Moving can be a major headache. No matter how much you plan, there’s probably something that you’ve missed. And what you missed will probably come back to haunt you during the move in the form of extra costs.
These extra, and likely hidden, costs, can easily add up. The best thing to do is to ensure you plan for all aspects, so your move will stay within your budget.
Here are some common mistakes that could lead to extra moving costs:
1. Booking a lorry that is too small
The first cost that most people take into consideration when they are moving is the cost of renting a lorry. Depending on the number of things and how heavy and big the items are, the size of the lorry will also vary.
At www.thelorry.com, you can book a lorry ranging from one tonne to five tonnes, or even a van if the items you are moving are less than 500kg.
The common mistake that most people make is not getting the lorry in the right size. By getting one that is too small could end up costing you more since you would need to make two trips or find another way to move!
Estimate the size of your moving transportation as accurately as possible, as the price of a three-tonne lorry is double the price of a one-tonne lorry (RM147). If you book a one-tonne lorry only to find out that you need another lorry or another trip to transport all your items, you will need to fork another RM147!
2. Cost of manpower
Getting a lorry to move your items is just half of the work done. The cost of transportation does not include manpower to help you move the item into the truck and also off the truck when it reaches the destination.
The cost of labour varies depending on the type of property you are moving to and from. High-rise properties with no lift will see a higher cost of about RM213 for at least two people to help.
However, if you are moving from landed property to another landed property, the cost of manpower will likely be about RM99 per person, and if you do not have anyone helping you (read: friends and family you’ve bullied into helping), you will need at least two people to help you do the moving for a one-tonne lorry.
This will come up to RM198. Typically, when you order two manpower, it will include the driver and a helper, but if you think it’s not enough, then you might need to get a driver with two helpers.
The more items you have, the bigger the lorry you will need, and also the more manpower you will. Don’t overlook this cost and be shocked when it’s time to pay. Plan and remember, 2 guys won’t be enough to move your piano down the stairs.
3. Packing of your belongings
Now that you have the transportation and manpower settled, you need to start packing your belongings and furniture. Most of the transportation services available do not include packing materials and packing service in their cost, which makes it easy to overlook when moving.
If you book a lorry at www.thelorry.com, they provide end-to-end moving services, from disassembling to packing. The cost of packing includes packing materials such as boxes, shrink wrap and bubble wrap. If you expect your things to arrive at the destination and inside your new home in pristine, or at least in their original condition, make sure the packing is done properly.
Fragile items, like really expensive oak furniture, must be shrink-wrapped properly to avoid scratches and damage. Vases and breakable items should be bubble-wrapped to avoid breaking them during the possible bumpy journey.
If you use www.thelorry.com, you can opt to include all the items you need with large boxes costing up to RM15, bubble wrap at RM170 per roll, and shrink wrap at RM45 per roll. All these costs must be factored in when you are budgeting for your move.
Of course, you can find cheaper alternatives by buying everything yourself before you move. For example, the Ikea DUNDERGUBBE boxes cost RM12, a roll of shrink wrap from Shopee would cost RM15,99, and a single-layered bubble wrap would set you back at RM13.90 per roll.
If you’re willing to get in a car and look around, you can get cardboard boxes from supermarkets and sundry shops that are throwing them away.
Just go into the store and ask the staff if they have any boxes they are going to throw away and they’ll probably give them away for free!
4. Broadband subscriptions
Moving can definitely be stressful, having to coordinate the packing, moving and assembling of furniture. This leads to most people overlooking subscriptions such as satellite TV, telephone landline and even broadband. And we all know that the most important thing when you get to your new place is access to the internet!
If not planned, you could be paying for service that you are unable to enjoy at your new home. Things like broadband subscriptions can easily be managed by checking if you are still under contract with your current provider.
If you are no longer under contract, you will be free to shop around for a cheaper and faster broadband package in your new area. There is also the problem of coverage. Some areas may not have coverage for your existing broadband package, or better packages may be available to you at your new location.
To ensure you always get the best and most value-for-money broadband package, check for coverage and packages at iMoney.my by comparing all the available plans in your areas.
5. Deposits
If you are living in a condominium facility, don’t forget the various deposits you need to pay the condominium management when you are moving or making repairs or renovations. Some condominium requires about RM1,000 in deposit before they allow your movers to get into the compound.
Though deposits usually can be returned, if nothing in the compound is damaged, it is still a lot of cash you need to fork out. If you do not plan for it when you are planning your budget for the move, you could easily run out of cash for the deposit.
Put aside some cash for deposit on the day that you are moving, so everything will run smoothly without hiccups.
Optional cost: Disposing of e-waste, old furniture, and appliances
Another additional cost that you might not be aware of is when you need to throw away old furniture, appliances, and even e-waste such as TVs and monitors.
The pricing for disposing of old furniture can vary, depending on how much you need to throw away. Thelorry.com offers disposal services that start at RM250, which includes a 1-tonne lorry and 2 manpower. But depending on your building and its accessibility, you might need to pay more.
If you prefer to dispose of your unwanted furniture yourself, there are locations that you can go to that will handle certain types of items.
For example, you can head to IPC Recycling Buy-Back-Centre to dispose of e-waste such as TVs or monitors. For old furniture that is still usable, you can donate it to places such as the Community Recycle for Charity.
Wе undеrѕtаnd that іt іѕ not easy рlаnning а bіg mоvе bу уоurѕеlf. However, with www.thelorry.com to аѕѕіѕt уоu in booking your moving services, you will be able to manage your cost of moving well, and also stick to your moving budget.
Rеmеmbеr, cover all bases to minimise any unpleasant surprises on the day you are moving and рrоtесt уоur budget from unехресtеd moving ехреnѕеѕ.
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