How often are Australians moving home? According to the 2007-08
Survey of Income and Housing by the Australian Bureau of
Statistics, 27% of Australians have lived in their current home for
more than 15 years. 30% have lived in their current home for 5 to
14 years, and 43% of Australians have moved in the past five
years.1
Since close to 50% of the population has moved in the past
several years, it's no wonder that Australians are on the hunt for
more affordable moving options.
Buying and selling a home can be expensive in itself, but when
you factor in the cost of relocation, it could cost thousands of
dollars more than anticipated.
Still, moving home on a budget is possible and is often the best
option if you hope to save money during your relocation. By using
the following tips for moving home on a budget, moving house
doesn't have to be quite so costly:
- Donate unwanted items. This may seem
like a small step to take when moving house, but donating items
that you no longer need will lighten your load significantly.
When you have less to move, then you will pay less for a truck and
the time spent hiring a professional moving service. Even better,
when you donate larger items to charity, you can save the receipt
for a tax deduction at the end of the year.
- Sell excess items. One way to make money
when moving house is to sell your furnishings to a consignment shop
instead of donating. This is an excellent way to earn money on old
furniture that can be put toward your moving budget.
- Know how much you are moving. When you
know exactly how many boxes and pieces of furniture that you have
to move, you can hire the right size truck to carry your
load.
This is part of being organised when moving home and will prevent
you from paying more for a truck that is too big because you didn't
plan ahead.
- Gather packing supplies in advance. If
you start planning early, you can avoid paying top dollar for
packing supplies from a professional moving company. Check with
grocers, liquor stores, or retail stores in your area to request
old boxes that have been thrown out.
If you plan ahead as you move home, you should never have to pay
for boxes - just one less unnecessary expense to factor into your
moving budget.
- Move in the middle of the month. When
you move house, timing is everything. Moving at an off time, like
the middle of the month or mid-week, is normally less expensive
than moving at month's end when the majority of leases tend to be
up.
Top moving tip
Pack your valuables in butcher paper instead of bubble wrap. It
will protect your fragile items effectively and will be
significantly cheaper.
Sources
- "4102.0 - Australian Social Trends, Dec
2010." Australian Bureau of Statistics. N.p., 14 Dec. 2010.
Web. 9 Aug. 2011.
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