8 ways to save money on moving house

For moving between flats and small houses (providing you can drive) you might be able to move your belongings yourself. While this option involves a lot of hard physical work, it is generally the cheapest option - especially if you can rope in friends and family to give you a hand. If you have any large furniture pieces, like sofas, mattresses, or dining furniture sets, you’ll likely need to hire a van to move those, but these can be hired relatively inexpensively. Just make sure you hire the right size van!

For smaller house moves, or those where you aren’t moving a considerable distance, it may be more economical to choose a removal company that operates on an hourly rate. While your final cost can increase considerably if you encounter any delays, you can theoretically save a considerable hunk of cash on small, simpler moves doing it this way.

Many people prefer to hire a removal company that takes care of the move end-to-end - house moves can be stressful enough without feeling you have to manage every minute of the day yourself! Even if you choose a removal company that bundles everything into one final packaged quote - there’s still plenty of opportunities to save money.

Most removal companies offer an in-person or video call quote, where you show them around your house and they calculate the size of removal vehicle you’ll need. This is important because quotes based on the number of bedrooms in your house aren’t always accurate - you may have more or less belongings than the average person! They’ll also spot any specific items that may be oversized or need specialist moving or wrapping equipment. It’s a good idea to request quotes from several different companies, as there can be a dramatic difference in pricing - and ask friends and family if they have any companies they would recommend, too.

It’s also key to carefully consider any additional services a removal company offers you. They may offer to sell you packing boxes, do the packing for you, or disassemble and reassemble furniture (although most won’t do this for flat packed furniture). These additional services add up, so if you prefer to pack belongings yourself, or source your own boxes for free (see below) - you can save quite a bit of money here, too.

Many large supermarkets have areas by the checkouts where they stack used cardboard boxes from deliveries for their customers to take for free. Look for boxes still in good shape - not torn or bent - that were designed for heavy items like frozen food, pasta and rice. Bottle crates are also great for transporting delicate glassware.

Smaller local stores also often have an abundance of delivery boxes they will happily let you take, and because they get regular deliveries there’s a high turnover of boxes for you to choose from. Pop in and ask for permission before digging through their trash pile though!

If you regularly shop online, many heavy items come in sturdy cardboard packaging that is ideal to re-use as moving boxes. Look for thick, sturdy corrugated boxes that still feel structurally sound - particularly those which held heavier or delicate items. Boxes from appliances, fruit and veg deliveries, butcher boxes, and bulk orders of pet food or cleaning supplies all make great packing boxes.

If you’re moving house, it’s likely that some of your friends, family, neighbours and colleagues will have some boxes hanging around in their home that you can use - whether from a previous house move or recent deliveries. Usually by taking them off their hands, you’re actually doing them a favour by saving them a trip to the tip!