The Hidden Costs of Moving
Relocating to a new home is a huge undertaking. There are countless things that have to be taken care of. From packing everything away in boxes to changing your mailing address to cleaning the new home, everything has to be taken care of before you can really settle in. Moving is a big responsibility to take on. Obviously, you will have to pay for the new home and the moving company, but there are several other things that can rack up the bills pretty quickly.
Getting Settled In
When moving to a new home, owners often forget about the cost of buying groceries, cleaning supplies or any other little items you normally wouldn’t have to buy in large quantities. Groceries can add up quickly especially when you have to buy spices and other items that you don’t purchase on a regular trip to the grocery store. Top that with buying all new cleaning supplies, and you are spending hundreds of dollars to clean and eat. Not to mention that the new house or apartment might require some new furniture. Items that you had in your old home may not fit or look right at the new location, or they may just need to be replaced due to wear and tear. Furniture can be really expensive especially when you want everything to be perfect at your new home.
Additional Moving Insurance
Moving all your possessions to a new location is usually a stress every mover faces. But protecting every item you have is of the utmost importance, so making sure to buy proper protective items is important, too. When you hire a moving company, they will give you some coverage for your possessions, but buying the extra insurance can save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars if something goes wrong. Having to replace an item at full cost is not fun, especially when there are so many other things money needs to go towards. Put yourself at ease and pay the extra fee for full coverage.
Fees
New electric, gas, internet, and television services will need to be set up soon after you arrive at your new home. These utilities can be quite pricy depending on where you live. Other utilities like water, sewage, or a new home security system also cost fair amount money but are necessary at the new location, so make sure to research all options before choosing something at the last moment. A good strategy is to call ahead to see how much these new utilities cost and plan accordingly. On the other hand, you might have to terminate utilities that are set up at your old place. Unfortunately, sometimes companies will require you to pay a fee to get out of your current contract which must be taken care of before leaving. Finally, new utility companies may require additional funds up-front in a form of a security deposit.
Storage or Lodging
Moving isn’t always as neat and tidy as we would like it to be. Things come up that can delay the moving process. You may be forced to get an unexpected hotel room or keep the moving van another night, so plan ahead for these little expenses.
In all, there are some hidden costs to the moving process that homeowners need to take into account when budgeting. Even though moving is fun and exciting, the owners still need to take care of business and budget accordingly. Learn more about the cost of moving here.
