There are many costs to consider when you're moving house, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. This can include hiring a professional moving company, to changing utility providers.
There are several ways you can save money when moving house and many of these costs can be easily tackled with careful planning. This can help you to avoid any unexpected bills or charges.
We have compiled a list of the 10 best money-saving tips for when moving house. From the cheapest day to book moving companies, to how to get your hands on free cardboard boxes and packing materials. This guide will cover everything you need to know about the cheapest way to move house.
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Money Saving Tips
Here are our 10 top tips on how to save on the costs of moving house:
Our users save an average of £700 on their move
Save up to 70% on Removal Costs
Used by over 1 million movers in the UK
1. Hire a Removal Company
If you’re looking to move home, it’s beneficial to hire a removal service. Removal companies are trained specialists and transport your items carefully and safely. Some movers may be put off by the cost of a removal company, espeically when hiring a removal company in London. However, they are cost-efficient, especially compared to moving all the items yourself.
When you move items yourself, you will need to consider the cost of the removals van, paying for your own insurance and the time involved with this. This can quickly add up and become more expensive and complicated than paying for a removals service.
The average removal company cost is £1,110. Costs will vary depending on the amount of goods you have, the distance travelled and the company you choose. However, there are grants that can help with moving costs such as the dwp moving house grant which will offer rent in advance if you need to move home.
As removal companies have access to all the equipment and vehicles to transport items, you can save money by using their services. You won’t have to worry about hiring a moving truck yourself and a removals company will load and unload your belongings for you. This helps you to avoid having to manually move bulky and heavy items. There are even removal companies that offer part load removals where you only pay for the space you use. You can save additional costs by looking into man and van prices if you need to do a smaller move.
It’s cost and time-effective, which helps to remove some of the stress involved with moving house. You will likely have a more positive moving experience if you hire the help of a removals team.
2. Book as Early as Possible to Get the Best Deal
The earlier you book a removals company the better. Some companies may offer special deals if you book far enough in advance, which helps you to save on your overall costs. If you leave booking a removals company until the last minute, you will be more limited by the options available.
As a result, you may end up paying more money as you can’t compare as many quotes. You should take time to plan and consider every cost. This can include additional services such as packing, and disassembling furniture.
By planning, you're more likely to factor in every expense, and less likely to have to spend money on things you forgot about at the last minute. Removal companies may charge more for last-minute services.
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3. Compare Moving House Services
Using an online comparison website will help you choose a professional removals company at a fraction of the price. It will save you time as you won’t have to shop around for the best removal quotes.
Instead, you simply input your moving details and removal companies will reach out to you to discuss prices and options. It also allows you to compare moving quotes from several different companies to get the best price.
When contacting a removals company, it’s important to provide as much information as possible. This will help to avoid any additional or unexpected costs on your moving day. Many removal companies offer a pre-move home survey. This means they can provide you with a realistic and accurate quote for your removal costs.
The majority of comparison websites will only work with trusted and verified companies. Here at Compare My Move, all our partners are fully insured with Goods in Transit and Public Liability. They have also passed our strict verification process. This helps to provide peace of mind that you will receive high-quality moving services.
4. Book Off-Peak Season to Move
Knowing the best time to move house will help to save a huge amount on your home removal costs. While it’s not always possible with completion dates and house rental contracts, if you can, it’s better to choose a quieter time of the year to move house.
Winter is the least popular time to move home. This is likely due to poor weather conditions and shorter days. As it is a quieter month, some removal companies may lower their prices to encourage customers to use their services. If you are on a tighter budget, this may be beneficial to you.
Autumn and Spring can be good months to consider when moving house. While they are more popular months to move, they’re not as popular as the summer season. As a result, prices aren’t raised too much to compete with the high demand. Avoid the month of August as September 1st in the start of term in the UK which means you will be competing with student movers.
The Summer months prove to be the most popular season to move house due to lighter and longer days. Many people choose to move during the summer holidays. This means removal companies often have higher rates to compete with the bigger demand for their services.
5. Book Cheapest Day to Move House
Often, booking your removal company in plenty of time means getting a better deal. It can also mean that you are less likely to be blindsided by unexpected, added costs. Now that you know not to book your home removal during the summer months, you should be aware of the cheapest day to move.
The best day to move house varies depending on your location, but Sunday is the cheapest day to move according to Compare My Move's data. Friday is the most popular day to move house as people will have the whole weekend to settle in, avoiding moving house during the working week. However, this means removal companies will put their prices up to match the high demand.
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6. Declutter and Sell your unwanted items
Those looking for moving house packing tips, here are some which can help. Before you pack your items, it’s useful to create an inventory list of all the items you want to take with you. You can then decide on the items you want to keep and those you want to get rid of or sell.
Packing everything you own but don’t need will take up time. It will also cause your removal costs to increase as you’re moving unnecessary items. By selling your items, you will earn some extra money which can be put towards your moving expenses.
There are many ways to sell unwanted items, such as Facebook Marketplace, Vinted, Depop, eBay and other selling platforms. Car boot sales are another useful alternative.
We have created the ultimate moving house checklist, featuring everything you need to do in the months, weeks and days building up to your move.
Read more on: How to Declutter For a House Move.
7. Get Free Packing Materials
You can save money on a packing service by knowing where to find free cardboard boxes and other materials such as bubble wrap.
It is useful to save any suitable boxes and packaging materials that come with deliveries in the months leading up to your move. This means you won’t have to source as many spare boxes closer to your moving date.
Local businesses, shops, cafés and supermarkets will have a variety of sizes of cardboard boxes every week from deliveries. Most will be willing to give these and unwanted packaging away for free. You can ask friends, family and your workplace if they have any second-hand boxes you can use.
You can also make use of what you're already transporting. For example, pack delicate items such as mirrors and photo frames with towels or bedsheets. This will save you money on packing material costs, and help to reduce waste too.
If you want to pack your goods yourself, you can opt to buy high-quality packing materials from the removal company you are using. This is more costly than acquiring your own boxes.
8. Get Help with Packing
The majority of removal companies will offer packing services. A team of packers will arrive at your home a few days before your big move and pack your goods for you. The average cost for packing services is £250. This added cost includes all the boxes and necessary packing materials needed.
This service can be extremely useful, especially if you have specialist items that require a packing service. Even so, it can quickly become expensive. To keep costs down and save money, packing your items yourself can be easily done. Ask your friends or family to help you with the packing. The more helpers you have, the easier the packing will be.
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9. Compare Utility Providers
Moving house is the best opportunity to compare electric, gas and water suppliers in your new area. You may find that the location you'll be moving to offers better deals on your energy bills.
By comparing the different providers, you could potentially save a substantial amount of money. Make sure to check your account after you've left your old provider, as you may also be due a refund if your account is in credit.
When you move in, don't forget to take water, gas and electric meter readings to make sure that the company won't charge you for the previous owner's usage.
Similarly, you should also take meter readings at your old property, just for peace of mind.
10. Compare Storage Options
If you’re looking to store items when moving between your old and new home, it’s useful to compare different types of storage options. This service is useful if you’re not moving to a home straight away or if you need to store items if you’re downsizing.
There are 2 main storage options available to use:
Self-storage
This is best if you’re looking to store fewer items. There are different sizes to choose from and the items can be easily accessed.
Container storage
This option is best suited if you want to store the contents of a home. There are typically 2 storage sizes to choose from: 20ft and 40ft. The option you choose will depend on the number of goods you have.
Save Even More Money With Compare My Move
Here at Compare My Move, we can help you to save even more money on your move. Simply fill out our form to be connected with up to 6 local removal companies in your area.
Through our form you can compare and contrast removal quotes and different companies. This will help you to find the best deal and option for you. In addition to this, we can help you to save you up to £700 on your moving costs.
Compare Removal Costs
Save up to 70% on Removal Costs
Used by over 1 million movers in the UK
