Keeping costs down when moving house

cost of moving house

I can’t believe it’s almost a year since we moved house already!! We’re firmly settled in our new house now, and it really does feel like home. {If you’re moving and have children, this post has some great tips on making it easier!} There are still a few things on our to-do list, but for the most, we’ve made it into ‘our home’ now – not just our new house {you can see a little home tour vlog here if you want a peek inside!}.

Moving house can be really stressful, there are so many variables to factor in, so many unknowns that can make it tricky getting everything together all at the same time. I’ve moved house 6 times in the past 13 years, so I’ve certainly picked up some tips to make it easier along the way and know more now than the first time I moved house! One thing I never used to think about was whether I was being eco-friendly when I was moving house –  you make a lot of waste sorting out before moving, as well as packaging and a removals van! It’s certainly something that I am aware of now. I’m hoping that I don’t have to move again for quite some time though.

Moving house is probably one of the most costly things that you can do. When you’re buying and selling houses, there are many costs that you have to factor into your budget – EPC, conveyancing, survey, removals and Stamp Duty all have to be thought about. If you’re planning on buying a house and selling your current property, here are my top tips to help you keep the costs down:

1| The first thing you should do is to calculate how much money the EPC, conveyancing, survey, removals and Stamp Duty will cost you. Reallymoving.com have a great online calculator that will help you determine all the costs involved in a house move. This will give you a ball park figure to plan out your budget on before you even begin. I wish I’d seen the calculator last year, as I’m sure it could have saved us money. having run through it quickly now, it gave me some quotes that were far less than I paid. It also lets you easily get quotes from local contractors straight from the site for comparisson. This is probably the most important step you can take when you’re preparing to buy/sell a house.

moving house calculator

2| Search around for the best deal. From Estate agent fees to removal costs – search around and get several quotes before you sign on the dotted line. There are several online agents that charge a flat fee rather than a percentage, which could save you money too. If you’re moving locally and have friends to rope in, you could look at moving yourself. This is something that we have always done – hired a van, enlisted friends and done the hard work ourselves. It saves money, but takes more time and effort. If you need to get the professionals in to help you move, then look at Atlanta Home Movers – they’ll be sure to get you moved efficiently!

3| Save. Save. Save. When we decided to move house, we saved every spare penny we could. I worked out how much we needed to move, and managed to save every penny of that in the three months before we moved – meaning we don’t have any debt from the actual move.

4| If you opt for a Removal Company to move you, it can sometimes be cheaper to move midweek than at the weekend, or in term time rather than the school holidays. It’s also worth getting rid of all that junk you don’t need before the move, no point paying to have things moved that you don’t want or need anymore!

5| Clear out the rubbish before you move. You don’t want to take all of your junk with you – so having a good sort out before you go is a fantastic idea. It’s worth hiring a 10 Yard Skip so that you can get rid of everything that is broken or just simply rubbish before you start packing up. You could also look at Waste Removal – especially helpful if you are renovating your new property and have lots of waste materials you need clearing out.

6| Get free boxes from the supermarket, and pack yourself. Even if you pay to have someone move everything on moving day, you can save some money by doing the actual packing yourself. Pick up boxes from supermarkets or shops {most will save them for you if you ask} saves having to pay for them too.

While it might be expensive moving house, it is wonderful to be in a house that you love and all the hard work is worth it in the end! Do you have any other tips to add?

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