Buying or renting a place is an expensive proposition no matter how you go about it or how much money you spend.  When you start looking at places where you potentially could live, your mind is not focused on anything associated with moving expenses.  At this stage, you’re simply trying to find the best place at the right price in a suitable neighborhood.  However, once you purchase a home or sign a rental agreement and establish a moving date, the costs start piling up.  Unfortunately, not every expense you end up accruing is anticipated. Read below for unexpected moving expenses you need to know about before you move.

Insurance Rates and Coverage

Whether you move locally or relocate across the country, your insurance rates including car, health, and, if you rent your home, renter’s insurance, may change. State to state, coverage for both car and health insurance can also differ.  As for renter’s insurance, it depends on where you live, too.  Investigate any rate and/or coverage change once you know where you’re living.  With some luck, your rates could decrease!

Change in Utilities

There’s no getting around that you need utilities like gas, electricity, and water to reside in any home, but you may not realize the hidden costs that could pop up.  If you upgrade to a larger house, you may be charged more for your utilities than when you lived in a small bungalow.  To initiate service, you may need to provide a deposit. To cancel or transfer service, you may need to pay, too.  US News and World Report suggest keeping careful records of utility bills and any overlapping ones to ensure you’re not being overcharged.

Where’s the Mail Going?

Change your address and have your mail forwarded to your new address within a sufficient timeframe between moving from home to home.  This ensures that you receive all correspondence in a timely fashion and can pay bills without incurring any late fees due to not receiving or losing important documents.  Even if the new resident is kind enough to return your mail to the post office who in turn forwards it to you, it still may arrive too late for you to send it in on time.  Bankrate suggests updating your payment method to online in order to ensure you receive bills on time.

Storage Costs

While storage is a great option for people moving, costs can increase quickly, especially if you need to keep your belongings there longer than anticipated.  Traveling to visit the storage unit could also raise your expenses by gas and wear and tear on your car depending on the distance.  Luckily, with our services, storage is economical and convenient, so check out what’s available!

Replacement Appliances and Supplies

Not only are there unexpected expenses in your current home by needing to replace old appliances or fix other items before new residents move in, but you may need to replace appliances in your new home, whether you’re aware of this prior to moving in or not.  Also, after you declutter before a move, you may have discarded supplies that were half-empty or old and now require them for your new home. You may even need items that you didn’t use in your previous residence.