How To Save Money When You Move Your Home

Moving house is one of the most expensive things that the average person does in their life. But because it’s hidden in a much larger transaction, most people don’t notice how much they’re actually spending. People would think twice before spending $10,000 on vacation, but most homeowners mindlessly accept a similar bill when it comes to selling their home. It’s a financial travesty.

There are plenty of reasons why selling your home is so expensive. You’ve got estate agent fees, the costs of making your home “marketable,” the legal costs of transferring the deeds and so on it. It all adds up, and many sellers find that they are considerably more impoverished as a consequence of their move.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can save money while moving and prevent unexpected bills.

Make Your Home “Saleable”

The word “saleable” gets thrown around a lot by estate agents. But primarily it’s referring to how likely it is that your home will sell in the open market. Will people see it and want to buy it close to fair value?

The chances are that if you own a charming home in an attractive neighborhood, they will. But homeowners can often get into trouble when the house they think is “saleable” isn’t, in fact, anything of the sort.

If you have pest control issues in your home, buyers will inevitably unearth them during the survey. At that point, you’ll face a stark choice: either lower the price of your property (usually by a few thousand) or let the sale drop through.

It pays, therefore, to make sure that if you do have a pest control issue in your home that it’s dealt with swiftly before buyers look around.

You’ll also want to rule out any significant structural issues (like cracked foundations), and get rid of mold – another major turnoff.

Don’t Pay Commission To An Estate Agent

Before the internet, estate agents were essential for most home sellers. People needed an agency who would advertise their home to the broader market, organize viewings, and value their property. But, with new online tools, estate agencies are less critical than they were.

The problem with estate agencies is that they have a nasty habit of taking a commission for every house they sell. Yes, they provide a lot of beneficial services, but if they want a 3 percent commission on a $500,000 property, you pay $15,000. Ouch.

Online estate agents allow you to advertise your property to a much broader audience while charging a fixed fee for advertising space on their platforms, rather than a percentage commission. It’s a far more consumer-friendly business model.

Sell Stuff You Don’t Need Before You Move

Moving stuff is expensive, as anyone who has used a removal company will know all too well. Many people, therefore, try to reduce the number of things they need to transport from one location to another by selling it ahead of time. If you get rid of enough, you might not need to hire a removal company at all.

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