Moving house is a rather strenuous and time consuming process.
Even though your professional home movers will be doing the bulk of the hard work, you will need to take care of the sorting, packing and unpacking.
And apart from all that, moving house costs money.
For this reason we’ve outlined below the 5 best ways which will help you save money when moving house.
1. Decluttering
Moving house involves packing up all your belongings and furniture to go to a new home.
This is easier said than done, especially if your new house is smaller than your current one.
In such a case, you will need to downsize as you will end up with a problem of where to store all your items.
Decluttering is a must in this case, but it should also be carried out whatever the size of your new house is going to be.
This is because you will be amazed at the sheer amount of clutter and junk you have collected over the years.
In most cases, you’ll come to the realisation that you can afford to part with them as they hold no importance or use anymore.
Having fewer items to pack will make the whole packing process simpler and less time consuming.
You will need fewer boxes for starters.
And you won’t be stressing out on the countless boxes you’ve packed away, or where you will be placing all of those items once you’ve moved.
At the end of the day, decluttering will make the cost of your home move considerably less.
And apart from that, you might be able to make a little extra money if you sell any unwanted items you’ve decided it’s time to part with.
2. Compare House Movers
No matter where you live, you’ll find several local house moving providers near you.
In most cases, the majority of them will state that they are the best, and the most affordable.
However, it is best to take the necessary time to request quotes and do some research to really check which one is the best for you – not just the cheapest!
Typically, you can make use of comparison websites to do this.
Such sites will allow you to compare different house movers quickly, by reading customer feedback and view their star ratings.
You will also have the confidence that you will be hiring a trustworthy company, as you will be able to check out their past performances and how they treat their customers.
Moreover, do make sure that the house mover you choose is fully insured.
This gives you peace of mind that in the unlikely event anything gets damaged or lost, you’re covered.
3. The Date You Move Matters
You might not be aware that there are certain times of year when it is more costly to move house than others.
The summer months are the most popular time of year when people make their move as there is no need to worry about wet or cold weather, and the days are also longer.
Consequently, moving house in the summer ends up being more expensive.
So if possible, try to make your house move in other months as you will end up paying significantly less.
It is also worth noting that Sunday is the least expensive day of the week when booking your house move.
So you might want to consider doing your house move on a Sunday.
On the other hand, avoid Fridays and Saturdays as they are the most popular and costly days.
4. Gather Free Boxes & Packing Materials
To move house you’ll obviously need a lot of strong boxes as well as packing material, especially for fragile items.
While these can be bought online or from specialist suppliers, you can save a lot of money if you try to gather them for free.
As long as you plan your house move well in advance, you might be able to gather all of the boxes and packing material you will need over a period of time.
There are many shops that simply throw away all sorts of cardboard boxes which you can make good use of.
You could also try asking friends or relatives to chip in with any spare boxes that they might have stored away.
The same applies to plastic and other packing material.
Also, consider using fabrics which you will need to take with you to your new house to pack certain items in.
For instance, towels, bed sheets, blankets, and quilts can be used to safely pack mirrors, photo frames and fragile items that can break easily.
This is smart packaging, which saves you from ending up buying tons of bubble wrap!
5. Food Considerations & Tips
Plan your grocery shopping wisely during the final few weeks before you move home.
Unfortunately, many people who move house end up throwing away a ton of food and other perishable items unnecessarily.
If your kitchen cupboards, fridge and freezer are fully stocked up, you don’t want to go through the hassle of packing a lot of items in bags.
It is unfeasible and completely unnecessary.
Plan what you will be cooking in the final few weeks before you leave.
Only buy a limited number of items that you can easily and fully consume right up until your house move.
It’s also a good idea to prepare some meals in advance.
During the first couple of days after your big move to your new home, you will be very busy unpacking and settling in.
You’ll be tired and weary, so the last thing you’ll want to have to do is prepare freshly cooked meals on top of everything else!
As a result, you’ll have no time or energy to cook.
You’ll most likely end up ordering in a takeaway or delivery meal.
Having a prepared meal you can quickly reheat yourself will help you save money and make your move less stressful.
Conclusion
Moving house does not need to be overly stressful if you plan it step by step over a longer period of time.
Careful planning is crucial when it comes to saving money too, even though many people do not think it makes any difference.
Being able to plan this important step properly and well in advance will reduce the stress involved, enabling you to commit fewer mistakes, and better still, help you to save a considerable amount of money at the end of the day!
