Moving apartment or house generally means new expenses. There might be more rent to pay, new mortgage payments to deal with and new furniture to buy.
So if you can cost then on the actual logistics of moving your gear from A to B, you’ll do it.
But how do you go about cutting costs without cutting corners? Here are a few top tips:
Declutter before you move
Only move the things you’ll actually need into your new place. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
“Decluttering and only moving the things you need, and donating what you don’t need before you move, will actually save you money in the long run,” says professional organiser Chelsea Smith of The Organising Platform.
“If you have one less couch because you’re downsizing to a one-lounge home from a two-lounge home, for example, your truck will be smaller. And then also a bonus, you’ll save time in moving.”
Get friends to help you
Smith also suggests rallying your friends to help. And if you have a hard time asking for help, just know that you’d do the same for them down the track.
Call on the help of your friends, and play to their strengths. Picture: iStock
Keep them happy while moving, ensure they aren’t going to be too sore or worn out at the end of the day, and play to their strengths, Smith says.
“If you’ve got a friend who lifts weight at the gym, get them to help with the heavy stuff,” she says. “And if you’ve got a friend who’s a fanatic about cleaning or organising get them to help with all the packing and clean-up.”
Do the cleaning yourself
Rallying the troops together to clean is a great way to avoid paying hefty professional service fees for the job, or having to dedicate a whole day to doing it yourself.
One tip? Only ever clean after the move, says Smith.
“There’s no point in cleaning prior to a move because moving is such a messy process,” she says. “Getting in and out of the house will cause a lot of untidiness, dirty floors and filthy surfaces. You’ll be mortified at how much dust is left under your bed.” Why do the job twice?
If you don’t have a mate who enjoys scrubbing surfaces, consider asking your parents or best friend to keep you company as you do it. “And why not do with a glass of wine?” suggests Smith.
Hire your own moving truck
Renting one of Budget’s many affordable and easy-to-drive moving trucks – ranging from moving trucks and Hitop vans to single cab Ute trays – and moving the boxes and furniture on your own can also save you big bucks.
At Budget, you can also hire moving accessories you might need on the big day: reinforced packing boxes to protect your valuables and stack easily, packing tape, rope, hand trolleys and bubble wrap.
Start packing things into the hire truck the night before. Picture: Getty
“You’re on your own time,” says Smith. “You’ve got a whole 24 hours just to go at your own pace. So if the packing takes less time, you’re going to get to your destination even earlier. You’re not relying on other people’s schedules and timings.
“I think that’s a massive bonus to hiring your own truck.”
Pick up free packing materials
And finally, a little bit of research can save you big on packing materials. Smith suggests looking on Facebook Marketplace for moving boxes. “If they’re not free, they’ll be super cheap,” she says.
“You can also go down to your local supermarket and often they’re getting rid of large fruit boxes that you can collect as you go.”
She also suggests starting to collect newspapers well in advance of your move, as they’ll come in handy when wrapping fragile items.
