How to save money when you move

Moving home can be an expensive business, especially if you are buying and selling property.  Many of the costs are unavoidable (eg stamp duty) but there are ways to make savings.

Do it yourself

Obviously this is not always an option, but for each expense it is worth asking ‘do I have to pay someone to do this for me?’  If you are moving the contents of a family home you can hardly avoid using a removal firm.  If however you are moving from a bedsit and don’t have far to go you might get away with just renting a van.  Some people have had success selling without an estate agent, which, depending on your property and your own skills and available time, you might be tempted to try, too.

Ask friends for help

If you’re doing the move yourself you’ll need a hand shifting larger items.  Why not invite a few mates and offer to make them all a meal in return for their help?  Or have a handful of friends over for a paint party to give a room a new look in double quick time.  Maybe you have a pal who’s a lawyer and will give you mates’ rates for the conveyancing?  Or a friend with a transit van?  Perhaps someone wouldn’t mind holding on to the possessions you’ve cleared out for the sale, so you don’t have to pay for storage?

Shop around

Most likely you will have to buy in services for most of the jobs associated with moving, but you can still cut the bills by shopping around for these (and your mortgage).  Ask for quotes from lots of removal companies, solicitors and the like, and compare them carefully so that you know you are looking at like for like. 

Negotiate

The quotes you receive will not necessarily be cast in stone.  Bear in mind that every fraction of a percent on an estate agent’s fee can represent quite a significant amount of money, so it’s worth haggling over.

Be flexible

You can save money by doing things like moving at a less popular time (such as midweek) when removal firms will be keener on your business and might be prepared to offer a lower rate. 

Break down the jobs

If you can’t do a job yourself, you might still be able to do part of it.  For example, even if you need a removal company to transport your stuff, you might be able to pack it up yourself, and unpack it at the other end.

Reduce the quantity

The cost of the removal will be based on volume.  This is therefore an excellent time to shed some of the clobber that has accumulated over the years.  And use things up!  You may be surprised at the amount of non-perishable food in the kitchen, or excess toiletries in the bathroom.  If you spend time using up and discarding, you’ll not only pay less, but you will arrive less encumbered at the new place.  And you can make someone else happy by giving away some of the things you don’t need.  In fact, you may even find that there are some items you can sell (furniture, books, clothes, musical instruments etc) whether to specialist dealers or via Ebay.  Put this cash towards the cost of moving, or treat yourself to something for the new place once you have settled in.

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Reduce the volume of your possessions – read our blog article for tips

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Leave plenty of time

This is always key.  If you start early enough, you will have time to shop around for quotes, and time to negotiate.  If you do things at the last minute, you are more likely to end up accepting the first offer.  You will also probably pay to move all the stuff in the loft, under stair cupboard or shed because you haven’t managed to sort it first, or there’s no longer time to sell any of it. 

Try to leave funds for an emergency

If you find you have miscalculated, or you have to repair or replace something, or you need to pay for more than one survey, you’ll need more money than you thought.  If you have to raise it in a hurry, you may well find you are paying over the odds to borrow, so try to make sure something is set aside just in case.