As we approach the middle of 2025, the cost-of-living crisis in the UK and worldwide continues to escalate, prompting people to devise innovative ways to save money.
This is especially true when moving house in the UK, as expenses can quickly add up. If you’re not sure how to save when moving home, this insightful information piece is all you need.
How to save money before moving day
Declutter
The fewer things you’re moving, the less time and money it’s going to take to move them. Plus, with fewer things to move, you can opt for a smaller removals vehicle and fewer packaging materials, reducing your overall moving costs rather significantly at the end of the day.
Grab hold of free packing materials
In the months leading up to your house move, it’s a good idea to hold on to any boxes or packaging materials left behind by deliveries, eliminating the need to pay for spare boxes as the moving date approaches.
Furthermore, local supermarkets, shops, and businesses tend to have many different sizes of cardboard boxes lying around from deliveries. Many are willing to give these away for free if not needed.
Pack carefully
Saving money comes with the added advantage of not having to replace things down the line. Therefore, ensure that you exercise extra care and caution while packing your items.
This means labelling fragile items clearly and not cramming too many large or heavy items into a single box, or stacking too many boxes on top of each other, for that matter.
Understand what your insurance covers and doesn’t cover – in case anything gets damaged, you’ll know what kind of costs are covered.
Moving sentimental, really expensive, or personal items? Move them with you in your car.
Sell/give away unwanted items
Before discarding something as useless or ‘I don’t need that anymore’, consider selling it on online platforms like Vinted, Gumtree or Marketplace. In fact, you could even invite friends and neighbours over to a yard sale and sell those unwanted belongings at great prices, especially if you’ve looked after them well.
Book as promptly as you can
Removals teams get booked fast, particularly over bank holidays or during peak seasons, such as summer. By booking well ahead of time, you can plan the rest of your budget around the move, and if you book during the non-peak seasons, such as January or September, you might be able to get a lower quote too.
Don’t get caught out – here are some unexpected bills that can add to your total moving costs
Check for discounts
Before booking a removals company, check if you are eligible for any discounts as a student, key worker, or British Armed Forces personnel. Compare different removal companies and check if any of them are offering a ‘refer a friend’ discount. Even a small discount can add to the savings once you start to move.
Label everything clearly
The longer your moving process, the more money it’s going to cost you when seeking the help of professional movers. But if you take the time to carefully pack everything and label items properly, it can help the moving process run a lot more smoothly, with everything getting done quicker and on budget.
Clearly labelling your boxes as ‘lofts’, ‘spare rooms’, or ‘seasonal clothing’, for example, can help you pack and unpack faster, so you’ll end up paying less to the removals company.
How to save money on moving day
Extra focus on time management
Time is indeed money. This especially rings true for removal day. Speed up the process by:
- Finishing your packing before the removals team arrives
- Ensuring that they have quick and easy access to your property, including any parking permits if required
- Disconnecting items beforehand, like the dishwasher or washing machine
The above steps ensure that your removals team does not get held up engaging in extra tasks, as that can add up to your costs on the day of the move.
Be extra careful not to damage anything
Whether you’re moving out as a tenant or a former owner, it’s important to exercise extra caution when moving things around. There’s always the likelihood of doorways or skirting boards getting scuffed, things getting dropped on the floor and leaving marks, or mud being caked onto the carpet.
The new buyers or tenants will expect to find the space as listed, and if anything is not as expected or damaged, you may very well have to cover the costs.
Leaving your rental property unclean, unkempt, or full of rubbish, including unneeded items left behind, may prompt your letting agent to withhold your deposit.
Disassemble items beforehand
This is an important step you can take to save money on the day of the move, yet an often overlooked one.
Some removal teams offer a disassembly service as part of the overall package, while others don’t. If yours doesn’t or you’re being charged too much for a dedicated disassembly service, consider disassembling the larger items yourself or, at least, seek the help of a friend or family member.
Asking your removals team to move items through the door that won’t fit and then expecting them to disassemble things on moving day (without any prior agreement) means you will be paying them extra – not to mention the extra time it might take if the team is not equipped with the necessary tools to do the disassembling.
How to save money after moving in
Cut down on unnecessary expenses
Consider buying second-hand appliances, furniture, and household items to save more money after you have moved in.
Bid farewell to the moving company and unpack everything yourself. Clean your new home yourself to save money on hiring professional cleaners. A good idea would be to assemble a team of friends and/or family members to do the cleaning yourself, a few days before moving in.
Compare provider costs and negotiate
Start comparing gas, electricity, water, phone, and internet charges to find the best deals.
Shop around to find the best insurance for home and contents, checking online reviews and comparison sites to find a competitive rate.
Negotiate with your current broadband and TV provider to see if switching to a different deal or different provider altogether costs less.
Other money-saving tips
- Avoid wasting food and other resources.
- Cook or order only enough food for the day or week, and recycle items properly when no longer needed. Also, you might want to buy everyday food items in bulk to save money on recurring purchases.
- Check to see if you qualify for free insulation via UK government programmes or grants.
- Review all your subscriptions and cancel the ones you no longer need.
Closing thoughts
We’re not quite done yet with the money saving – a home utility service like Please Connect Me can help you save nearly £400 a year on bills and reduce, on average, 7 hours which may otherwise be spent setting things up in your new home, such as utilities.
Leave it up to our Utility Connections Experts to handle your utility registrations and find you the best deals on insurance, mobile, TV, broadband, and more.
Happy moving, and enjoy your new home!
