As you plan to move to a new home, what kind of costs will you have to deal with? There may be some that you are not expecting, and we want to help you prepare for those.
There will be a lot for you to do as you prepare for the move, so this article will clue you in on some of those expenses that might otherwise catch you by surprise. If you want your move to go smoothly, you’ll plan out the costs and make sure you have the money on hand to cover them before you start moving.
The Moving Company
There are lots of options for moving companies for you to pick from, and there are a few factors to keep in mind as you try to find the best one:
- Cost- How expensive are they?
- Reputation- Are they well reviewed?
- Availability- Can they come to help you move when you need it?
- Moving equipment- Do they have the tools and moving vehicles needed to transport everything from your home and one trip?
There may be a number of costs involved when hiring a moving company. They probably charge an hourly rate for their services, if you’re going to have them help you pack up boxes and furniture and put it into a moving truck and then unload it at your new house. On top of that, you’ll need to pay for the moving vehicle. If you damage anything, you’ll have to cover that as well. Usually, the client will be required to cover the cost of gas for the moving vehicle.
Some of these costs will be much lower if you’re just moving within the same city or the same general area. For a move across the country or through multiple states, you have to plan to spend a lot more money on the moving company and plan to be borrowing their vehicle for longer.
Do you want to pay them to move your items or are you moving them yourself? Some movers let you borrow their truck and you do all the work. Others offer you the option for them to drive and them to move your items.
Also consider additional fees that you might not see initially when looking at their website. These can be fees for returning the vehicle, fees for the use of moving equipment, and various taxes and surcharges that aren’t always apparent up front.
House Cleaning Costs
When you’re moving to a new home, you may not have time to do the cleaning yourself in the new place or for the old place you’re moving out of. You can hire a company that usually does housework to do the cleaning for you so that you can focus on the other aspects of your move.
The cleaning service is more expensive than doing the work yourself, but it can be very helpful if you want the job done right. This is especially important if you’re planning to clean up the old house and you want to sell it. Or if it is an apartment you are renting, you may want to have it professionally cleaned so that you get the security deposit back.
Professional cleaning services usually charge an hourly rate, and a deep cleaning will take much longer than a standard cleaning. You may want them only for tidying up the house you’re moving into or for both houses. Consider the cost for the cleaning and if you can afford both cleanings are just one. It can often be cheaper to hire the same service for multiple cleanings than to try to find a different service for each cleaning.
If you want to cut costs, look for ways to minimize the hassle the cleaning company has to deal with at your home. If they have to work around furniture and boxes, it will take them longer to clean properly. So, it’s smart to schedule the cleaning for the new house before you move anything in. And you may want to schedule the cleaning for the old house after you have moved everything out. This will make things much easier for them and cost you less when you pay them an hourly rate.
Initial Move In Expenses
As you prepare to move into the new home, consider the following expenses that may have to be paid before you can live there comfortably:
- Turning on utilities– You may have to pay to have gas, water, and electricity turned on in the new home, especially if it has been vacant for a while.
- Home inspection– If you have not looked at the home yourself before you move in or you don’t feel confident about your ability to find and deal with problems, you may want to consider the cost of a home inspection. Pay for an inspector to check the roof, plumbing, and electrical systems to see if any problems need to be dealt with.
- Accommodations– If the new home is not ready for you to move in right away, you may have to pay for a place for your family and yourself to live for a short period of time once you have moved out of the old house.
- Basic supplies– If you weren’t able to bring everything with you to the new house or some of the things that your old house belong to the landlord or friends, you may have to buy new items for your new home. Calculate these costs ahead of time and figure them into your budget.
Conclusion
We have covered the majority of moving in costs, but you may find some others that you didn’t plan for. It’s a good idea to have a little extra money on hand to deal with those unexpected expenses that crop up. Each move is going to be different for every person, and because we don’t know your specific situation, we can only give you general advice. We hope this information is helpful as you budget out the cost of moving to a new home.
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