Moving house can be one of the most stressful things you can ever encounter in your life. There’s so much preparation involved and so many things you need to remember to do not to mention all the expense that’s involved. When it comes to the financial aspects of moving home you’ll have probably thought of things like the costs of solicitors fees and surveys etc.
However, there are so many other things to consider that if you don’t plan carefully and draw up some kind of moving ‘budget’, the actual bottom line cost of moving can be far higher than you anticipated which is not the start you’ll want to get off to when moving home is stressful enough as it is.
Therefore, it’s useful to create a budget so that you know, more or less, just how much your move is going to cost so that you’re prepared and know, as accurately as you can predict, how much you’re going to be spending. This article will cover all the main necessary expenditure that you’re likely to incur apart from legal fees and survey costs. Not all of it will be applicable to every move and there may be some additional costs that are not on here but which are specific to your own situation.
However, by drawing up a plan following similar guidelines to this, whether you do it as a Microsoft Word document or Excel spreadsheet or even if you resort to pen and paper, it should help you manage your finances better when it comes to moving house.
Removal
Packing and Storage FeesYou’ll need to work out how many storage boxes you think you’re going to need. OK, there’s bound to be some guesswork here although many storage box companies will be able to give you a fair estimate on how many you’ll need based upon the number of rooms in your house and the kind of items you’ll be taking with you. You’ll also need things like bubble wrap, protective inner packaging materials and tape as well.
Cleaning Costs
You’ll probably want to leave your own home spick and span for the next occupants and even if the previous residents in your new home have thought of that too, you should factor in the cost of cleaning materials for both houses just in case.
Redecorating Costs
If you’re planning to redecorate or refurbish your new home, you’ll need to work out how much money that will cost. An idea, to give you a rough estimate, is to consider each room in your new home and what needs doing to each and to work out a budget per room or, if that’s going to take too long, consider the room which requires the most work and draw up a list of what needs doing. Once you’ve reached a figure, multiply that by the number of rooms in the house. It won’t be as accurate as the first method but, being the room which needs the most work doing to it, it’s a safe bet to assume that the total cost will not exceed your estimate.
Utility Deposits
You might also need to find out if there are any initial deposits to pay as far as utilities supplies being connected in your new home are concerned e.g. gas, electric, water, phone, internet access etc.
Moving Into Rented Accommodation
If you are moving into rented accommodation, you’ll need to find out how much the deposit will be in addition to your first month’s rent and many landlords will also want you to put up a bond as security against any damage that may occur to the property whilst you’re a tenant. Make sure you’ve studied your tenancy agreement too and look out for any hidden extra costs as you’re likely to be liable for things like council tax too.
Miscellaneous Items
You should also add on a sum of money for any other minor costs you might incur, e.g. disposal of household items that your local authority won’t take away with your household rubbish and things like parking permits.
Obviously, this article can only skim the surface here as one household’s needs are likely to be very different from another’s. However, by trying to think of every eventuality in terms of costs when you’re moving, coming up with a total figure and then adding on, say, 5% to the total – just in case you’ve forgotten anything, the final figure you come up with should be an adequate sum which should cover most eventualities when it comes to the costs of moving house.
ServiceIf you intend hiring a professional removal service, get 3 quotes and make sure that the costs include petrol and any labour. Then, even if you’ve not decided which company to choose yet, budget for the highest cost. Remember to include any insurance costs too, if you are going to take any insurance out in case of damage to items. If you’re moving yourself, work out how many trips you might need to make to get all your belongings from your old house to your new one and estimate how much that will cost in petrol. And, if you’re going to ask a friend to help you with the move, make sure you factor in the cost for the tip you hopefully intend to give them.
Lodgings
If you’re moving further away and you know you won’t be able to complete the move in one day, find out how much it’s going to cost for your hotel lodgings overnight and add on meal and drinks costs if that’s not included, unless you’re going to make your own provisions for that.
Child/Pet Care
Unless you have family and friends or neighbours who are going to keep an eye on your children and/or pets whilst you get settled into your new home, you may need to factor in childcare costs and kennelling too.
For more information please visit www.gocompareremovals.co.uk
Sunday, 4 October 2009
Thursday, 1 October 2009
Best Times to Move
Best Times to Move
For many people they don’t often have an awful lot of choice when they move home. A house move can occur for several reasons. Perhaps, you’ve been offered a promotion which means you have more money to buy or rent the place you’ve always wanted to or you might have taken a new job which means you need to relocate or maybe it’s the right time to sell financially in order to maximise the value of your existing property.
On the opposite side of the coin, perhaps you can no longer afford to live in your present accommodation and are forced to downsize. Whatever the reason, you may not always have the ‘luxury’ of planning the exact time of the year in which to move. However, if you are fortunate enough to be in that position, there are a few factors which you might wish to consider.
School Calendar
There are different trains of thought as to when to move when you have children who are still at school. For some families, the school holidays are the ideal time to move from one house to another as it causes less disruption with their children’s education, with summer holidays being the most preferred option. People who advocate this time as the best time to move will point to issues such as their children will have fully completed another year of school and with the end of the summer term and the longer amount of time off before the new term, it will keep educational disruption down to a minimum whilst also allowing their children the necessary time to say goodbye to old friends.
Conversely, however, there will be other parents who say that by moving a couple of months before the end of term, it gives their children the opportunity to settle into their new school quickly and to make new friends with which to spend time with over the summer. This, in turn, means that their kids are not getting under their parents’ feet over the summer months as they go about settling in to their new home with all the unpacking and organisation that needs to be done.
Cost
Just like the holiday companies who know when to spot the opportunity to ‘up’ their rates, removal firms too know that the school holidays (and particularly the summer holidays) are ripe to push up their prices as their services are always in more demand during this time. Therefore, if you plan on moving in the summer holidays, it’s likely to cost you more. Not only that, but because of the increased demand for removal services, you need to bear in mind that you’re not always going to get the same level of service that you might otherwise do at different times of the year. Removal companies will often take on seasonal workers who are not used to working in the industry over the summer months to cope with the extra demand which might mean you get a less efficient service.
Christmas
Most house movers will tell you that it’s better to be settled in to your new home a couple of months before Christmas and, if that’s not possible, you should leave it until after the festive period. The reason being is that Christmas is a special time where it’s important for all the family to feel a real sense of community and belonging and, by leaving a move too close to Christmas, it’s far more difficult to establish new friendships quickly which could leave you feeling a little isolated over the festive period. The general train of thought would seem to be that unless you can move house a good few months before Christmas, you should stay put and wait until it has passed. Then, not only will you still be surrounded by those who care most about you in the run-up leading to Christmas, the Christmas and New Year holiday is the ideal time to throw a few farewell parties.
The Weather and Climate
Whilst this is often a secondary factor not considered too seriously by a lot of people when it comes to a house move, particularly here in the UK where the weather can be fickle anyway, some people will point to the Spring and Summer months as the best time to move as poor rainy conditions or the extreme cold of winter can often make a move more stressful, not forgetting that it can also have an impact upon causing damage to furnishings and other belongings.
Ultimately, however, people will usually have a number of their own specific issues and reasons which will affect the time of year they choose to move. The most important thing to remember is to choose an appropriate time, wherever possible, which will cause the least stress and disruption to you and your family and is something that should be discussed between the whole family in order to make the transition run as smoothly as possible.
For more information please visit www.gocompareremovals.co.uk
For many people they don’t often have an awful lot of choice when they move home. A house move can occur for several reasons. Perhaps, you’ve been offered a promotion which means you have more money to buy or rent the place you’ve always wanted to or you might have taken a new job which means you need to relocate or maybe it’s the right time to sell financially in order to maximise the value of your existing property.
On the opposite side of the coin, perhaps you can no longer afford to live in your present accommodation and are forced to downsize. Whatever the reason, you may not always have the ‘luxury’ of planning the exact time of the year in which to move. However, if you are fortunate enough to be in that position, there are a few factors which you might wish to consider.
School Calendar
There are different trains of thought as to when to move when you have children who are still at school. For some families, the school holidays are the ideal time to move from one house to another as it causes less disruption with their children’s education, with summer holidays being the most preferred option. People who advocate this time as the best time to move will point to issues such as their children will have fully completed another year of school and with the end of the summer term and the longer amount of time off before the new term, it will keep educational disruption down to a minimum whilst also allowing their children the necessary time to say goodbye to old friends.
Conversely, however, there will be other parents who say that by moving a couple of months before the end of term, it gives their children the opportunity to settle into their new school quickly and to make new friends with which to spend time with over the summer. This, in turn, means that their kids are not getting under their parents’ feet over the summer months as they go about settling in to their new home with all the unpacking and organisation that needs to be done.
Cost
Just like the holiday companies who know when to spot the opportunity to ‘up’ their rates, removal firms too know that the school holidays (and particularly the summer holidays) are ripe to push up their prices as their services are always in more demand during this time. Therefore, if you plan on moving in the summer holidays, it’s likely to cost you more. Not only that, but because of the increased demand for removal services, you need to bear in mind that you’re not always going to get the same level of service that you might otherwise do at different times of the year. Removal companies will often take on seasonal workers who are not used to working in the industry over the summer months to cope with the extra demand which might mean you get a less efficient service.
Christmas
Most house movers will tell you that it’s better to be settled in to your new home a couple of months before Christmas and, if that’s not possible, you should leave it until after the festive period. The reason being is that Christmas is a special time where it’s important for all the family to feel a real sense of community and belonging and, by leaving a move too close to Christmas, it’s far more difficult to establish new friendships quickly which could leave you feeling a little isolated over the festive period. The general train of thought would seem to be that unless you can move house a good few months before Christmas, you should stay put and wait until it has passed. Then, not only will you still be surrounded by those who care most about you in the run-up leading to Christmas, the Christmas and New Year holiday is the ideal time to throw a few farewell parties.
The Weather and Climate
Whilst this is often a secondary factor not considered too seriously by a lot of people when it comes to a house move, particularly here in the UK where the weather can be fickle anyway, some people will point to the Spring and Summer months as the best time to move as poor rainy conditions or the extreme cold of winter can often make a move more stressful, not forgetting that it can also have an impact upon causing damage to furnishings and other belongings.
Ultimately, however, people will usually have a number of their own specific issues and reasons which will affect the time of year they choose to move. The most important thing to remember is to choose an appropriate time, wherever possible, which will cause the least stress and disruption to you and your family and is something that should be discussed between the whole family in order to make the transition run as smoothly as possible.
For more information please visit www.gocompareremovals.co.uk
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