Cheap Ways To Move House In London
Living in London is not cheap. With the cost of living on the rise and wages failing to keep pace, you might be looking for ways to make your hard earned money stretch a little further. Moving house is one event that can often end up costing you a lot more than you were expecting.
If you are renting, you will often have to come up with a deposit for your new place before you have received anything back from your previous home. And if you’re buying a home, there’s always the chance you’ll be hit by a hidden fee when you least expect it.
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Once you have found a place to live, you then have to think about how you are going to move your items from A to B. In this article, we’re going to share our top tips for making your house move go as smoothly as possible while keeping costs low. With a little forward planning, it’s possible to save money on a lot of moving house expenses.
Use second hand boxes
Gone are the days when you can walk into any supermarket and easily just grab a few boxes for free. Although you can still get some freebies if you ask nicely, most large supermarkets now return their boxes to a central depot for recycling, and so they might prefer to point you in the direction of their expensive moving boxes instead. Buying new moving boxes can quickly add up. When you consider that you’re probably going to need around 20-30 boxes for a one bedroom flat, this is quickly going to add up.
You can save money on your moving expenses by asking around your local neighbourhood to see if anyone has any free moving boxes going spare. If you spot someone moving in close to you, ask if you can have their boxes when they are settled in. Most people will be happy to part with them. Some people will also offer them for free on websites like Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace. You can also ask around friends and family to see if anyone has any suitable boxes you could borrow.
If you can’t avoid buying boxes, look for low cost moving boxes that are available online. These will be significantly cheaper than those you can buy in the shops.
Declutter before you move
If you want to save money on your move, moving fewer boxes can help. A few months before you are due to move, try to declutter your possessions so you are only moving the things you really want and need. If you get rid of everything you don’t need or use, you could end up with some spare cash for your move, and you won’t be paying to move things you don’t want.
You don’t have to go full minimalist with your possessions, but you should be honest about what you really need. Then sell, donate or recycle things that don’t make the cut.
Get creative with packaging
Rather than shelling out money for things like bubble wrap and tissue paper, you can usually find these items for free around your home. Start collecting old newspapers to wrap up your plates and use towels to protect larger delicate objects like vases. Duvets can be used to protect TVs in transit.
But while you are being creative with packaging, don’t use this as an excuse to overpack your boxes. Overloading boxes with books or other heavy items is only going to cause problems during the move. And remember, if you can’t lift it when you are packing, there’s a good chance your mover won’t be able to lift it either!
Choose a man and van
Asking a friend to help you move boxes across town or even hiring a van yourself might seem like the cheaper option, but if you’re going to have to make multiple trips to fit everything in, it soon becomes more expensive. You may also have to pay for fuel, parking and your friend’s lunch!
When you choose a man and van removals service, you can get everything moved quickly and efficiently. To save money, we would recommend choosing a one man team and rolling up your sleeves. Helping with the moving can significantly lower the costs of the move. And you won’t have to buy your mover lunch or pay any hidden fees!
Move on a quiet day
Monday to Thursday is typically the easiest time to move house. Moving during rush hour on a Friday is going to cause obvious problems. In some cases, your apartment building may have rules to stop you from using the lift during peak times.
By moving during the week and during a quiet time, you can sometimes get the best rates on moving quotes. And if the move is done more quickly, you could even get away with only taking a half day off work.
Ready to book your move? Check out our moving tips and then get in touch to request a quote.
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Categories: Flatshare Removals Man and Van