From the cost of the estate agent you use at the start until the solicitor fees at the end, many factors are going to be considered when moving house – and this is even before adding the cost of hiring a removal company.

The good thing is there are some tips and tricks you can use to reduce the costs take a look at Familymoney. Below are some tips that will go a long way in helping you save money on removals companies:

Booking Early

If you know about the move early on, you can easily end up saving a lot of money by booking early. Just like the travel industry and airlines, booking late can sometimes mean running the risk of finding the company all booked and you have very limited choices. When there are limited choices, the rates tend to increase.

If you are not sure about the date of moving but still want to get started early, arrange for consultations with moving companies and getting quotes. This will ensure you already have the comparison and which moving company to choose when you finally know the dates. This will speed up the process. You can expect the quotes you get from the removal companies to be valid for about 28 days.

De-cluttering

Before you can call your estate agent to come and take photos of your house and start booking viewings, one of the most important things you need to do is decluttering the house. You should try to strip every room into basics – pile up children’s toys that they no longer play with, sort old shoes and clothes, get rid of ornaments, pictures, and books. When you de-clutter the house, it ends up looking more presentable and also saving you money when moving; the less stuff to move, the less it will cost.

[ymal]

De-cluttering for moving house

Once you have decided on three companies that fit your requirements and they have done their survey to determine the quotation of the move, compare between the three options. You should have a closer look at the services they provide. Are all of them the same? Is the volume the same across all the three options? Have they included extra services you had requested on the quotation? If there is a company you like the most between the three but they are a little more expensive compared to the others, you should not be afraid to call them up and let them know – they might end up coming up with a way of lowering the costs and you end up with a good deal.

Summer is not the best time to move… or on a Friday

It is a little hard to avoid moving during the summer for many people, but if there is any way you can move before or after summer, then try because it can end up saving you money. The reason why summer is not the best time to move is that this is when there is increased demand because many people tend to move during this time, leading to an increase in cost.

If there is no other option but to move during the summer, then you should not move on a Friday. This is the most popular day for moving because they see it as a perfect option since they will have the weekend to move and unpack before they go back to work on Monday. Completing the house on a Friday can be a little complicated; if the exchange of keys or paperwork is delayed on Friday, the move is then done during the weekend which can also mean an increase in costs.

Removing the services you don’t need

If you go through the quotations from the different companies and have compared and made the decision on a removal company that works for you, but you are not happy with the pricing of their services and they don’t have room for negotiation, then you should have a closer look at the services you have been quoted for. See whether there are services that have been listed on the quotation that you don’t need and can be removed. Maybe you thought you needed packing services or service for dismantling and reassembling items such as furniture, but you have learned a little more about the moving and confident you can easily do without these services. If you go through the quotation and realize there are some services you can do without, make the effort of calling the moving company and speaking to the moving coordinator who will be able to amend it.

Choosing second-hand removals boxes

If you decided to do the packing on your own, then you might have requested the removals company to deliver boxes to your home. Some will offer second-hand cartons. These are usually those that have been used just once before, and they will be sturdy and able to protect items when moving. You will end up paying much lower for the second hand than the brand new moving boxes. Ask the removals company whether they have second-hand cartons.