Moving house can be a really exciting time, especially as it is the start of a new chapter in your life. From moving down the road, across the country or to an international destination, moving house requires meticulous planning and plenty of attention to detail – after all, nobody wants to be frantically packing things at the last minute. However, you also need to be aware of the cost.
The best way of saving money is being prepared and organised; this includes gathering as much information as possible. Set aside a few evenings to research removal companies, gathering quotes and assessing the items that you have. You may have, for example, fragile items and antiques that will cost more to move. From this, you can effectively plan how much moving house will cost, giving you peace of mind in the long run.
Below, we have put together various ways to help you save money on moving house or moving your office.
Organise your clutter before your house removal
As mentioned above, being organised is simply the best way to save money when moving house. This is because it will simply cost more to move more things, therefore it is imperative that you organise all of your clutter and bits and bobs before you move. Why not take inspiration from Marie Kondo and the Konmari method? Go through all of your items, from clothes, furniture, and miscellaneous pieces, to paper and sentimental items. You will most likely be surprised at how much you have accumulated whilst living in your home. From this, you can decide whether you really want to keep some of these items, and if not, whether they are good enough to sell or donate.
Furthermore, start packing away any pieces that you know you won’t be wearing or using before or during the move, such as seasonal clothing or antiques. Utilise any suitcases that you have to pack and store these items, or purchase vacuum bags as they will pack textiles and clothes down tightly. You could also make a packing timetable, where you tackle a room, or parts of a room everyday to lessen the packing load.
Be strategic when packing up your items, such as placing duvets and soft furnishings around fragile items like plates, mugs, glasses and other ceramics to cushion them. This can help you save money on packing materials like bubble wrap and polystyrene that you will otherwise just throw away after use, which is also not good for the environment.
Utilise office materials for your office removal
If you are planning on moving offices, you won’t have as much sentimental or antique items to move. So, it may take less time to pack as well as general organising. Yet, you will likely still want to save some money when moving office. If this is the case, then a great way to do this is to utilise the office materials and space that you have on site. It is likely that you will have items that can help with the packing process, like scissors, sellotapes, cardboard boxes, bags, envelopes and general stationery. Using these will not only save you trips to your local shop, but it can most definitely save you quite a few pounds too.
Excessively plan for your European removals
Nothing is more exciting than starting a new adventure abroad. Whether you are fulfilling a lifelong dream of moving to Paris, or you want to spend your retired years on a Greek island, we certainly wish we were you. However, European removals can, on the face of it, be more daunting, because they require more logistics. Yet, implementing a few simple organisation tasks and researching can help you save as much money as possible.
As mentioned previously, it’s really important to declutter before you move, especially if you are moving to an international destination. You may find that this is the perfect moment to also sell or donate any old bits and bobs that you no longer need or have as much attachment too. Selling the items will also give you a bit of extra cash that can go towards the moving costs. Be stringent if you need to when sorting out your items, but taking some sentimental pieces with you is important as it can help you settle into your new home.
Furthermore, it is considerably cheaper to ship items on a cargo ship rather than on a plane. However, this does take much longer. Therefore, you need to keep this in mind when planning to move. For example, you may need to stay in hotel accommodation when you first arrive or purchase budget temporary furniture to get you by. Both sides will incur costs, so you need to weigh this up before you make any final decisions.
Furthermore, there are logistical considerations that you need to make before moving abroad, like opening an international bank account, notifying both governments so you don’t pay for income tax in both countries, and learning phrases of the local language. All of these things will make the move as stress-free as possible.
Book a removal company as soon as possible
Another way to save money is to book a removal company as soon as possible. Not only will they be able to assist you on the dates you are planning to move, but also their prices may be higher if you are booking closer to those proposed dates.
Make sure to maintain plenty of communication with the removal company before you move, such as, letting them know how many packing materials you require, as well as whether you have any pets or how many fragile pieces you have, as this may require specialist movers to help perform the job.
Get help from family and friends
Packing up everything yourself, though certainly the affordable option, can be more stressful So, why not rope in your family and friends to help you out? Offer to treat them to a meal afterwards, or offer your new place to stay in to visit you abroad. You can save money by packing, loading and transport, so your friends and family can not only help pack up things, but they can also use their cars to move items across and store any of your pieces in their home.
Furthermore, ask your friends and family if they have any spare packing materials that you can borrow and use. Using your removal companies own packing materials can also rack up extra costs.
Clear out your fridge
One of the main things that we all spend plenty of money on is food. Therefore, it is imperative that you don’t waste money in the lead up to moving day by buying lots of food that you can’t transport. If you do find that you have excessive food in your fridge the day before the move, head to local food banks and donate them.
Like with most house moving tasks, this will also require lots of planning so you can save money. Make a meal plan the month before so you can use up all of the food that you have, plus, this can save you money too as you may find that budgeting and limiting excess buys will help you save money. You can take dried food, grains, tins and spices with you to the new house, but be aware that this can incur higher costs because you are packing more things.
Pack up your car
Even if you own a small hatchback, packing up your car is a great way to save extra pounds when it comes to moving. Be strategic and pack things that are of sentimental value with you, so you can be extra assured that they won’t get broken or lost. Also, pack items in your car that are easy to transport, such as towels, dried food, suitcases of clothes and small bits of furniture.
Essex Removals: Moving Services In and around Essex
Essex removals provides a comprehensive range of removal services around Essex and across the South East of England. Our leading local removal company can help pack and store your items for you – a great option for those who are planning on moving internationally. Take a look at our removal checklist to start planning your move and then contact us to receive a great quote.
