Moving Home: The Costs People Forget

The obvious costs

Removal firm or van hire, priced by volume, distance and access.

Packing materials, or packing services if you buy them.

Legal fees and searches, and any transaction taxes.

Survey and mortgage arrangement fees.

Estate agency fees where selling.

The costs people omit

Storage, where the sale and purchase do not align, which is common.

Overlap costs: paying rent or mortgage on both properties for a period.

Cleaning, both the property you leave and the one you arrive at.

Redirection of post, which is charged and worth having.

Disconnection and reconnection of services, and installation charges for broadband at the new address, which frequently takes longer than expected.

Changing locks, which is prudent on any property you did not previously occupy.

New white goods where the previous owner takes theirs, and curtains, blinds and light fittings which are frequently removed.

Adjusting or replacing furniture that does not fit.

Updating documents: licences, registrations, subscriptions and insurance.

Insurance timing

Buildings insurance is generally required from the point of exchange or its equivalent, not from moving day.

Contents in transit may not be covered by either policy. Confirm with your insurer and with the removal firm, whose liability is usually limited.

Check the removal firm's insurance and what it actually covers, since standard cover is frequently minimal.

Reducing the total

Move mid-month and mid-week where possible, which is cheaper.

Reduce volume before quoting, since price follows volume. Disposing of things beforehand costs less than moving them.

Obtain removal quotes from a home survey rather than online estimates, which are frequently revised upward.

Book early for the cheapest slots and to have any choice at all in busy periods.

The week itself

Keep an essentials box with documents, chargers, medicines, tools and refreshments accessible rather than packed.