I love Moving house – in fact, since I met Mr Frugal we’ve moved four times and that’s quite a lot considering we’ve been in our current house for about 8 years!

I don’t love the actual moving though – the packing up and getting things in place I love but moving day, that’s my worst nightmare.  It’s really easy to overspend when you’re planning a house move too as the whole idea of it can feel so daunting that you might not make the same decisions as you would without all the moving stress rushing around your head!

Don’t let moving to a new house take hold of your purse!  Instead, cut down costs, optimise your moving plan, and hire a reliable removing company to help you. These tips will help you both lower the money spent and the hassle that comes with a move.

• Ask Your Friends And Family

As one of the first steps in your moving process, asking your friends and family for recommendations is incredibly important. From the very beginning of your planning, you can start saving money. Ask for recommendations for companies that are reliable, have the right set of services, and prices that you like. Hearing firsthand accounts about removal companies means you can find movers that match your needs, narrowing your search.

• Get Rid Of That Clutter

One of the easiest ways to make your move more manageable is to lighten the load that you will transport. This means getting rid of any items that you haven’t used recently, don’t need, or anything that truly serves no purpose. Walk around each room, go through each item, and think deeply about whether you need it. This is a difficult task and decluttering takes quite a bit of time and effort. However, the dividends will pay off in the end as you will have to pack less and you will significantly reduce your removal costs.

• Compare Companies

From your recommendations, you might have narrowed down a few movers as possible choices. Or perhaps you have found a few options through preliminary online research. Your next step is to look at the services they offer and their prices. The best way to do this is to compare their details side by side—at least 3 to 4 companies—and root out those that do not match your requirements. Finding the perfect removal company is so important for saving money.

• Take Inventory Of Everything

Make a complete list of everything that you will transfer. This way, you will have a record of your items if the movers damage or lose anything. Being prepared for any situation is vital and this inventory will act as proof for your insurance claim. Also, having a list of your belongings makes it easier to differentiate between what you need and what you don’t at your new home.

• Pack an “Open First” and Essential Boxes (In A Clear Plastic Box)

Pack two clearly-marked boxes with things you need during the first few days at your home and the useful tools to make unpacking run smoothly. Your “Open First” box could include pens, scissors, box openers, and important documents. Your essential box should include bed linens, towels, toilet paper, utensils, tea bags, a kettle, and other things to make life in your new home easier during the first few days. No need to rummage through all your boxes looking for toilet paper or your bed sheets on your first night! A Clear Plastic Box works great here as you can label it and easily see the contents inside.

• Find Alternatives To Packing Materials

Speaking of plastic boxes, why not use this type of box instead of the regular cardboard ones?

Plastic boxes are great for stacking and can be reused for your storage needs later on.  Additionally, you can look for other creative ways to pack your items. Use clothing, towels, linen, and recyclable newspaper as packing materials rather than the wasteful packing papers. If you insist on cardboard boxes, source them from friends, family, and stores around your area. They will most likely be happy to unload them to you rather than throw them away.

• Measure Your Furniture

Imagine transporting your furniture, such as a sofa or dining table, to your new home and discovering that it doesn’t fit in the room! Even though you have just paid the removal company to move these items, you have no choice but to get rid of it. As such, you will probably have to pay more for delivery, storage, or disposal. Avoid all of these extra costs by simply measuring your furniture beforehand! Make sure all furniture articles you want in your new house will actually fit, otherwise sell or donate the ones that are too large. This also might be a good chance to bring out the interior designer in you and plan a new look for your new home.

• Clean As You Go

Once you pack up a room, clean it immediately. Cleaning up after each area is cleared means that the cleaning job can be broken up accordingly. Having to clean your entire house once all the packing is completed makes the task difficult to visualise and handle. Breaking it down by room is much more efficient rather than tackling it all in one go. You will feel more motivated to do the cleaning if the job is smaller, allowing you to forgo hiring professional cleaners after you are all packed up!

Hopefully, with these tips, your move will go much more smoothly and you can rest easy knowing you didn’t have to break the bank for it!

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