We all know how expensive it is to move and you can feel the pain for up to a year afterwards, especially if your new Cheltenham property needs a few things done to it to make it your home.
There are some things you can do to ease the pain of the first year in your new home, so if you’re worrying about your finances on the “other side”, stop and read on, because we can give you some pointers.
Look at your insulation
A poorly-insulated home isn’t just uncomfortable, it’s expensive, so checking out how well your property maintains its temperatures is a great start to saving.
Your loft or attic is the first place to look at. If your loft hasn’t been converted, it’s probably letting lots of heat out. Ideally you should see at least six inches of insulation matting between the floor beams and it should be in good condition. Any areas that are patchy or absent are costing you money, so invest in some replacements.
Your walls also need an inspection. If you’re in a newbuild house, it’s likely that you’ll have cavity insulation, but an older property might not have had this treatment. Your estate agent should be able to tell you whether you have cavity wall insulation or not and if you don’t, it should be a priority to get some.
Install a smart thermostat
In a few more years most of us will have a smart thermostat, so get ahead of the curve and install one in your new home so that you’re saving on your heating as soon as you’ve finished unpacking.
Smart thermostats let you control your heating remotely so if you set off to work and remember that you’ve left the heating on, you can simply turn it down or off. You can also monitor your energy usage and control the time your heating is on to the minute.
If your timer usually switches the heating on 30 minutes before you get home and it’s unusually warm one day, you can turn the heating off with the app before you even leave the office.
Invest in energy-efficient appliances
Many of us replace at least a couple of appliances when we move, so make sure you look at the most energy-efficient ones you can afford. They might cost a little more upfront, but you’ll soon feel the benefits.
Swap out your light bulbs
If your new home has older-style lightbulbs in, then change them to LEDs as soon as you can. It’s a long-term investment as most LED bulbs last for several years and only use around 8% of the energy of older types.
Switch your energy supplier
Don’t just stick with the provider that the previous owners had – have a look around to find the best deal. It may be that the best deal is the one you had at your old place, so take it with you if you can.
A few minutes on a comparison site could save you a few hundred pounds a year, so it’s a good idea to shop around before you actually move, when it’s a bit less hectic.
