4 Unexpected Costs No One Warns You About When Moving To A New Home

Moving to a new home should feel like a fresh and happy start, especially if you’re relocating to another area. However, many people don’t realize how expensive it is to move to a new home, and the expenses can be unexpected. If you’re preparing for a move, here are four often-overlooked expenses you should prepare for and take into consideration when you’re planning your move-out budget.

1.  Time Off Work

Moving takes a lot of time. Sometimes, you’ll spend entire days transferring your belongings from the old place to your new home or discussing the lease with your landlord. There’s also deliveries, inspections, and utility setup to consider. It can get so hectic that you may be forced to miss work on some days to manage everything, which adds even more to your losses.

To avoid this, plan the tasks related to your move on weekends. Block off one or two full days to handle everything at once, including packing, paperwork, key pickups, and more. That way, you reduce interruptions to your regular work schedule and stay in control of your income.

2.  Getting Your Belongings to the New Place

Don’t underestimate the costs of your move; doing things on your own can be very time consuming, and movers can also cost up to thousands of dollars. One of the most cost-efficient workarounds for transporting your belongings is by booking a container for moving. You’ll have it for a few days, allowing you to move things from one place to the other or even use it as storage when you’re not ready to unload everything into your new home just yet.

3.  Utility Overlaps Between Homes

If you’re transitioning between renting vs buying, expect to have to pay double the utilities for a month or two while you’re fixing up the move. You might need to keep services like your water, internet, and gas up and running during the move anyway, just so you’re comfortable wherever you are staying at any given moment during the transition.

You can try and minimize this expense by planning your cutoff dates in advance. If you’re lucky, you can time them properly so that when you deactivate utilities in your old home, you can start paying off those for your new one.

4.  Cleaning Fees for Your Old Place

If you were renting previously, it’s important to leave the home nice and tidy, or else you risk losing your security deposit. Cleaning services can be very expensive, especially if you want a deep clean at the very last minute.

To save money, do the final clean yourself, room by room, well in advance of your move-out date. This is also a terrific way to slowly empty out your old space little by little, instead of dealing with the whole house in one go.

Endnote

Moving is stressful as it is, and it can be more overwhelming when additional expenses are involved. By knowing what to expect and planning ahead for these hidden costs, you can stay in control of your finances and fully embrace the move-out experience. A little preparation goes a long way if you want to make your move smoother and more affordable.