It’s exciting and signals a new chapter of your life. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives stop. Moving home is stressful and if you’re not careful, it can also be really expensive.
This is going to be the focus of our post today. No, we’re not going to tell you how to negotiate on your next house price – there are plenty of guides that will do this for you. Instead, this is all about saving money after you have agreed your purchase, as this is the period where you will feel as though you are leaking money and can’t do anything to stop it.
Have a solid plan in place
It’s one of the oldest clichés around, but “fail to plan, and you’re planning to fail”.
When it comes to a house move, leaving everything until the last minute just isn’t an option. You need to abide by a checklist when moving house, as the more things you leave until the last minute, the greater the expenses become. Unfortunately, this can be a greedy industry and if you do for example require a removal service one week before the big day, the chances of getting a competitive rate slide considerably. This happens to be the case for most services related to your move.
…But always have a backup plan as well
While having a plan is important, so is having a backup plan. One thing that is certain during this process is that changes will happen. Or, rephrasing that, delays will happen.
Based on this, always have a backup plan in mind. Like the previous point we mentioned, it will help with your costs.
Never buy your own boxes
Here’s a simple tip; never be fooled into buying purpose-built moving boxes. Sure, they might look the part and be well made, but there’s absolutely no need for such an approach. Instead, ask your local supermarket, who will have hundreds of boxes they are giving away free.
Invest in decluttering
It’s something that is seemingly talked about in the media all the time, but when it comes to a cheap house move decluttering can be one of the best things you do.
Over the years we all accumulate all sorts of junk, and now is the opportunity to eliminate this. Not only will it reduce your stress levels, but it will also reduce your moving costs significantly.
Be wary of food wastage
Something that doesn’t often get mentioned during these moves is food wastage. You are turning off your fridge and freezer as you uproot them to their new location, so it stands to reason that you have to be careful with some foods. In some cases, you might have to lose it all, with this particularly the case with frozen foods. In others, with a bit of shrewd planning, you can make sure it stays intact though. It might be by borrowing a friend’s appliance, or even using a travel fridge during your move. Either way, invest some thought into this, so you don’t have to completely replenish your food stocks.
