Buying a house is a big purchase that comes with a big price tag. On top of the property itself, moving home can be expensive, with removals, legal fees and conveyancing coming into the picture.

However, it can also be easy to forget the smaller costs that come with moving – particularly travel costs. When you’re looking for a new home, travel is part and parcel of the whole process whether that be visiting houses or going to estate agents. Here are some of our tips to keep costs low while you look for your new home.

Search on the internet first

The rise of online property agents has made looking for a new home possible all from the comfort of you own home. In fact, 98% of people in the UK turn to online housing agents, according to The Telegraph.

Looking for properties online eliminates a lot of transport costs and allows you to dismiss properties simply by viewing photos uploaded by the seller. This means you will only travel to the houses you really want to see and avoids wasted journeys.

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Narrow your preferred location

When buying a house, physical viewings are very important so you don’t want to eliminate them all together. Once you’ve searched for properties online, narrow down your preferred location and identify which houses fall into this category.

Try to arrange house viewings for properties in close proximity on the same day. This way, your travel won’t awkwardly be spread out, allowing you to plan a smarter and less costly journey.

Clearing out your clutter can save on travel

Clearing out your unwanted clutter is one simple and easy way to reduce your transport costs when it comes to actually moving. Not only will it mean you need fewer packing boxes, but it could significantly reduce the number of boxes you need to take with you.

Discarding any unwanted items before you move means you won’t pay to transport things you don’t particularly want. Doing this whilst you look for a new home allows you to budget for the cost of transporting your items more efficiently.

Is it cheaper to do it yourself?

The cost of moving varies across the UK, and according to Which, Londoners face an average of £33,741 to make a move, so when looking for a new home, location can have a big impact on costs. Additionally, you might want to factor in how much it would cost you to transport your belongings to a new home.

Moving your furnishings and belongings yourself might seem more convenient but can come with a lot of hidden costs that add up. There are many things to consider, such as the price of fuel, the number of journeys you will need to make as well as whether you can safely transport your items. However, by looking for man and a van hire in London, this could reduce your transport costs when moving.