time to start implementing your plan is 8 weeks before your moving day.
#5 Get a Free Home Removal Company Estimate
The services of a reputable removal company is obviously one of the most common home
Reduce the number of items to be moved to reduce your moving costs.
moving expenses. Being able to compare the costs of professional removal companies is important in being able to judge whether the prices quoted are average or not, and helping you determine which removal company to use.
Go to a reputable removal costs estimation website, fill out the simple online form or call the free phone number, to get a ball park figure home moving quote. This will give you a rough idea of the costs involved in moving your home.
You will receive up to four estimates giving you the opportunity to compare and evaluate different removal firms.
For invaluable advice on how to estimate home moving costs read this article.
#6 Consider how you will Move Home – Moving home yourself vs Hiring a Removal Company
This article offers unbeatable advice when it comes to comparing a self-move with using a reputable removal company.
Whilst moving home yourself at first glance may appear to be the cheapest moving option, having read the above article you now know that is not always the case.
A DIY home move versus a move by a reliable removal company definitely falls within the costs vs loss category. The chances of you having to spend money to repair or replace damaged items during a self-move, will far exceed the money saved by not using a professional home removal company.
#7 Moving Home Packing Costs
Staying in the costs versus loss zone, packing and packing materials is a high cost and high-risk area. Yes, to pack your possessions safely to ensure they arrive intact is not going to be cheap, whether you employ a professional packing service or not. But this is a balance between the extra costs incurred to pack fragile items properly and the cost of replacement should the worst happen.
So although the initial outlay may be higher the money saved in the long term would compensate for this. Also, remember that any items you pack yourself will not be covered by the removal companies insurance.
If you do decide to pack yourself why not ask family and friends to help, which will help save on moving costs? Here are some tips on getting friends to help with your home move.
Another topic in the costs vs loss field. When employing the services of a professional removal company ensure that you know exactly what you are, and are not, covered for by their insurance. You may also find that certain items are covered, or not, by your home contents insurance. Again, a small outlay now may save a far bigger sum in the future.
#9 Negotiate a Better Deal with your Removal Company
This guide will give you top tips on how to negotiate a discount with your removal company.
You will probably have to flexible in your home moving plans but if that is convenient to you, there is definitely a good chance of you being able to secure a discount on the costs of using a professional removal company.
Use technology to help you save money by shopping around.
#10 Reduce your Outgoings before Moving Day
You are going to be way too busy to watch TV in the week or two prior to moving day so why waste money on cable or satellite television? Cancel it to save some money.
If you try to plan your moving day date when your bills are due then you can stop certain services before you start to incur the next month’s charges, some companies may charge you the full month for rentals or interest payments for example.
Plan to use all the open packets of food and the contents of your fridge and freezer before moving day. You may end up with some interesting concoctions, but it is better than paying to transport half used packets of food or having to throw away defrosted food that you have not used.
Use all the opened bottles of cleaning materials before moving day too. The costs of transporting them, and the potential that they may leak in transit and damage your other possessions, will outweigh the cost of buying new when you arrive at your new home.
To save on your phone bill before you move home, use the websites of as many of your service providers as you can to change your address. This also has the added benefit of documented evidence that you have changed address should you ever need it.
#11 Use your Home Move as an Incentive to Review your Monthly Expenditure
Whilst you are transferring your utility, cable/Satellite TV, insurances or mobile phones to your new address why not take this opportunity to compare alternative providers and see if you can save a few pounds every month.
Use a comparison website to see if you can save money on your outgoings.
#12 Save Money on Packing Materials – Cheap Moving Ideas
Buying packing materials will take a big chunk out of your home moving budget checklist. But there are ways that you can save money. Use clothing, bedding, towels, and bedding to wrap fragile items and pad out packing boxes so that the contents do not rattle around in transit.
Use old magazines for wrapping and padding, but be careful with newsprint as it may rub off onto your items.
Don’t overfill your packing boxes or they may break whilst being handled, and the contents could spill out and be damaged (that costs vs loss equation again).
There are many options for getting free or cheap home moving boxes and this article will give you lots of ideas on where to source them.
#13 Home Improvement Grants for Home Owners, Pensioners and Low Income
It may be that when trying to keep costs down when moving home, you overlook the grants that are available once you have moved into your new home. Here are some links that may help you reduce your renovation or home improvement costs.
New home owners may be entitled to grants for insulating their home and therefore saving on heating bills. You can visit the Energy Savings Trust here to see if you qualify.
You may also be entitled to an energy saving grant from the government. You can find out here if you are eligible.
There may be other grants and assistance available to you as a home mover and when improving your new home. You can find more information here.
This website also offers advice on renovation grants for homeowners and movers.
There are many home improvement grants for the elderly or pensioners, such as new boilers, insulation, windows and doors. This government website will give you more information on this topic.
#14 Learn from other Peoples Home Moving Experience
We have a huge collection of easy and cheap moving tips, moving home practical tips and guides, and a large number of guides which offer advice on how to trim moving costs. Click here to access the library.
These are our top five guides for moving on a budget:
Rather than order takeaways whilst you get your new home organized, why not place a shopping order online at the local supermarket? It will be delivered directly to your new home the day after moving day and will save you a wasted morning traipsing around the supermarket when you could be unpacking.
Make sure you cancel all your direct debits that were for your old home, you don’t want to be paying for services for your new and old home.
Does your new home have any guarantees that are still in force? For example, in your old home, you may have had an older boiler and taken a contract out in case of breakdown. Your new home may have a new boiler that is still under warranty and therefore you have no need for extra cover.
If you have any more tips on how to reduce the cost of moving home that other home movers may find useful, why not leave them in the comments box below?
When packing and moving, it is important to have a plan and start packing early as well as know what to pack and how to pack it. I am planning to purchase some in the next few days. I was searching and ran across this site which looks pretty good!
I’d like to add you should arrange parking space as close to your home as possible. For some reason a lot of people think, the movers need to take care of this detail. In reality, it’s the client’s responsibility. You have to go to your local council and apply for a parking permission.
I also want to say that cheaper movers doesn’t always mean better movers. There is a reason why some types of services are more expensive compared to others. For clients on a budget I would just say, pack your items on your own, but let the movers load and transport them. Movers are specially trained and qualified in properly lifting heavy boxes. Their training also helps make the process a lot faster.
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When packing and moving, it is important to have a plan and start packing early as well as know what to pack and how to pack it. I am planning to purchase some in the next few days. I was searching and ran across this site which looks pretty good!
I’d like to add you should arrange parking space as close to your home as possible. For some reason a lot of people think, the movers need to take care of this detail. In reality, it’s the client’s responsibility. You have to go to your local council and apply for a parking permission.
I also want to say that cheaper movers doesn’t always mean better movers. There is a reason why some types of services are more expensive compared to others. For clients on a budget I would just say, pack your items on your own, but let the movers load and transport them. Movers are specially trained and qualified in properly lifting heavy boxes. Their training also helps make the process a lot faster.