Residential Moving

Have you outgrown your current home, or are you ready for an upgrade in your current living conditions? You might be thinking about buying a bigger house.

It’s wonderful to finally be able to stretch out and relax in a home that is appropriate to your needs. But it’s also easy to overdo it when house-shopping. Bigger homes are more expensive, have higher maintenance costs, and take more effort to clean. You don’t want to end up house-poor and unable to enjoy the other things in life too.

As a moving and storage company, 495 Movers, Inc. knows how hard it is to move to a new home, let alone cover all of the expenses of buying a new house. To help save your budget, we’ve put together a few suggestions to keep in mind when shopping for a new home.

Ask About Maintenance Costs & HOA Fees

Many homebuyers fall in love with a house and sign on the dotted line before even learning that there is a homeowner’s association in the neighborhood. You may be stuck with up to a couple hundred dollars a month in HOA fees.

While every home has maintenance costs, it’s also a good idea to find out generally how much the previous owner spent per year to keep the place up. There may be expenses you hadn’t considered previously, like gutter cleaning or snow removal in a cold climate.

Consider the Utility Costs

You can also end up paying a lot more in utility costs, including:

  • Electricity
  • Gas
  • Water

However, a well-insulated and energy efficient home may have lower utilities than your recurrent place. Be sure to ask about the monthly costs to find out for certain.

Figure Out those Furnishing Costs

If your new home is significantly larger, you might be tempted to spend additional funds on furniture to fill that space. Whether you buy modestly or shop for high-end items, it will significantly increase your final moving expenses. It’s better to have professional movers bring all of your old furnishings in and make do with them until your budget recovers.

Ask About Property Taxes

The more valuable your new home is the higher your property taxes will also be. This is also an annual bill that can potentially increase as new laws are enacted in the future. Make sure the home you buy comes with property taxes you can afford.

If you are looking for a moving company to help with your transition into a new home, consider contacting 495 Movers, Inc. We offer a wide range of services, including local and long-distance moving. We’ll be happy to provide a free cost estimate for your household move.