Moving into your new home is undoubtedly an exciting experience but with all that excitement can occasionally come money concerns. Whilst some costs are inevitable (unfortunately, they can’t give you the house for free) there are a few tricks that can help alleviate some of that unwanted financial burden. From pre-move purging to a backloading bonus, here are some of the best ways to reduce costs in your next house move. 

1. The Great Pre-Move Purge

You wouldn’t pay lots of money for a T-shirt you were never going to wear or for a car when you don’t yet drive, so, why would you pay for movers to take belongings that you’re never going to use again? Whilst, you may feel like you don’t have the time to declutter all the old belongings you no longer use, it is the perfect way to save money when moving. Those mysterious garage boxes and dusty closets are all hiding potential savings.

To help eliminate unwanted items, create three piles: sell, donate and chuck. Every box that doesn’t make the move represents money saved on moving costs. Better yet, those items in the sell pile can transform into extra cash for the moving fund, it’s a win-win situation!  

2. Invest in Quality Movers

Now, something that might surprise you is that sometimes spending a bit more upfront can save you a fortune later down the line. Although, it may feel slightly counterintuitive to spend more money in order to save money, when it comes to hiring removalists investing in a good quality company will prevent greater unforeseen costs and disappointment from arising. Choosing reliable removalists minimizes the risk of damage to your belongings with professional services like wrapping and packing providing an extra layer of protection to your most precious items. Additionally, any certified removals company should also offer a range of insurance options, so that in the case of an accident your belongings are covered. 

Qualities such as these will not only help give you peace of mind that your belongings are genuinely being cared for but they will save you the cost of replacing any items that are broken or damaged, which could be far greater than the cost of any removalist itself.  

3. The Art of Box Hunting 

High-quality packing supplies aren’t exactly cheap which means finding a good alternative can save you some extra pennies when it comes to packing your goods. Tapping into your network of friends and colleagues should help to churn up enough boxes to cover your whole house, which means you won’t have to buy a single one. Here’s the crucial part though – you have to be picky. If a box is worn down and looks like it’s had its day then stay far away. On the other hand, did your work just have a huge delivery of fragile goods? Then stock up. Being picky with boxes may take a little longer but will also ensure your favourite glassware set stays intact in the moving transition without multiple rolls of tape wrapped around it to hold it together. 

4. Timing is Everything: The Off-Season Moving Hack

Here’s an insider tip that could save you big bucks – spring and summer are the moving industry’s equivalent of peak-hour traffic. Everyone’s moving, prices are sky-high, and availability is tight. Therefore, if you can swing an autumn or winter move, try to book your removalists within this period and save yourself a heap of money. During slow periods moving companies often offer reduced rates and competitive prices that peak months won’t do. 

[Photo courtesy of Mister Mister/pexels.com]

In the same respect, you should also be doing all that you can to reduce obstacles for your removalists that could slow them down, particularly for local moves that are charged by the hour. Make sure to disassemble any furniture, pack all boxes ready to go and make sure there is a clear path for your removalists to travel from the truck to the door. If your moving team has to carry your belongings further than necessary or take apart bed frames, these are all additional costs for you. So, get your bargain-hunting mindset on, and make sure to work in off-peak periods.  

5. Share the Journey

Planning an interstate move? Here’s a savvy money-saver tip – opt for a consolidated run rather than a VIP private service. This backloading service is basically just carpooling for your furniture and will save you a tonne of money! However, sharing truck space with other movers requires a relatively small inventory, so if you have a particularly large amount of stuff to be transported across states, then a consolidated run may not be an option for you. Backloading also means that you will need to be a bit flexible with dates, so allow for plenty of time to prepare. With that being said, the money savings that you will make are worth every day of patience and with a reputable moving company, your belongings are just as safe as they would be in a truck of their own. 

In Conclusion 

Remember, saving money is as simple as just getting the cheapest moving quote and crossing your fingers that it’ll all be fine because that’ll probably cost you more in the long run. When hunting for removalist quotes, look for value for money, not just price to save you in the grand scheme of moving. Whilst moving house can be an expensive ordeal, knowing the small ways to help reduce cost can make all the difference. So, if you’re soon to be moving make sure to choose off-peak periods, store up spare boxes and invest where it counts for a cost-effective and stress-free move.

Moving into a brand-new home can be exciting. You and your family will be the first ones to live there, which means you’ll get to be part of the decision-making process. From the design and sizes of the rooms to the bathroom fixtures, having a new build home is a chance to really put your stamp on a house. But, just because the house is a new build, it doesn’t mean there isn’t the potential for problems down the line. So, what do you need to do to make the transition as smooth as possible?

[Photo courtesy of paulbr75/pixabay.com]

Final Walk Through

Before your builder packs up and leaves, it’s important to visit the property and make sure the job has actually been completed. Test all the lights and plumbing, look for any accidental damages that may have occurred while your builder was working and inspect the exterior of the property too. At this point, it may be wise to hire a professional building inspector that could spot things an untrained eye wouldn’t notice. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Flooring

Don’t try and move in without having your flooring fitted first. It’s a real pain to have to switch all your furniture from room to room while flooring is laid down if you’ve already moved in. Two of the main things to do before moving in is to replace your flooring and curtains for a nice look. It won’t just look nice when you do eventually move in, but it will also mean your furniture can stay where it is, and you’ll have the privacy you need after a long day’s work. The hardest decision will be choosing between carpet and wood flooring.

[Photo courtesy of 4Me2Design/pixabay.com]

Choose What to Take

Many people find that their current furniture doesn’t fit in well in a new build house, or they want new things to go with their new property. If you know there’s furniture that you won’t need or use in your new house, it’s better to get rid of it beforehand, instead of taking it with you. If you’re trying to save money, an old dining room table could make all the difference to your moving costs. The less furniture your movers have to take, the cheaper the cost. Once you know what you’re taking with you, clearly label things for each room so unpacking is easier once you’ve arrived.

Moving Day

It’s easier to move the big house items first, like beds, sofas, tables and chairs. However, if there are rooms in the house with new carpet, you may want to stay out of them while moving things in and out, especially if the carpet is a light color. It’s inevitable that some dust and dirt will enter the house while you’re moving, so you may want to wipe furniture down before moving it into carpeted rooms.

Once you’ve settled into your home, you may start to notice minor things that need to be changed. Get in touch with your builder sooner rather than later if they were already in your agreement.

Anyone who has ever moved home will know that it can be a surprisingly stressful experience. No matter how many times you might have done it previously, it is always stressful and there is always a real difficulty in keeping the stress at bay. However, there are certain things you can do to ensure that the experience is much less stressful than it might seem like it has to be. As long as you are following these simple steps, you should find that the whole experience is much easier to go along with and enjoy. Let’s take a look at some of the essential advice which could make all the difference.

[Photo courtesy of Unsplash/pexels.com]

Organise Early

Usually, the stress of such situations is merely the result of not planning ahead enough. When you fail to plan ahead, it means that you have to make a lot more decisions on the spot, and this can quickly lead to stress building up on the day itself. To avoid this, the solution is clear: simply get yourself organised as early as you can, so as to avoid such an occurrence happening. It’s true that there is plenty to do on the day, but if you organise as much as you can prior to it, then you are helping yourself out in a big way. This means plan what you will do on the day, what order you will do things in, and go down to the smallest detail you can manage on that. This really makes a huge difference.

Get Professional Help

Very few people can carry out such an event as moving day without any help at all. At the very least, you should try to enlist the help of your friends and family. But more than that, you might want to think about the kind of professional help that you could use. Chances are, you could benefit from some kind of help of this nature – so make sure that you go out of your way to find the best moving quotes that you can, ideally long before the big day itself. With this kind of help on your side, the whole experience should be considerably easier – and definitely much less stressful.

[Photo courtesy of Pixabay/pexels.com]

Pack Logically

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when they are moving is that they fail to pack in any logical way. The truth is, the way in which you pack your belongings makes a huge difference to how effectively the day pans out, so make sure that you pack in a way that really makes sense. Keep all like items together, and remember to clearly mark anything that is fragile or has specific needs. This way, everyone who might be helping on the day is sure to know what they are doing much more readily. With a logical packing system under way, you will find that you feel much more in control of the whole day. Your stress levels will be remarkably lower than they would be otherwise, and before you know it you will be relaxing in your new home.