There’s no doubt about it, moving home is expensive whether you are renting or buying. There are all kinds of hidden costs that can soon add up and make the experience much more uncomfortable than it already is – after all, no one likes moving, even if they can’t wait to live in their new home. To make the move more bearable, here are some useful tips on how to save money during the process.
Think About Packing
Packing is probably the one single biggest job of all when it comes to moving home. It can also be more expensive than you think it will be once you start to buy boxes, crates, bubble wrap, and tape. In order to save money at this point, you should be looking around for free packing material. The first place to ask is your local supermarket; do they have any free cardboard boxes you could collect from them?
You can also check on Facebook and other online forums. Many people who have just moved are keen to dispose of the boxes they used to do so, and will offer them for free. All you have to do is collect them. The same goes for other packing materials.
Even if you can’t find any boxes to use, don’t worry; large laundry bags are also very useful and are much cheaper than cardboard boxes. You can certainly pack your clothes and other non-fragile items in these.
Get Coupons
Looking for coupons should be an everyday activity for everyone; they are easy to find online or in newspapers, and they can save you a lot of money. When you are moving, this is ideal. It is likely you will want to buy new items for your new home, or you are going to want to decorate it in some way. Saving a Lowes coupon will help you. You can save them up in advance so you have plenty to spend when it comes to the big shop.
Moving is expensive, but there are still plenty of necessities to buy; if you can save money with coupons then you will have more to spend elsewhere.
Compare Quotes
If you are using professionals to help you move home, make sure you compare at least three different quotes before you opt for which company to use. There could be a wide variation in price so, unless your budget will only cover the cheapest, check to see what differences those prices detail – although one might seem more expensive, it could be their insurance is already included, whereas with another, seemingly cheaper company, you might have to pay insurance on top.
Alternatively, you could have a ‘do-it-yourself’ move. This is much more hard work, of course, and you may still need to pay out for a van to make the move with, but it will also save you a lot of money. You will need to weigh up your budget against your time and effort and see which one you would rather spend out on.
