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Save Money When You Move HouseThe downside is that it will seem as though you are in no-man’s-land. It is a state of neither one thing nor the other. Under offer but not sold. Contracts still have to be signed, exchanged and a completion date set. As described on our Sell your House page,you will have engaged a solicitor or conveyancer and the matter is now taken out of your hands. Everything will be going on behind the scene; you can do nothing more except sit and wait. But - you must also continue to save money. You will need all the tips and advice you can get during this process. The actual move is one of the areas where money can run away from you. To help plough through this dreadful waiting time and take your mind off things over which you have very little control - and that is no under-estimation, start packing. You can never start early enough. We will give you tips here that will help you save money also time and frustration when your actual move is due. Don't tempt fate and start stripping pictures off the walls etc. Wait until the contract is signed before you begin that operation. In the meantime, start to prune your belongings. Why go to the trouble of packing up a load of unwanted junk in preparation for your move? Why pay to have this transported to your new house? Why have the bother of sorting it all again and finding a spot that is suitable for what was your favourite ornament? Do save money and time! If you are downsizing the problem becomes more acute. For instance, if you move from a four-bedroom house into one with three bedrooms you are going to have to decide on your course of action, which will need to include a degree of ruthlessness. You can: 1. Sell your unwanted furniture. Advertise any items locally on your newsagent’s board, or many supermarkets offer this service free so this helps you to save money. 2. Pass unwanted smaller items on to relatives, children or friends or off load them via www.freecycle.org. 3. Offer it to your local charity shop – some are very pleased to welcome furniture. some will even collect the furniture from you. 4. Hold a yard/garage sale - make money. 5. Make prior arrangements with BT regarding the telephone line at your new home. If you work from home your Broadband connection should be one of your first priorities. 6. Safeguard your mail by making arrangements with the Royal Mail redirection service. This can be done for one, three, six and twelve months. As some reminders for some items only arrive yearly it is well worth considering the twelve month option at £35.95 In pruning your clothing you should go through your wardrobes and send any items you have not worn in the past two years to the charity shop. Alternatively, if these are good quality items you might consider eBay as another option. This will make you some money. When you are sure you have pruned all unwanted items and are left with the things that will move with you, then it is time to call in the removal men. Tip: Before doing so, make sure you have included the loft, garage, shed and any other outbuildings in your clear-out. Make a list of any unusual items, perhaps connected with a business that you may run from home etc. and that must be included in the move.  Make a point of getting at least 3, possibly four different quotations for your move from companies. If you are moving to another county it is worth your while to contact a couple of companies locally and a couple from the area to which you will be moving. You are likely find that there is a vast difference between the two areas and this should help save money.
Beware of the young man who arrives in the latest, enormous gas-guzzler with a personalised number plate. This usually indicates ‘daddy’ has started the firm and on his retirement has left the running of the company to his son(s). This may mean you will get a very high quotation due to two things. 1. He is not experienced in his job having never actually worked at packing furniture into lorries, and 2. Someone (you, the customer) has to pay for his luxury car and life-style. Remember - you are trying to save money here, not throw it away! So common sense must prevail. But be honest. Do tell the estimator exactly what you want to take with you otherwise you may find yourself with an unpleasant situation when the men start trying to get a quart into a pint pot. i.e. they will have estimated for a certain size lorry, so what will you do if all your belongings do not fit in? Perish the thought! You will not save money, but instead may well have to spend more in hiring another lorry - if you can - at short notice! One company supplying packaging materials www.helpineedboxes.co.uk will give you a 10% discount if you quote the reference SAVE9 either over the phone or via the internet when placing your order. If you are in a last minute rush they have an express 'next working day' service to help you. In addition to all of this they also offer a'free moving request' service on their site in which a mover can fill out their details and this is forwarded to five companies in their postcode area. Unlike some sites this is genuinely free, this company does not charge the removal company for this service or take a cut or commission from the removal job as ultimately the mover will end up paying. The author has used this service, and it does work. Check your quotations through thoroughly, one against the other, making sure that you have adequate insurance cover. Your removal company should give you information regarding various items: 1. Empty and defrost your freezer/refrigerator before starting your journey. 2. Drawers in dressing tables etc. should be emptied, as they are likely to fall open when being moved, possibly throwing contents on to the floor, or inside of the lorry. Take the advice of the removal company here. 3. Valuables should travel with you in your car. 4. Make sure you change the locks on your new home at the earliest possible opportunity. A local locksmith should be able to help you here. 5. Pack your computer monitors safely, these can then travel in the removal lorry. Most people prefer to put the actual computer itself, lying on one side, securely packed so that it cannot move at all, in the boot of the car. If you are paranoid (like the author) and can manage it, stow everything regarding the computer in the car. 6. If you are traveling with children and or pets, can alternative arrangements be made for them whilst you carry out the move? This will avoid an enormous amount of stress for all parties. 7. Make yourself some survival boxes. One containing anything you will need if you have pets traveling with you, i.e., food for a couple of meals, water/feed bowls, plus any medication they may need, etc. Remember this will be a stressful occasion for your pets as well as you, and if you can put them in a cage in your car whilst they travel – so much the better. They will feel secure and you will have a peaceful journey. 8. Your own personal survival box should contain food for at least one meal, i.e. breakfast cereals, carton of milk, tea bags/coffee/sugar, bread, and if possible sandwiches for when you arrive at your destination. Consider some or all of the following: a ready meal or a couple of tins, soup, baked beans, eggs, biscuits, snacks – at least you will have something to sustain you until you get your new situation organised. Don't forget to pack any medication you may need in this box. 9. Don’t forget some mugs, plates and cutlery plus a pan or two and your kettle. You know your own eating habits – these are just ideas to jog your memory. 10. Have an overnight bag or small suitcase containing any nightclothes, towels and toiletries. These last three points will save any panics if you are unable to locate a particular item. Then, as you will probably be tired, you can let it wait until the morning! 11. Don't forget to pack a loo roll in your survival kit. You will be surprised how mean some departing owners can be. If you have all these in readiness, then if the unloading should go a trifle haywire and you are unable to find any specific items because of tiredness or other problems which can unexpectedly present themselves, then at least you can cope over-night. If you label all the boxes that you have packed with locations – Tip. If you are borrowing boxes from the Removal Company do check and recheck that everything is unpacked. Having lost some valuable items on a previous move, the writer can speak with experience here. Despite contacting the Removal Company these items were never seen again. 12. Don't forget to have some money in readiness as you may need to give the moving crew a tip. 13. The new owner coming into your house will be in exactly the same position as you. Tired after a journey, so if you can make the change over easy for them, it will doubtless be greatly appreciated. Still considering your buyers: 1. Leave a folder with all details and guarantees of any appliances you are leaving. 2. Leave a list giving names and telephone numbers of all local contacts or tradesmen that you use. 3. Leave the keys to any out-buildings, garage, gates etc. in an envelope – one for each set of keys - clearly marked with the name of the door it is used for. 4. Leave the house as clean as possible and make sure all your rubbish is disposed of. Then hope that the your Vendor will treat you with as much respect and thought! *NEW Work From Home. Make and Save Money
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