I haven’t shared a personal post in some time but after a couple of whirlwind years, I’ve finally found solid ground again. More on that another time. The short of the story is that I’ve recently relocated to my hometown of Brisbane with my two boys, our beloved dog Hulk… and our latest pet addition, a Blue-tongued lizard named Marshmallow 🤪 Moving interstate as a single parent was stressful and expensive, but along the way I discovered plenty of clever ways to make money and save on costs. If you’ve got a move on the horizon, here are my top ways on how to save money when moving house.
Do you have other tips to keep your budget in check when moving? Share them in the comments below and I’ll include them in this article.
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Sell items on Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Gumtree and other seller sites
It’s simple maths: pack less = spend less. So before you start packing up your home, ask yourself if you truly want, need and love it.
I probably went overboard in getting rid of items but the combination of wanting a fresh start, needing extra cash, and not knowing where I would live long-term motivated me to sell everything. From rat traps to my extensive vase collection, outdoor plants and old gaming consoles, I sold it ALL!
Higher value or popular items do very well on seller sites like Facebook Marketplace, eBay and Gumtree. Personally, I used eBay for tech, clothing and jewellery, and Facebook for kids’ stuff, furniture and large items.
It only takes a few minutes to snap a couple of pics, write a short description and set a price. In the month before my move, those sales not only slashed my packing load but covered my removalist bill in full.
Host a garage sale to get rid of even more stuff
While online marketplaces are fab, as moving day nears you realise you can’t list everything. My bestie convinced me to host a good old-fashioned garage sale — and it was genius! Over 2 days I emptied my home, garage and shed onto the driveway. Not only did I make a tidy sum, but it was oddly therapeutic and further reduced my packing load.
Of course I made my garage sale bougie and put my years of visual merchandising experience to good use, ha ha. Some people came back through 3 times over to check out what else I had pulled out of my house!
Hire a skip bin
It helps speed up packing if you can sort items as you go. Set up 3 piles: keep, donate (or sell), and throw away. You’ll likely have plenty to toss (expired meds, broken bits, etc) so booking a skip bin in advance is a smart move.
Plan this ahead of time so you can compare quotes and find the best deal. If you’re friendly with your neighbours, it could be worthwhile to hire a larger skip bin and share the costs. I didn’t think of this but many of my neighbours dropped hints that if I didn’t fill up my whole skip then they could fill it for me. Something I’ll keep in mind for next time 😉
Tip: Be sure to keep hazardous waste (paints, oils, batteries, asbestos, tyres) out of your skip or you’ll pay a steep disposal fee. Instead, take these items to your local council’s hazardous-waste program.
Take anything still usable to a recycle centre
Taking reusable items to your local recycling centre can save you in waste-removal costs. Pet shelters often accept old towels and bedding, and scrap-metal centres will even pay you for metal bits.
Do a quick search on your local tip’s drop-off options — recycle what you can, save on skip-bin fees, and give unwanted items a second life.
Find free or cheap packing boxes
Borrowing packing boxes can save you hundreds on moving costs. I borrowed about 20 from a friend and found the rest for free at my local cardboard recycling drop-off.
If you’re not as lucky, Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree are goldmines for second-hand boxes, bubble wrap and packing paper — often for next to nothing. Then once you unpack, you can sell them on and get a little cash top up.
Shop around for a moving company
Getting multiple quotes is a must. As well as comparing price, I suggest looking at the reviews of each moving company. There’s no point saving a few hundred bucks if the company has a track record of breaking or misplacing items. Don’t be shy to negotiate dates or off-peak discounts — mid-week moves often cost less than weekends.
DIY disassembly and reassembly
You don’t need to pay movers to take apart every bed frame or wardrobe. Enlist friends or family to help dismantle furniture, then let the professionals handle heavy lifting and transport. This is especially worthwhile if your removalist charges an hourly rate.
Do you have any other tips on how you can save money when moving house or make some extra cash when moving? I hope these tips help you or someone you know to keep removalist costs down and feel less overwhelmed by it all!
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