Hidden costs: How to stay on top of budget when moving home

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It's meant to be one of the most stressful periods of your life but as well as this, moving home also is incredibly expensive.

No, we're not referring to the cost of buying the property itself, but rather all of the little extras that tend to add up.

Most of these aren't budgeted for and if you are new to the house buying process, they can come as a complete shock to the system.

Bearing this in mind, let's now take a look at some of the hidden costs you need to factor in when you are next moving home.

The storage fees

Storage fees should be one of the priority items on your moving house checklist. When budgeting for a move, it is a good idea to have a look at some potential storage options to ensure there are no unexpected costs during your move.  

You might receive a list of proposed dates for each milestone of your move from your solicitor as you begin the process. Unfortunately, when it comes to the crunch, these dates are rarely met.

Delays happen, usually due to chains, and there can be occasions where you need to move your furniture somewhere where you seek temporary accommodation.

Stamp duty

It could be said that the previous issue is something of an inconvenience in comparison to stamp duty. Changes in the law have meant that some people are even more affected by this, and you can be looking at an additional bill of tens of thousands of pounds.

Granted, you generally have to own a second home to fall into said category, but this is still something to consider as you put together your budgets.

The cost of "moving in"

Next on the list is the cost of moving into a new home. Put simply, you might think you are buying the perfect new property where nothing needs to be done - but you will find something. If you happen to be purchasing one where you already know a lot of work needs to be done, there's every chance that you will want even more carried out when you get the keys.

It's almost human nature and like it or not, you need to factor this into your costs as you start to piece everything together. And if you are moving in somewhere new, don’t forget to book an exterminator like https://www.pestcontrolexperts.com/exterminator/arkansas/ - this is such an important first step in making sure your home is pest free.

Redirecting mail

As you can see, these costs really do start to get very granular. The process of redirecting mail might seem really simple, but it is going to involve a fee to the postal service.

Again, it's often not budgeted for and while it's a drop in the ocean in comparison to stamp duty, you still need to consider it.

Moving costs

We're now in an age where more and more of us like to take the DIY approach, but even if you are planning to move all of your belongings yourself there's every chance you will still have to pay the cost of hiring a van.

If you're less hands-on, and need the manpower to help you along your way, it goes without saying that these costs start to rise again.

Ellie Dickinson