Moving Home Ideas

Moving Home Ideas

Living in rental properties is often considered to be a cheaper option than being a homeowner, but the costs of renting can soon add up. If you’re renting or are thinking of moving to a rented property, it’s a good idea to understand how the expenses can stack up.

You might have to move your furniture or kit your new home out and you might not have factored these costs into your budget. There are ways in which you can keep control over your costs, which will mean that you can look forward to living in your new home, rather than having nightmares about rising costs.

We’ve got some great tips on how you can make your move without splashing the cash and getting overly stressed out.

Make a plan

Rather than packing up everything you own and sailing off into the sunset without a clear idea of how much your move will actually cost, it will really help to work out your budget and decide on your priorities. With a budget set, write down all the things that you will need to do in order to move and then give them a priority. You will have a wish list of things that you think you can’t live without – like a big sofa or state-of-the-art television – but you’ll also have a list of payments that will have to be made. Your first month’s rent should be right at the top of your list. Don’t forget to include your deposit too as well as any fees that are due to the rental agency, if you are using one.

You’ll also need to consider:

• How you’re going to move your stuff – Whether you need to hire a van or just get yourself and your car from A to B, there’ll be costs for van rental and/or fuel.
• Bills – There’s a lot to consider here. You might have to settle the bills in your old property as well as gas, council tax, or electricity in your new property. How will your move impact your council tax band – will it go up or down? Utilities might be included in your rent or you may have to pay added costs, such as water rates.
• Day-to-day household costs – Do you have enough food and groceries to take you to pay day?
• New transport costs – if you’re moving, your transport costs might be changing. What does your new commute look like?

With your priorities and a budget, you will be financially better placed for decision-making.

What’s your RENT?

How much is your rent? There’s every chance that your monthly rent will be your largest single outgoing. Knowing this, you can work out just how much you can comfortably afford to pay each month. This is an important figure to have in your mind, before signing up to a contract or rental agreement with your new landlord or a letting agency.

It will really help to browse the internet before you approach letting agencies. You can explore what’s on offer before you view any properties and get a good idea of what your budget will buy. You can compare prices – sites like Rightmove and Zoopla make it easy to see what’s out there, how much the rent is and any difference there is between areas. Many property websites also have easy-to-use apps on both iOS and Android. You can use either an app or the website to see what types of properties go for what rental price and you can use the search function to find a property that will suit your budget.

Furnish for free

Moving into an unfurnished property can be a cheaper option, rent-wise, However, you will still need to kit your new digs out. You might need appliances for your kitchen, something to sit on, a table to work or dine on and a bed to sleep in. It might feel as if you need to fill every room and the expense of that can feel overwhelming. However, there are online sites that can really help to furnish your property for a lot less than buying from the high street – or maybe for free!

Sites, like Gumtree, and apps, like Shpock, let people sell their stuff, but it also means that others can buy it at a fraction of the price that it was purchased for. You may find items for free on Gumtree if you look hard.

Freecycle might be even better for you. Freecycle is a non profit organisation that aims to keep household items that can be reused out from adding to the UK’s landfill problem by letting people give them away for free. Looking at the website, you can get in touch directly with people who have household items up for grabs. Freecycle is one organisation that’s made up from thousands of smaller localised groups all over the UK, which means that you can also stay local.

BILLS – compare and share

Compare

Checking out how much you’re paying for your energy bills, compared to how much you could be paying with other providers is always a good idea – even if you’re not planning a move. Moving into a new property is a great time, however, to make the switch to a cheaper alternative. Making the switch is simple, but do make sure that you’re up to date with your current provider before trying to move to another supplier.

The internet has a whole host of sites that are dedicated to comparing energy deals. All you have to do is to find one that you can work with and take a look. A search for “compare energy deals” will give you plenty of good results to work with.

If you decide to move provider, make sure that you get meter readings at the time that you move into the property and share them with the current provider and new supplier. You can also search around for better prices on a TV provider or broadband.

SHARE

Moving into shared accommodation? Moving in with other people means that you need to make a point of sitting down with them to agree a fairly shared out payment plan for the bills. There are many ways to do this – you could opt to take a part of each bill or, if they are for equal amounts, you might want to take responsibility for whole bills each. It will depend on the figures involved.

Excel spreadsheets are a great way to do this, but there are now great bill splitting apps that let people approach the subject in a more modern way. Bill splitting apps tell you who needs to pay what and when.

A friend in need

Friends are often more than happy to help you move. Many hands make light work  and friends can be brilliant at helping you to lift and carry. They might even be able to help with a car for moving or a van! Take a good look at what needs to be moved – does it need a van or couple it fit in to a car with a few trips?

If you’re moving a large distance or if you have some bigger pieces of furniture, then you might need to hire a removal van. Before you book your moving company, make sure that you get a few quotes to see who can offer you the best price.

Smart PACKING

Many companies make robust and sturdy packing boxes – but they’re a lot like the cardboard boxes that supermarkets give away from free. Ask your local shop if they have any boxes that they could give to you for free. It helps them with their recycling too. You can also pop into your local café and offer to take their old newspapers to wrap valuables in.

It’s also alright not to want to take everything to your new property with you. You could actually raise some cash for your move by selling things you don’t want or need anymore on sites, including Music Magpie or Shpock. You can even sell vintage clothing on Depop or Gem.

Moving home comes with its own stresses – it can be exciting but there’s always a lot to think about. Making sure that you can keep an eye on your budget will mean that you can decision-make in confidence and look forward to a new start in your new home.