Moving house can be an expensive business, so it’s only natural you’ll want to find ways to cut costs. There are plenty of things you can do to save money, but for certain things, trying to do it ‘on the cheap’ can actually be counter-productive. Here are our top tips for reducing the cost of your house move.
Declutter Before Moving House
It costs money to move things. Either you’re paying for professionals to move your stuff, or you’re paying for your own time and petrol when doing it yourself. The biggest way you can save money is not to move so much stuff. So before you move, declutter!
Decluttering a whole house is not a quick or easy job, so start early and do a bit at a time, rather than trying to tackle it all at once. In the months before your move, choose a room or a space to focus on, and consider whether you can keep, donate or sell each item. Ask yourself:
- Do I have enough of these already?
- Do I have something else that can do the same job?
- Have I used it in the past year?
- If I don’t use it regularly, can I borrow, hire or do without?
- For memorabilia and paperwork, do I really want to keep it, or will a photo/ digital copy suffice?
As an added bonus, you may be able to sell off your excess goods online or with a garage sale and put these funds towards the cost of your move.
Don’t Store Your Stuff
Not only can you save money by moving less stuff, you should also try and avoid paying to store it.
Sometimes you do need to store items temporarily while you move house – for example, you may wish to store your own furniture and belongings during the sales process so you can present a clean, modern home with display furniture. There may also be a delay between selling your old house and moving into another, and you need to keep your belongings elsewhere.
However, if you’re paying to store household items because you don’t have space for them in your new home, you might want to reconsider. Storage fees add up, and it’s all too easy to put off dealing with your goods once they’re in storage. Soon that monthly storage fee will start slipping out of your account unnoticed. Meanwhile, you’ve probably learnt to live without your goods and may have even purchased new things that better suit your new space.
If you do end up using paid storage, set yourself a time limit to deal with what’s in there. When time’s up, find a designated space for it in your house, or let it go. Remember this golden rule – if you haven’t needed it for the past year, you probably don’t need it at all.
Oh, and you’ll help your future self if you create a detailed list of what you’re putting in storage when you pack, and exactly where in the storage unit each box is, so trying to find things at a later date doesn’t become an impossible task that you keep putting off.
Packing Supplies
You might be tempted to scrimp on the cost of packing supplies by collecting random free boxes and buying cheap tape. However, this can prove to be a false economy. It is actually a lot quicker to stack and move sturdy, uniform-sized packing boxes, than it is to move random sized or open topped boxes. If you are hiring removalists, you will save far more in hourly fees by using proper moving boxes, than you will by scrimping on packaging costs. Not to mention there’s a potential cost of broken goods if your cheap boxes fall apart.
You can also come unstuck using cheap packing tape – quite literally. It doesn’t tend to stick well, tangles, and generally will give you lots of grief during packing, then leave you at risk of losing your goods out the bottom of your boxes when moving. Spend the few extra dollars to get decent quality tape.
While we recommend using professional moving boxes, there are still a few ways to save. You can use good quality boxes second-hand as long as they are in good condition. Used boxes can be purchased through some storage providers, or may be sourced via your local community page on Facebook. You can also use sheets, towels or clothing for packaging instead of buying bubble wrap, or try collecting old newspapers from your local library.
Paying For Removalists
If you’re doing a small move, you can save money by moving everything yourself, or getting your family and friends to help out. It may work out reasonably cost-effective to hire a trailer or small van and DIY the move.
However, for larger moves, such as when you’re moving house, hiring professional removalists may actually be more cost-effective because they will likely get the job done in half the time that you can, and in one trip. The money you pay the removalists may compare favourably to the cost of DIY van hire, petrol, the earnings you forego to do the job yourself, and the pizzas you provide to the friends that helped!
Furthermore, you may also be better off paying a slightly higher hourly rate for quality removalists, as opposed to cheaper labourers. Professional removalists will generally have a truck big enough to do your move in one go, trolleys and equipment that make short work of moving boxes, and the experience to get your goods in and out efficiently. No taking 30 minutes to figure out how to navigate your oversized couch around the corner!
If your budget really doesn’t stretch to hiring removalists for the whole job, consider hiring them to move the biggest items, while shifting smaller, lighter objects yourself. And also ask if there is a different rate for moving on a weekday, as opposed to weekends, which are the busiest time. Just remember to weigh this up against any loss of your own income on a weekday.
Bonus Tip: Review Your Utilities
When you move, take the time to renew your energy, internet and phone bills and any subscriptions such as pay TV. These can be a big part of the ongoing household budget. You may be able to transfer your current account to your new residence, but check first whether you can get a better price form your existing provider or a different one. You can often get a better deal as a new customer, or by combining services. You may also want to think whether you really need your phone landline or multiple pay TV accounts.
Interested in getting a quote for your house move in Melbourne? Pinder Tower Movers offer complete packing and removal services, and with over 35 years’ experience, get the job done quickly and efficiently.