Moving into a new home is one of the most exciting times in your life – but if you’re not prepared, it can also be liable to add a bit to your budget stress. Not keen on living off of Mi Goreng for a month? We’ve put together a list of moving costs and some handy ways to save so you don’t have to.
Costs
Moving services
Starting off with an obvious one, your moving expenses are likely to be your largest cost in this process. Whether you decide to use a removalist, hire a van, or do it all yourself, you will need to weigh up the pros and cons and figure out which solution is best for you. For instance:
If you decide to use a removalist, the price you pay will depend on the distance travelled, how accessible your new home is, and whether you have any specialty items to move – so, if you’re a pianist you have our condolences.
If you hire a van, you’ll need to figure out roughly how long the move will take you. Keep in mind, you’ll likely be paying by the hour.
However, if you think you can use your own vehicle, you’ll just need to account for how difficult it will be to manage, as well as the fuel cost of going back and forth (which you’ll likely be doing a lot).
Cleaning services
If you’re currently in a rental, there’s a good chance that your agreement will require you to give the place a deep clean prior to leaving. As such, you may consider hiring a professional cleaner for the job, which could potentially set you back a couple of hundred dollars.
Side note, you may also like to give your new home a deep clean – so, just keep this in mind.
Furniture
Does your current furniture jive with the look, feel, and arrangement of your new home? If the answer is no, you may be in store for a furniture hunt. So, ensure you leave a bit of wiggle room in your budget.
Storage
Is there a bit of a gap between leaving your rental and moving into your new home? You may be in need of a storage unit.
Costs for these can vary quite a bit depending on the size, time, and location. So, if you think this might be necessary, it’s best to call around and get an idea of your requirements sooner rather than later.
Temporary accommodation
If your new home is interstate, you may find yourself needing some temporary accommodation – which can also vary in cost depending on your preference.
A hotel will typically be the most expensive option, followed closely by an Airbnb. However, if you’re lucky enough to have a friend or family member’s place to crash, feel free to disregard this.
Moving materials
It may seem small in comparison to the above costs, but bubble wrap does cost money, after all. As such, it’s good practice to budget for these in the planning stages. And don’t forget the boxes!
Household necessities
Currently living at home? You’re going to need to buy some cleaning products. Broom belong to your landlord? You’re going to need to buy some cleaning products. Into the budget it goes!
Food
Want a really bullet-proof budget? Account for takeaway costs.
Moving is tiring – and as such, you’ll probably find yourself gravitating towards UberEats a bit more than usual. If you take this into account when preparing your budget, you’ll truly be ready for everything your move throws your way.
How to save
Budget
The point of this blog isn’t to beat you over the head with the undeniable greatness of budgeting (although there’s an argument it’s doing exactly that), but it really does make a difference.
By keeping your expenditures in check, you can keep yourself from overspending on frivolous things while helping you plan your future finances more reliably so you won’t find yourself unexpectedly eating off of paper plates.
Toss out the junk
Give sentimentality the flick.
By dumping unnecessary items prior to packaging, you can not only save yourself a bit of time and trouble, but potentially also some money. After all, the fewer the boxes, the quicker the move, the lower the cost.
Organise by room
Put those permanent markers that have been sitting idle in your junk drawer for who-knows-how-long to work!
If you organise your boxes by room and label them clearly, you can shave a bit of time off how long it takes for the removalists (or yourself, of course) to get everything sorted. For instance, boxes marked “kitchen” go in the room with the stove. You get the gist.
Negotiate a better deal for utilities
Transferring utilities is prime time for finding a better deal.
Shop around for a bit and show your supplier the best offer you can find on the market. In all likelihood, they will go ahead and match it. However, if not, you have just found a better deal than you were getting before that could help you recoup some of these costs over time.
What’s better than bubble wrap?
Saving money on packaging costs.
So, instead of buying all new materials, try repurposing newspaper, towels, bed linen, blankets, or even old clothes as a bit of extra padding. Every little bit adds up, so go crazy with it.
Salvos before IKEA
Really consider whether you need brand new furniture or if you can make do with something a little lived-in.
Marketplace, Gumtree, and op shops are your friends when it comes to finding bargain, high-quality furniture. So, before you make a day out of visiting IKEA, make sure you give them a browse.
Do it yourself
Now, our final point may be quite obvious – and you may not want to hear it – but the best way to save money was always going to be handling every part of the move that you possibly can yourself.
You can always rope your friends in with free pizza and get them to take the work off your plate. So, figure out what’s feasible and what’s not and get moving.
And there you have it. These are the costs you should be preparing for to ensure your moving budget is one you can trust.
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