The things we admit to leaving behind when moving home

One in six (or 8M) Brits admit leaving belongings, family and pets behind when moving home.

 

 

 

London, UK – 17 August 2015: New research to announce the nationwide rollout of Budget Van Rental, has revealed the country’s moving trends and pitfalls. The independent survey of 2,000 UK renters and owners*, found that one in six (16%) Brits have left things behind in their old property during the process of moving home, including belongings they’ve forgotten in the loft, and even family members and pets.

 

With asking prices at an all-time high, 19% of those over 45 years of age who do not currently own a home do not anticipate they will ever be able to, based on their current situation. The top three barriers to home ownership are:

1. Not being able to save enough for a deposit

2. Not being able to afford a mortgage

3. Being priced out of the market

 

Despite not being able to buy their own property, the findings highlight that people are willing to invest in their possessions, with the average value of the contents in a British home at £30,619 – 11% of the cost of the average home**. Technology dominates the list of common household possessions, with an average of two televisions per household and one in eight (12%) people owning more than four screens.

 

When moving home, the findings reveal that Brits are living out of cardboard boxes for up to 60 days, starting to pack an average of 13 days before their moving date - with one in seven (14%) putting it off until up to a week before they move. It then takes an average of 45 days for movers to unpack and settle into their new home.

 

Whilst many opt to hire a van to help with their move, one in ten (10%) have carried their possessions to their new home either on foot or via public transport in the past, and 28% rope in friends and family that have cars.

 

The first thing one-third (31%) of Brits do when they get into their new home is make a cup of tea. Nearly one-quarter of respondents (23%) like to get organised and begin allocating boxes to different rooms. Only one in ten (10%) begin unpacking their belongings straight away.

 

The research showed that many people are put off finding a new home because of the process involved in moving, including escalating costs (27%), dealing with potential problems in their new property (24%), the cost of physically moving their possessions (23%) and the contents of their home not fitting into their van (10%). One in ten also worry that the pressure of moving will lead to an argument with their other half – with 3% having actually broken up with their partner.

 

Moving home is viewed as a great opportunity to do a clear out, with 85% of movers getting rid of belongings during this period, either choosing to throw them away (74%), sell them (39%), or donate them to charity (74%).

 

In response to its research, Budget Van Rental has teamed up with Vicky Silverthorn, declutterer to the stars and creator of prestigious life organisation company YouNeedAVicky, to provide a series of practical tips and advice to make moving home a little bit easier***.

 

Nina Bell, Managing Director for the United Kingdom, Avis Budget Group, says:

 

Budget now provides nationwide van hire to value-conscious travellers at 88 locations across the UK, with prices as low as £24 per day. Equipped with air conditioning, rear parking sensors and Bluetooth connectivity, Budget’s quality, well-maintained vans offer customers a convenient and cost-effective option for moving home.

 

For more information on Budget Van Rental visit www.budget.co.uk/vans.

 

*Research based on an Opinium survey of 2,002 adults across the UK between 17th and 23rd July 2015.

**The average cost of a British home (Office of National Statistics, 2014)

***Vicky Silverthorn’s top ten tips for keeping your move stress-free, include;

1. Make a list - start it early, include deadlines and keep one list in one place so it doesn’t get mislaid during the upheaval.

2. Get a folder – it sounds obvious but it’ll be your ‘go to’ place during the whole process of moving home.

3. Book a van - don’t try and squeeze everything into a car as you’ll often end up making several wasteful journeys. Think about what size van you need and book early, as do one third (29%) of relocating Brits.

4. Recruit friends and family - get dates in the diary so you aren’t left shifting everything by yourself. Over a quarter (28%) of people moving home call in favours from their nearest and dearest.

5. Declutter your belongings - recycle, rubbish and charity bags at the ready, particularly if you’re one of the 10% of Brits who transport items to their new property by foot or public transport. Work day-by-day, doing little and often.

6. Declutter your furniture – be ruthless and think about what will work in your new home. Arrange collection, disposal, or resale using sites such as eBay, Gumtree and Freecycle.

7. Pack smartly – see my video online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji6wg-AHL98&feature=youtu.be for full details.

8. Don’t forget your post – add all companies you’ll need to notify of your new address to your list, or set up mail redirection through Royal Mail for 3, 6 or 12 months.

9. Make sure your essentials are easily accessible on moving day – tea-making equipment is a must if you’re like one third (31%) of home movers who stick the kettle on as soon as they get into their new pad.

10. Make sure you factor in enough time to unpack – don’t underestimate this. If you think you need two days off work for moving, then take off four. Bear in mind it takes an average of 45 days to completely unpack.

 

Budget has 50 years of experience providing car and van rental services to value-conscious travellers. Budget Van Rental has one of the UK’s largest commercial vehicle networks, with 88 locations across the UK. Offering customers a premium fleet, Budget’s high specification vans are available with rear parking sensors, Bluetooth and air conditioning. Budget offers a range of prepayment options and charge facilities designed to save money and keep consumers in control. For more information visit: www.budget.co.uk/vans or call 0808 284 1111 (Open: 7am to 10pm, seven days a week)

 

Budget Car Rental is one of the world’s best-known car rental brands with approximately 3,500 locations in more than 120 countries. Budget is an industry leader in providing vehicle rental services to value-conscious travelers and also operates one of the largest local and one-way truck rental businesses in the United States, through a network of approximately 1,550 locations. Budget is owned by Avis Budget Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:CAR), which operates and licenses the brand throughout the world. For further information, visit www.budget.com.

 

For more information, please contact the Budget Press Office on 0844 826 8347 or budgetpressoffice@webershandwick.com