Moving into your first property can be an exciting and liberating experience. But whilst you might have saved up big time to move in the first place, there are a lot of added costs in the process of moving home and using some of these tips below will help you save money and help you make the most of it financially.
Limit your moving costs
Data shows that moving into a two-bed can cost up to £1,400 in moving costs. This includes the £300 to £600 for hiring a moving company, cleaning and painting a new property, replacing any damaged items or goods in transit, insurance and other storage costs.
There are ways to make this cheaper. For instance, you can opt for the man and the van solution and try move everything yourself. This is a good time to pull in any favours from your family and friends over the years – especially if you have a contact who owns a van.
Where possible, avoid putting things in storage since this is like paying rent for objects that have no feelings. You could ask your parents or siblings about using their garage space for a few weeks if it helps.
Similarly, you have to outweigh the costs of moving larger things like furniture and white goods, since you could buy these new and have them delivered into your house or flat as part of the service. You may be able to sell your furniture too in order to fund the whole operation.
Buying new goods and items
You will naturally need to fill your new abode with chairs, tables, washing machines, dishwashers and other appliances. Again, consider reaching out to family and friends and asking if they have any that they no longer use – you may get a good deal and a hand getting it into your flat. You also have the likes of Shpock of Depop which are car boot sale apps and show people nearby with similar items they are looking to sell.
“Where possible, avoid all catalogue buying or rent-to-own products” explains Daniel Tannenbaum from Payday Bad Credit. “Whilst these items appear affordable at first, you are paying huge amounts of interest on items that end up being more expensive in the long-term and you would have used them for several months or years. It is better to buy the entire microwave or refrigerator in one go.”
Get cashback
If buying new kit for your house, try use cashback if you are buying things online. The likes of Quidco and TopCashback can offer 1% to 5% on buying everyday items and if you need to spend up to £1,000 to get your flat where it needs to be, this can turn into an extra £50 that you save.
Get points and air miles
When making multiple purchases for your new home, try use air miles through American Express or get nectar points where you can. You will be amazed what you will need to buy including coffee tables, photo frames, mugs, kettle, blankets, carpets, linen, rugs, mirrors and more. For the very least, you can accumulate loyalty points which can result in more discounts in the long-term or even upgrades on air travel or companion vouchers too.
