The following post is by MPFJ staff writer, Laurie Blank. Laurie is a wife, mother to 4 and homesteader who blogs about personal finance, self-sufficiency and life in general over at The Frugal Farmer. Part witty, part introspective and part silly, her goal in blogging is to help others find their way to financial freedom and to a simpler, more peaceful life
Without proper planning – and even with proper planning – moving can cost a LOT of money. Between the prep work beforehand, real estate fees, moving expenses and getting adjusted in your new home, the costs can seem endless. Here are some ideas on how you can save money as you prepare to move from one home to another.
How to Save on Getting Your Current House Ready for the Market
A move to a new home often means you have to sell your current home. It’s important to maximize profits on the sale of your current home without spending a bunch of money you don’t need to spend. In order to make your house shine and save money in the process, try these tips.
- Stage your home yourself instead of hiring out. Most of home staging involves making the home look uncluttered and inviting. Check online sites such as Pinterest for home staging tips and do the work of staging yourself.
- Deep clean and organize your home. A clean, organized home where every corner has been decluttered will help the home sell for top dollar and will also cut down on moving expenses because there will be less stuff to move to your new home.
- Make inexpensive cosmetic repairs. This is another tip that will help you get top dollar for your current home. If you’ve got broken blinds, shabby curtains or ultra-worn furniture, seek out inexpensive resources for replacing or repairing them. A fresh coat of paint will do wonders. Freshly cleaned carpets (instead of replacing carpet) will make your home shine.
How to Save on Real Estate Transactions
Real estate transactions such as realtor fees and taxes can also add up when it is time to move. Try these tips for saving on selling your current home and buying your new home.
- Negotiate your realtor’s commission fee. While the regular fee for most realtors is seven percent, it’s not unrealistic to talk a realtor down to six percent or even lower if you have a good reason. What justifies a good reason for a realtor to lower his or her fee? A turnkey property, a higher end property or a home in a valuable neighborhood. The easier your home is to sell, the more likely a realtor will consider lowering their fees.
- Ask the seller of your home to pay some or all of your closing costs for your new home. By negotiating some seller paid closing costs, you can save several thousand dollars.
How to Save on the Actual Move
This is where things can get expensive. Moving companies often charge several thousand dollars to pack up and move a family from one place to the next. Here are some tips for saving.
- If you’re moving locally, consider doing the packing and moving yourself, either by asking for help from family and friends or by renting a large moving truck.
- Instead of paying for boxes, head to local grocery and department stores and ask if they have any boxes they’d like you to take off their hands. Many stores will gladly give you the boxes their inventory comes in for moving purposes.
- If you’re moving out of town, get estimates and references from at least three different moving companies, as prices and services can vary wildly.
- If you have to hire a moving company, ask if they’ll give a discount if you pack up your own belongings instead of having the moving company do it.
How to Save as You Get Settled in Your New Home
There are expenses to every part of moving, including when you’re settling into your new home. Here are some tips for saving money as you settle in.
- Get more than one estimate for local utility, cable, satellite and Internet provider companies before you choose your providers. Ask for new customer discounts such as the first three months free or a waived installation fee.
- Do any cleaning and painting yourself if possible, as opposed to hiring out.
- Know beforehand what other items you’ll need to settle into your new home, and work to buy them at reasonable prices. When we moved from the city to the country, we found out quickly that we’d need a chainsaw for tree limbs that fell during storms and a decent snow plow for our long driveway. Because we hadn’t foreseen those purchases beforehand and had to make them quickly, we spent more than we needed to.
Moving is listed as one of the top stressful times in a person’s life, but with some forethought and planning, you can help make your move less stressful and less expensive as well.
How about you all? What are your tips for saving money while moving? How do you keep moving less stressful?
Share your experiences by commenting below!
***Photo courtesy https://www.flickr.com/photos/113026679@N03/14453910557/
