Is you family growing?
The queue for the bathroom taking as long as waiting for a ride at
Alton Towers? Then maybe it is time for you to think about changing
your surroundings.
Not
everybody wants to move home for family reasons. There are a many
people move around due to new jobs, neighbours from hell or lottery
winnings. The moving home burden can be eased as our advisors can
get you a mortgage of your new property before you have sold your
previous home.
On
the financial side of things are advisers can answer all your queries
either online or over the phone. On the actual moving hints and tips
then read on and our advice should give you the push in the right
direction for your new dwelling.
Firstly,
it would be ideal if you budgeted your move. To get an idea of how
much the move will cost it would beneficial if you worked out your
expenses. These may include:
Housing
- Home Repairs
- Cleaning services
- Rental expenses
- Storage rental
- Utility deposits
- Pet deposits
- Damage/security
deposits
- First and last
month's rent
- Application
fees
Moving
- Moving services
rental
- Moving supplies
Moving Travel
- Airline Tickets
- Fuel
- Tolls
- Meals
- Hotels
Things that
could go wrong.
- Forgetting
your new address.
- Forgetting
to tell your removal company your new address.
- Not having
the keys for your new property.
- Forgetting
to pick your cat/dog from the cattery/kennels and leaving it behind.
- Leaving your
spouse and/or children behind (yes, really!).
- Leaving an
old, but treasured possession in the attic.
- Failing to
make sure you've removed everything (bar the kitchen sink) that's
not nailed down.
- Not checking
out your new neighbours BEFORE you move in.
- Not checking
the old owners have left the building before you've moved in.
- Forgetting
to cancel your subscriptions to your favourite publications.
Getting the
Right Coverage
The worst case
scenario of all is that your items will get damaged or lost in the
moving process. To ensure you will be compensated for this it would
be sensible to invest in The three main types are:
- Basic Liability
- Basic price per item. Normally much lower than actual price of
item. This is usually free.
- Declared Value
Protection - This offers coverage for a replacement value of lost
or destroyed items minus depreciation. Price subject to weight of
total items.
- Extra Care
Protection - A high level of protection. Coverage is at 100% of
items value regardless of depreciation. Again, cost would be dependent
on valuation of items. Your own home insurance may cover you when
you are moving with clarification needed for such items as antiques,
crystal or collectibles.
Saving Money
The costs of moving
home can be expensive. This needn't be the case if you do some of
the following.
- Look to find
boxes as cheap as possible. Ask family, friends, shops, etc if they
have any spare boxes. Check newspapers as boxes are often sold in
the classifieds.
- Borrow items
as well from your family and friends. Such as a tape dispenser,
packing tape and other supplies.
- Instead of
bubble wrap use newspaper, tissue and plain paper to pad breakables.
- Instead of
renting padding blankets for the truck rental company use your own
blankets, linens, and area rugs for padding.
- Look to stay
with a friend, family, etc instead of the extra cost of staying
in a hotel in the night before the departure.
Removal Companies
The removal companies
costs are fairly reasonable with prices dependent of house size and
distance travelled between your old and new home. The average costs
are:
- 1 Bedroom
with distance 0-25 miles - £200-400
- 2 Bedroom with
distance 0-25 miles - £250-500
- 3 Bedroom with
distance 0-25 miles - £300-600
- 4 Bedroom with
distance 0-25 miles - £500-900
Any distance travelled
further than 25 miles prices will normally rise by rise by 50-75%
depending on distance.
Complaints
and Enquiries
On the off chance
that something goes wrong when you moving into your new home you will
have to contact Energywatch. They deal with all consumer complaints
concerning your gas or electrical suppliers. You can contact them
on the following:
Web address:
www.energywatch.org.uk
Email address:
enquiry@energywatch.org.uk
Phone: 0845
906 0708 (GAS) 0845 601 3131 (Electrical)
A Checklist
for Before and After You've Moved
- Pack Heavy
- Pack Light Pack heavy items in small boxes and lighter items
in larger boxes.
- Take Notes
- Make a note of your shipment registration number and keep
it with you in case you need to call your mover with questions about
your shipment.
- Get the
Bed - Ready Designate one drawer of a dresser for sheets and
towels so that you won't have to rummage through boxes for these
essentials the first night in your new home.
- Don't forget
about the Fridge - After you've thoroughly cleaned and dried
the inside of your refrigerator, put a handful of fresh coffee,
baking soda or charcoal in a sock or nylon stocking and place it
inside to keep the interior smelling fresh.
- Keep the
Phone Book - Take your current phone book with you. You may
need to make calls to residents or businesses back in your former
hometown.
- Give out
your Number - Before the van foreman leaves for your destination
residence, give him a phone number where you can be reached. It
is also a good idea to provide him with an alternate contact in
case you can't be reached.
- Protect
Your Memories - If it's irreplaceable, take it with you in the
car (you don't want regrets later). But if you do decide to pack
framed photos or art, place sheets or blankets between them for
added protection.
- Know how
to Pack Plates and Records - Plates and record albums should
be packed on end vertically, rather than placed flat and stacked.
- Remember
the Bare Necessities - Toilet paper, telephone, toiletries,
snacks, coffee (and pot), soap, flashlight, screwdriver, pliers,
can opener, paper plates, cups, utensils, a couple of pans, and
paper towels are some of the essentials you may need upon arrival
at your new home. Pack a box with these types of items and ask your
van foreman to load it last so that it will be unloaded first.
- Unscrew
Bulbs - Remove bulbs before packing your lamps.
- Tag your
Items - For your garage sale, tag all items and be prepared
to wheel and deal. Garage sale gurus love to haggle.
- Give the
Kids an Exercise - Have children write their names and new address
on the cartons from their rooms so they can become familiar with
their new street and town.
- Help your
Pet Relax - Keep your pet calm and away from all the activity
on moving day by arranging for a friend to watch him at their house.
- Be Nice
to Your Plants - When moving plants to your new residence via
your car, try not to let foliage rest against the windows, as the
leaves will scorch.
- Take a Break
from the Computer - Upon arrival at your new home, let your
computer "acclimate" itself to room temperature before plugging
it in.
- Enjoy the
Help - Leave the rest to the professionals, sit back and relax,
and look forward to the new opportunities, friends and experiences
that are part of any move.
Its simple. Just
fill in a quick and easy application form and one of advisors will
be in contact with you as soon as possible.
updated: 11/11/07
Apply
now
