Moving home can get expensive, especially with solicitor fees. With money tighter than usual nowadays, we are all looking at ways to save, and moving home is no exception. We have some handy tips to help you save money when moving home.
Plan Ahead
When moving home, it is a good idea to plan ahead so you can save extra money. When you plan ahead, you are able to account for every expense and are less likely to pay over the odds for something that you forgot about later on.
When you plan ahead you have the opportunity to shop around and find the best price. One way to stay on track is to create a checklist for yourself to ensure you don’t miss anything. Consider checking out this handy moving guide for flats and apartments to get your planning in order, especially if you’re moving from a smaller space.
Decluttering
Moving home is a great opportunity to declutter and sell some of your old items that you no longer use or need in your new home. This gives you some extra breathing room when you are strapped for cash and in some cases can pay for your move.
Not only will you have extra wiggle room on your budget, but you will also save money on your removal costs as you will be taking less with you. Make sure when you are planning for your move to factor this into account so that you can get an accurate quote from your removals team. If you’re looking for tips on what to keep or toss, check out what nobody tells you about moving home.
Get Free Packing Materials
Packing materials can amount to a lot depending on how much you have to box up and move. You can find free packing materials in a range of places including:
In your local community. Someone in your area may have recently moved in and have boxes to spare. Join your local Facebook groups to see if anyone has any boxes, you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised. Remember, when you move in, pass on the generosity to others too.
Shops. Pop into your local supermarkets, greengrocers, and high street shops to see if they have any spare boxes and if they do, to keep them to one side for you.
Family & Friends. Ask your family and friends if they have any boxes and if they can keep an eye out for you in their local areas too.
For tips on how to pack glassware and plates, be sure to use extra protection for delicate items.
Get Help with Packing
Moving costs can add up quickly, even more so if you opt for a packing service. Depending on your situation, packing services may be a no-brainer, especially if you need to take time off work to do something like this yourself. However, if you do have the time, packing yourself can easily be done and will save you some additional costs.
Recruit friends and family to help you if you can—the more helpers, the quicker the job will be. Remember when packing up not to forget to label your boxes so it’s easier for you to unpack when you get there. For even more help, consider reading about how to prepare your items for storage in case you need to store some things during the move.