Moving? Create a Budget
Moving? Create a Budget
Are you in the market for a new house? How exciting! We at eHome want to make your home buying experience the best one possible.
We have worked with thousands of buyers over the years, and we’ve noticed that many of you often worry about the bottom line:
How much can you afford to pay for a house?
Once you know your purchasing limits, you can work with real estate professionals to find your dream home in that set price range.
Good for you! The sky’s the limit, right?
Buying a Home Will Cost You
Don’t get too hasty there, friends. Buying a home costs more than your mortgage.
Yes, you will need to budget for your monthly home loan payments. However, it is also wise to create a budget to move into your new home.
Your furniture and belongings are not going to move themselves. That takes money, time, and manpower.
And for the record, we’ve seen many friends and family members come down with unexpected illnesses and unforeseen plans when they hear you need help moving…
Don’t worry. This is where we at eHome can help. Here are:
5 Steps to Budget for Your Big Move
Step #1: Take Inventory of What You Have
To start budgeting for your big move, take inventory of what you currently have. If you need to, make a list room by room or cabinet by cabinet.
Then, take a hard look at the list and decide what you actually want to take with you.
If furniture, trinkets, artwork, or belongings do not fit in your new house’s space or with your new decor ideas, now is a great time to declutter.
Sell or trash whatever you do not want to keep but be sure to make a list of items you might need to take their places in the future.
Step #2: Estimate Packing Costs
Now that you have a list of what you are taking with you, you can estimate your packing costs. Figure out what size boxes you could use and how many of each size you might need.
If you do not want to buy brand new boxes, try calling local businesses to see if they will save you their empty boxes or set some out for you throughout the week.
Even if you get the boxes for free, do not forget that packing tape, packing peanuts, packing paper, packing jimmies, and packing supplies cost money and can quickly add onto your budgeted costs.
Step #3: Include Costs to Lease a Storage Unit
Moving is not always a simple process, and many home buyers have to leave an existing apartment or home before their new home is available.
So if your belongings are packed and you have no place to go, you may need to lease a storage unit and budget that expense into your move.
This is where Step #1 comes in handy again; if you know how much you have, you know how big of a storage unit you need.
After that, you want to determine how long you need the unit and where you want the unit to be to know how much you will have to spend over the course of your big move.
Step #4: Compare Moving or Mover Costs
Once you have an inventory of what you are taking with you, you can call moving companies and compare their prices.
Ask them how much they charge per employee needed, per distance travelled, per truck used, per truck size, and per specialty items (like pianos or safes).
If you and your friends are going to do the heavy lifting yourselves, you still may need to compare costs for truck rentals. Compare businesses’ fees for vehicles, mileage, ramps, dollys, fuel, and more.
Step #5: Secure Room and Board
And finally, if your big move is going to take more than a day or two - maybe you are moving across the country or you are fixing up your new place before you move into it - you may also need to budget for room and board.
Will you need to board your pets or secure extra child care? Do you need to stay at a hotel, an AirBnB, or a family’s guest room? Will you need to take unpaid time-off work? Do you need to set aside money for eating out during your move?
Remember, the more time you spend budgeting before your big move, the less money you will have to spend during the big move.
So get out there and get moving!
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