Transferring to a new home is undoubtedly among life’s biggest stressors. There’s just too many work to be done. Home transfers demand too much attention to details, from clearing the house to making household inventory and packing. But the more exasperating of all is the actual move to the new place, where everything begins again – unpacking and checking inventory to finding each old piece a new spot in its new home.
We won’t even try to include forgotten items and fragile things that just didn’t make it while on the move. Aside from the elephantine tasks of move-in planning and preparation, there’s the cost of the home transfer. And we’re not just talking of rental vans and trucks. Cross-country moves or inter-state home-transfers demand thousands of dollars to accomplish.
While it is impossible to eliminate costs, there are a few things you can do to taper off home transfer expenses. As we shall see later on, buying time before the great move is key, since a great deal of thinking and strategizing are needed if one’s goal is to have some money left in the pocket to truly say one has settled down to the new home “just fine.”
1. Save well before the move-in schedule
You may have paid up part or majority of the new house itself and now is the time to make way for that great something new in your life – living in your new home. Reality check – your expense travail is not over till it’s over.
If you make that dream move in a rebel fashion, that is taking only yourself (or your family) and the most basic of essentials, then you can start the engine and just move in anytime with only the pump price of gas to get to where you need to. But that is not the normal case. Transferring to a new home requires a great deal of money and a home transfer savings should be in the works.
Every new homeowner should save enough before the move-in schedule. This is something one should have in mind even before making a final purchase or rent of a new home. The cost will depend on how many stuff you have to bring with you, how much they weigh, the distance, whether you opt for full or select service, and packing or in-transit insurance, among others. Moving in costs are huge and if you manage to have just enough savings, it is likely to be gone in a day’s worth of transferring. To start saving well, make a list of all the moving in expenses you need to make.
First, there is the contract-mandated moving in fees. These fees would vary depending on what type of home you will be transferring in. Never rely on your contracts as this would most probably just list down the basic fees. If you have a broker, he or she should be able to walk you through on all the fees you are expected to pay to all parties concerned. In some home development projects, there is even a fee for moving in which is not the same as home transfer fee or turnover fee and utilities fixtures fee, which you may need to pay to a third party. Then there’s the cost of the actual move-in.
Make a separate savings plan for these two items and determine how much you need to come up with. If the projected expense is high, you may need to work up on a few extra income streams. Otherwise, observe some penny-pinching practices first for this goal.
2. Make a home transfer budget
Creating a budget for your home transfer allows you a view of how much you really need to shell out, the areas of the move that you should not scrimp on as well as activities where you can exercise some frugality. Most importantly, creating a budget allows you to think about how much you need to save up and until when.
Looking at your budget helps you make important decisions on what to do to pull all these things together in time. It is better to incorporate some basic accounting work here, and also allot money for incidental expenses and emergencies.
3. Moving Rental Service – A crucial cost
Moving rental service is a chief expense when transferring to a new home. While it is smart to eliminate this cost by borrowing trucks or vans if you can and asking friends to help with the move, this works only for simple transfer loads or home move-ins that are gradual.
Basic charges and service inclusions:
Home transfer services may charge differently even if the move-in details and requirements are the same. Aside from distance and number of trips, some may charge by the weight of your load. Then, there’s also the cost of insurance for your haul.
Never take a first quote at its face value. Ask around for the going rate, say, for a per-kilogram weight. This is why it is very important to study and understand your service agreement with a home transfer crew. Not only will this eliminate hidden costs and surprise charges billed to you, you can also negotiate for a better, personalized terms that can give you savings.
Getting the best terms and savings:
We cannot overemphasize the value of having a personal agreement with the managers of these moving rental services. Make a thorough research first and verify facts with the local business registry where your choices are listed.
Allot time to scout for the lowest yet most efficient and helpful moving rental service. Request for cost estimates and compare them, never giving the lowest offer the upperhand. Study your options carefully, make calls and inquiries. If you happen to find a good one, at least half of the home transfer move is done.
Never contract a service that you just saw online, or make a deal over the phone. Also, schedule a move-in well in advance so you avoid peak seasons or peak days of the month, which entail higher costs.
While the cost of a home transfer rental service may be high, it has its practical sides. In do-it-yourself home transfers, the cost of gas and multiple trips can add up to a lot. Plus you do not really have the service of professionally trained moving crew to handle all your household stuff. Moving, loading on vehicles and unloading are big, big work.
While the number of your hauls vary depending on how many stuff you need to take with you, it will still be wise to look for a moving rental service that can offer you the best price (per trip instead of by weight) for the least number of trips (those that have big vans or trucks than others).
4. Mobilize friends and family
There are areas in transferring homes where friends and family’s help are handy. Here are great money-saving ways to utilize them.
Packing household stuff:
While some home transfer services can also offer this as part of the entire crew rental cost or as a separate service, it makes sense to entrust your packing and packaging to those whom you know. While we do not discount that professional services are trained properly, there will be special care in the handling of your stuff, especially fragile household items by people close to you. Even friends will have that ownership instinct and take special care in ensuring personal stuff entrusted to their packaging skills will survive transit.
Making a moving out inventory:
The practical side is you save on this cost, while the sensible side is you can always ask your helpers in case there is one certain stuff you can’t find. A professional moving crew is more likely to just depend on the inventory list. Having people you know take part in the inventory list also makes it more personal. Reading that grandma’s old sewing kit is in Box C is a much helpful list than “Item C, personal effects”.
New home inspection:
While there is yet the actual move-in and all the chaos involved in the unloading, preparing the home for the ultimate descent of the new occupants (both people and things) is always a crucial step in home transfers. It is customary that before the move-in date, the mandatory safe and sound checklist is accomplished. The important areas will be lighting fixtures, electrical cablings, gas and kitchen works, water systems, locks and screens and privacy and general safety, among others.
While all these are supposed to be basic responsibilities of the developer or previous home owners, the new owner should have the more engaged stance and “policing’ attitude towards this step. It will be good to bring in some friends and home experts who will gladly accompany you for free to make a thorough ocular and expert scrutiny of these things before moving in. Never rely on just the word or assurance of others, especially the selling party.
5. Save on packaging costs
Buying big boxes for your household stuff can be costly too. The bigger, sturdy moving boxes can already cost $2 or more. Include other staples like bubble wraps for fragile items, packaging papers, duct tapes, packaging seals, labels and other essentials and you can run up to hundreds of dollars already.
The best way to keep packaging costs down is to announce your need for these items, and request the people you know who live or work near you to keep them for you (in case of boxes and bubble wraps, for instance). Your online social network is great for these things. You can create a pick-up schedule and round up collecting all these stuff in one day, or your friends can also drop them off to your place themselves.
6. Lighten up your load
Just like in travelling, packing light always have its advantages. With the exception of some dear household items like family furniture that you can’t really leave behind (or do not have the money to buy new), you can consider selling your old stuff not only to save on weight cost of moving them, but also as a way to generate additional moving in money.
Make a list of the items you don’t really need to take along with you from old furniture to appliances, items in the old garage, even your wardrobe and closet stuff and organize a garage sale. If you don’t have the time, you can also post your items online as a private sale to friends and relatives, where you can get their orders and deliver them yourself on a cash on delivery basis for a quick way to dispose and earn.
7. IRS move-in cost deductions
If you happen to relocate because of job-related issues, you can actually qualify for deductions for your move in expenses. This perk is subject to conditions set by the IRS. To determine if you can get expense breaks from the cost of moving home, check with the IRS if you are qualified.
Are there other ways you can think of to lessen the cost of transferring to a new home? Share them with us!