In This Guide
Coping
It's a dirty job
1. Decide whose job it is
2. DIY costs
3. More DIY move factors
Move countdown
On the day
Plan your move
Removal services
Storage services
It's a dirty job
DIY costs
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The main reason people choose to move the contents of their home themselves is to save money. This is not always the outcome…
The cost of using a removals company can vary wildly, depending on a variety of factors such as the distance of the move, the size of your property and the amount of possessions you have, when you want to move, how accessible your property is, what exactly is being moved and so on. While some people can find themselves with quotes for several hundred pounds, for others it is several thousand.
Often you can save yourself quite a large sum of money if you decide to move everything yourself. This is often the case if you are moving a short distance, don't have a great deal to move, or are moving to or from a flat that involves using the stairs and not a lift.
When you add up the costs of doing it yourself, in some situations, it can be surprisingly high:
Firstly, you'll have to hire a van. This in itself is not that
expensive. A standard British driving licence will cover you for
vans that have a laden weight of 7.5 tonnes. On top of this you
would be wise to pay the collision damage waiver, especially if
you are not used to driving a van. This stops you having to pay
a hefty charge if you have a prang on your travels. Many companies
have age restrictions on van hire, often with added premiums for
those below 25. Find out about these up front or you may find
yourself unable to hire a van when you go to collect one.
If you are young and can't find a company that will allow you
to hire out a van, or you don't feel comfortable driving a vehicle
of that size, you may have to hire a driver. This can be expensive,
especially if your move is not going to be completed in one day.
A cheaper option is to find a friend who can help you out with
the driving. Extra drivers are usually allowed by the van hire
companies, but you will usually have to notify them first and
pay a small additional premium.
The next factor is the time and number of trips the move is going
to take. If you can get away with half a dozen trips in your transit
across town to your new home, then it may be a good way of approaching
the move. If it's three trips in a large van from Newcastle to
Southampton, then the costs are going to start spiralling:
You may have to pay for excess mileage above a certain level; you are certainly going to have to hire the van for more than one day; petrol is going to add up; you should probably have more than one driver; and are you really going to be in any state to load and unload at each end?
Another cost that can come into play is storage. If you cannot
co-ordinate your move-out and move-in days, then you may have
to put your possessions in storage temporarily. This may mean
some of your other moving costs are also raised - you will have
to hire a van to get your stuff from the storage company premises
to the new home. This means that you physically have to load and
unload everything twice as well as having to hire a van on two
separate occasions.
Read more about storage services
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companies in SiteFinder
Not everyone includes this factor when working out their moving
costs. If moving home is going to take several solid days of packing,
loading, driving, unloading and unpacking, then think about how
that time could be used in other ways.
Money, money, money. It makes the world go round, but it isn't the be all and end all. Find out about some of the other factors which could influence your decision to take the DIY approach to moving home.
If you have heard enough and think you'd rather just pay for someone to do it for you, follow the link to find out more about removal services.
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