Over a third of British people admit they could have done more research into the cost of moving home, according to a new report which reveals that they need to budget an extra £2,000 or risk facing extra costs.
Brighton has emerged as the most expensive city for house movers, followed by Southampton and Oxford, the survey by Admiral Home Insurance shows, while Birmingham is the cheapest, followed by Newcastle and Plymouth.
Overall some 83% revealed that they would have to rely on others to help them transport their belongings to a new home, a third use storage facilities, and 46% take between three and six days off work.
The average cost of a home removal service is £353, storage space comes in at £532, professional cleaning at £147, painting and decorating £873 and re-directing post, perhaps a hidden costs, is £34.
On top of these costs for moving from one home to another, and getting the new property ready for your arrival, many people have to factor in additional costs such as childcare or pet care.
Over a third of respondents said that they weren’t fully prepared for the cost of moving house and admit they could have done more research to help inform their budgets.
While 45% of movers say they’d call upon a home removal company to help them move house, one in 10 people admit they didn’t budget for this service despite having to use it last time they moved home.
Admiral found that the average cost of using a home removal company in the UK tots up to £353, and people can expect to pay more if they want help safely packing everything up.
Exeter was the most expensive city for home removal services with an average price tag of £495, while people in Birmingham pay the least with an average cost of £247 for help moving.
A quarter of home movers said that they’d hire a van to drive themselves if they had to move tomorrow. The average cost for this is considerably cheaper than using a home removal service at £84 per day.
For those opting to drive the van themselves, movers in Norwich get the best deal with vans available to hire from as little as £50 a day, while those in Nottingham face paying just over double that with an average price tag of £109.
A third of people have used storage facilities when moving between properties with one in 10 people keeping their belongings in storage for between six months and a year. The average cost for self-storage ranges between £532 for six months and £1,064 for a year.
Those looking to store their belongings in Brighton face the highest rates with six months of storage setting them back £852. Storage facilities in Leeds are considerably cheaper with six months costing £354, less than half the cost of Brighton.
Admiral’s investigation revealed that home owners are more house proud than renters, with one in 10 admitting to having their house professionally cleaned before moving out, ready for the new occupants.
People in London were more likely than any other region to use professional cleaners, followed by Oxford and then Leeds while14% admitted they had their new home cleaned before moving in.
‘Regardless of whether you’re buying or renting a house, there are lots of different costs you need to factor in, so it’s important to do your research beforehand to make sure you budget enough to cover everything you need,’ said Noel Summerfield, head of household insurance at Admiral.
‘It’s very easy for insurance to slip off the list of things to think about, but this could leave your belongings and your home at risk when moving. It’s vital to have your contents insurance sorted out before the day of the move because accidents can happen and the last thing you want is for your belongings to be broken or damaged during an already stressful time,’ he explained.
‘When it comes to home insurance for your new address it’s always best to get it sorted out as early as possible, so you’re covered from the get-go. If you’re buying your new home, make sure you have buildings cover in place when you exchange contracts. Your insurer may be able to transfer your existing policy to a new home, but there may be differences depending on the situation so it’s important to do your research,’ he added.
