Moving, whether its just across town, to a new city or even to a different country altogether, its an exciting time. It’s also one of the most stressful things we can experience. There are so many things to consider, choosing a house, visiting schools, booking a moving company, arranging for passports and visas, changing addresses on all your mail… this list just seems to go on and on, there are so many balls to keep in the air. Moving can also be a very expensive, here are 6 ways to help you prepare financially.
- Check your company benefits. If your moving with you existing company chances are good that they will help pay for at least some of your moving expenses. Know what your company’s policy is and make sure you get the details on the moving package. You can also consider negotiating on some things if you aren’t going to fully use what’s available – you never know, you might be able to get cash instead!
- Save for the big day. There are so many things that come up during a move , many of which you won’t have thought of ahead of time. You should either have a specific savings fund for moving or you can dip into your emergency fund. Either way you will need to be prepared. Its never too late to start, try one of the top personal finance planners on the web, here for free.
- Shop around. Not all moving companies are equal, the quality of the service will differ but also the price. Get quotes from 3-4 different companies and make sure you ask questions about what is and isn’t included. Some companies may have extra hidden costs if your place has poor access for example. Also be realistic about how much insurance you really need to pay for. If in doubt ask.
- It pays to have good friends. I’m not saying you should take advantage of them, but big money can be saved if you can stay with friends in stead of a hotel or serviced apartment whilst you are in-between homes. For the price of some groceries and the occasional bottle of wine or box of chocolates you won’t need to fork out hundreds of dollars for a place to stay. Moving is also likely to be a lot more fun with good company.
- Check for tax breaks. Some countries will allow for international moving costs to be counted as fringe benefits. This means you can pay for your move with pre-tax dollars instead of post-tax salary. Don’t leave money on the table that you don’t need to.
- Minimise. Lets face it, you’ve probably accumulated a lot of stuff over the years in your current place. Use the move to go through it all and sell, donate or throw out stuff you don’t need any more. Be ruthless! Not only is this money in you pocket if you sell stuff, it will save you on moving costs as you will have less to pack. Also, you may find that living out of a suitcase for a while can be eye opening, it’s amazing how little you actually need and hopefully the mindset carries over to your new home and you become more mindful of what you really need to buy.
The average person will move home more than 11 times during their life! What are the chances you’ll be moving in the next 3, 5 or 10 years? Maybe you should should plan ahead by creating budget for the ‘unexpected’.
