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Most people know the stress of moving or relocating to a new place. The process of moving all your stuff, disturbing your daily routine, and spending a huge sum of money for the move, everything contributes to the stress. Homeowners need to spend money on packing and moving all their stuff from the current location to the new one.
However, most people end up paying more money than they expect during a move. It is because they don’t plan the budget for their move. Without planning a budget, they forget the little expenses that add up to increase their overall cost of the move.
Therefore, it becomes essential for all homeowners to plan a budget before they spend on their move. Creating a budget for all the minor and major expenses enables you to get an estimate of how much you need to pay. This post shares some tips for setting your moving budget.
Create a template
There are many ways to create a template for your moving budget. The best way is to use software like Microsoft Word, MS Excel, or any other digital tool that seems convenient to you. It is best if you can set a template on your smartphone or tablet PC, as you can access it whenever you need it. Many apps allow you to create a template on your smartphone or tablet PC.
If you hire a removalist
Most people plan to hire a removalist to pack and transfer their stuff to the new location. If you plan to hire a professional service like removalist you should consider all the major and minor expenses that are essential for the move. Here are some of the major costs while hiring a removalist.
Fees charged by the removalist
Your removalist is going to charge a flat fee for packing and transportation. Ask the removalist company about the details of the charges and make a list of all these expenses. If you plan to pack your stuff yourself, then ask the removalist what they will charge you for transportation.
Insurance for your move
Anything can happen to your stuff during transportation. As your possessions are valuable and you spend your hard-earned money to own them, you should have insurance to cover any type of damage. Ask the removalist company if it offers insurance to cover the risks and costs of your move.
Extra Charges
Removalists charge you extra charges for any additional services other than those included in the package. Many removalists charge you some additional hidden charges, and they add up those in the final bill to surprise you. Ask your removalist to inform you about the charges for additional services and write them in your budget.
If you plan to move yourself
In case you plan to move yourself to save some money, you need to arrange everything yourself. It includes arranging for the truck for transportation, packing the stuff, and making arrangements for additional services. You also need to hire helpers for packing and loading the stuff into the truck. All these people charge you, and you should consider all these expenses in your budget. Here are the expenses that you should consider when moving on your own.
Transportation cost
You need to hire a truck for transferring all your stuff to the new location. The truck operators charge according to the distance, size of a truck (small, medium, large), and the overall weight of your stuff. Ask the truck operator about any additional charges for extra services.
Packing costs
When you plan to move on your own, you need to pack yourself or hire some helpers for packing your stuff. You need to consider the cost of packing materials, including boxes, packing papers, bubble wraps, paper cushions, markets, tapes, etc. If you want to hire a carpenter to create wooden crates, include the charges in your budget.
Helpers
If you want to hire helpers for packing your stuff, you should also include the cost in your budget. The professional helpers who are specialized in packing charge you higher than standard helpers. So, you can plan the type of helpers you need and include the charges in your budget.
Food and Drinks
If you hire helpers for packing or any other work in your house, you need to consider the expenses of their food and drinks. Therefore, you should consider the food and drinks for the helpers for the time they work at your home.
Storage Fees
Sometimes, it is not possible to move everything on a moving day, and you need to store some stuff at a place. The removalist company arranges to store your stuff at a place for which you need to pay the charges.
Cost of moving Pets
If you have pets in your house, you may want to move them as well. You may need to hire a professional service to transfer your pets to the new location as removalists usually don’t transfer pets. Make sure to include the cost of transferring pets in your moving budget.
Cleaning services
If you are living in a rental house or selling your present house, you need to clean the same. If the house is big, the charges for cleaning service would be worth considering. Therefore, it is essential to add the cleaning expenses into your moving budget.
Unpacking Cost
Some people also get the unpacking of stuff by the removalist company after arriving at their new house. If you want to unpack yourself, you don’t need to pay the charges for unpacking, but if you prefer getting the unpacking service, you must include the charges in your budget.
Setting at your new home
Not all, but some removalist companies offer services to help you settle in your new home. They unpack your stuff and place them in the areas where you instruct them to do so. However, the charges for these services are additional to the unpacking services. If your removalist offers such services, you can choose whether to avail of the unpacking services or unpacking and placement of stuff.
Subscribing to local services
When you arrive at your new home, you need to subscribe to all the services you have been using in your previous location. For example, you need a newspaper, cooking gas, electricity, internet services, etc. Now companies offering these services require you to deposit security to start using their services unless you transfer them on the same subscription.
So, if you have canceled the services at your previous location and want to subscribe to new connections, make sure to add the security costs in your budget.
Final Words
These are some tips to set your moving budget. The primary advantage of planning the budget for your move is that you get an estimate of the total cost. It also saves you from paying any surprise charges for additional services or taxes, as you know everything in advance.
You should keep some extra money for your move to manage expenses, in case you missed something to include in your budget. Following these tips can help people to plan their budget for the move and also prepare themselves to do everything at the right time.
