Moving house over the holiday period may seem to pile on the stress. But the facts suggest that this could be the best time to move if you want to save money, according to Buzzmove removals comparison site.
The reason is that far fewer people are looking to move at this time of year, as shown by the average number of times people are searching online for “removals”.
Each year in the UK, online search volumes for the term “removals” peak in either June or July, meaning that’s when most people are thinking about moving. But searches bottom out in the last two weeks of December, averaging only between 40% and 50% of search volumes seen in the summer months.
“Far fewer people are looking to move at this time of year,” says buzzmove CEO Becky Downing. “Because of this, removals companies are far less busy. That means you’re more likely to be able to hire a quality mover at short notice. And they’ll be more willing to do you a deal to secure your business.”
People who want to move at this time of year shouldn’t just go for the lowest price on offer, however.
“Most removal companies – especially the companies we partner with – offer great service at a reasonable price,” Becky adds. “But scams still can happen. So if someone’s quoting you a low price that seems too good to be true, you need to be wary and compare quotes with a few more removal companies to be sure.”
According to buzzmove, the key steps to saving money on your move are:
1. To be upfront about how much you need to move.
2. Compare quotes from at least two – and preferably three – removal companies to get an idea of a fair price.
3. Go back to the removal company you like the best and see if they’ll give you a discount on their original quote. Around this time of year, most companies will be more than happy to do that.
“The best removal companies offer great service and great value,” Becky says. “But if this time of year means you can get a better deal, then why not give it a shot? That could mean a bit more spending money for your New Year’s Eve celebrations!”