5 of the best ways to save money on house removals in the New Year

5 of the best ways to save money on house removals in the New Year

With the New Year, people’s thoughts often turn to new pastures. For many, that means a new job, new opportunities, and a new home.

But with the average cost of moving house in the UK now £11,000, due to stamp duty and legal fees, many people will be looking to save money on the cost of the move itself.

Removals comparison site buzzmove.com has put together its top 5 ways to keep house removal costs down.

1. When choosing a removals company, be sure to let them survey your belongings

Many people expect a removals company to be able to quote them a price right away over the phone. But while some are prepared to do that, it can be dangerous to do this without letting them see the contents they will have to move.

Without the ability to judge the volume of goods, the removals company could end up bringing a van that’s too small. That means two trips – and more costs, since most good removals companies will have a clause in their agreement that allows them to charge more in the event they have to do more trips than expected.

When they do the survey, customers should make sure they show them the contents of wardrobes and kitchen and bedroom drawers, as this is where most of the unexpected volume is usually found.

2. Let your removals company know about access at both properties

Restricted access is a common obstacle during home removals, and often leads to a move taking longer and costing more – costs that may be passed on to customers. To avoid this, customers should take pictures of the street outside their old and new properties. Or, if they can’t do that at the new property, they should look it up on Google Earth, see what restrictions there might be – and make their removal company aware of them before move day.

3. Choose a less popular time to move

The most popular days for moving in the UK are Fridays and Saturdays. That makes it harder to find a good removals company at short notice, and means higher prices.

To avoid this, customers should try to book moves for Monday – Wednesday. That way, good removals companies are more likely to have capacity, and usually more willing to offer a discount to secure the work.

4. Compare as many removal quotes as you can

There are removals firms – usually small man and van outfits – who are prepared to charge very low amounts for moves. But this is no good for customers who need to move the contents of a two or three bedroom house or large flat.

Unrealistically low prices suggest that the service might not be up to scratch. Or even that the removals company might have all the proper insurance in place – bad news if any possessions are damaged in transit.

The answer is to compare 3 or more quotes from removal companies. This will give a more realistic impression of what the right price should be. From there, customers can try to negotiate on the price. But they do need to know what a realistic price is first.

5. Use your removal company to save on storage

Most removal companies have storage facilities, or partnerships with storage companies. And according to buzzmove research amongst its 350-plus removal company partners, the cost of storing goods through a removal company can be up to 50% cheaper than the well-known self-storage chains.

So customers who need storage should always ask their removal company about what options they offer. In most cases, this alone could save them a significant amount of money – with those savings typically adding up to hundreds of pounds over the course of a year.

For more about Buzzmove, go to www.buzzmove.com, follow @buzzmoveHQ or call 0800 072 3382