Moving out can be a lengthy and fairly costly process, with a house sale, solicitor’s fees and everything else on top. So you want to cut costs and stretch your savings as much as possible without missing out on anything. There are some easy ways you can save money when moving out and here are our top tips.
Here are our 6 money-saving moving out tips:
Get rid of your old junk
It’s a great time to sort through all of your old clutter and sell things you don’t need anymore. This way you can earn a bit of extra cash and free up space in the removals van, not to mention your new home will be tidier for it. Go through things in your loft and garage, and make a system of ‘keep’, ‘sell’ and ‘throwaway’. Keep all the things you still use regularly, will need in the near future or simply cannot throwaway. Sell all the things that are in good condition and that you no longer use and throwaway all the things that are either in bad condition, of no use or older than 3 years.
Find free furniture
To furnish your new home it can be very expensive to buy brand new. So why not get it for free? If money really is an issue or you aren’t fussed about owning second-hand furniture, then sites like freecycle and freegle are perfect. People in the community you are moving to offer all kinds of things from sofas to TVs and fridges all for nothing. The idea is that these items are saved from landfill and the person giving them away is doing their bit for the planet. There’s also a bunch of great sites that offer unwanted items for a bargain like gumtree, shpock and preloved.co.uk. You can find a whole host of things to kit out your new house with and can save yourself a trip to Ikea as well as some pounds in the process.
Make a meal plan
When you move out you will most likely have a freezer full of accumulated food that you just haven’t planned for. The best thing to do is to count-up all the items in your freezer and come up with an inventive meal plan that rations out the remaining food in the weeks leading up to your move out date. You can save on all those takeaway meals or on eating out during the moving out process with a well-thought out meal plan.
Do it yourself
We’re not talking about just decorating here, there are a long list of jobs that need doing before and on your moving day. From carpet cleaning to the difficult task of unplugging your washing machine. Both professional cleaning and hiring plumbing services is expensive, so recruiting the help of your friends and family to get it done can save you a lot of money. You could even cook one of the meals in your meal plan to thank them for the help.
Consider switching providers
Moving house is a perfect time to review the services you pay for every month, and switching in your new area could save you hundreds of pounds a month. You’ll have to inform your providers of your new address anyway so it’s worth looking at the best deals on offer for broadband, telephone, and utility services.
Moving mortgage
Most mortgages are ‘portable’ which means your current product is transferrable from one house to your next. When you move house you effectively have to re-apply with the same lender as your circumstances may have changed. Also the amount you’re borrowing may be more if you move to a more expensive property. Even if your mortgage deal is portable you should consider what fees you may have to pay to leave and any early repayment charges if necessary. As the new lender pays off the debt to your previous provider. You should consider how long you have left on your current deal, if it is going to end soon then it may be worth switching. Try this handy calculator from Money saving expert to see whether you ‘Should ditch your fix’ to help decide what’s best for you.
To find out how else you can save money on your removal, call us now to talk to an expert.
