Why we Moved to a Bigger House When the Cost of Living is Going up
For many, moving to a larger, more expensive home when the cost of living is constantly increasing might not seem smart. Here is why we did it and how we made the move easier.
Moving With 4 Kids
Firstly, moving with 4 kids is full on. Fortunately, the older two are teenagers so can pack their own rooms and help a little. However, with this move, Mr Aspiring Millionaire was working in another state so Ms Aspiring Millionaire (me) did it all.
Cleaning, sorting, listing things for sale, packing the house while juggling work and the 4 kids including the toddler (18months) and baby (4months) with their check ups and vaccinations thrown in. Plus assisting the older kids still with sports, music, engineering, jobs and all the other things they do and represent the school in.
It was intense, exhausting, overwhelming and not something we’d do again. In fact, the hope is we do not move until we buy here in Australia (properties we own are overseas).
Why Move to a Bigger House Right Now?
Living with 4 kids in a tiny loft style townhouse is not doable for long. The home we were in was in our ideal location, perfect for the time we needed it but it has no backyard and the toddler has taken to daredevil stunts everywhere.
It was no longer safe with him and we couldn’t make suitable adjustments. Our lease was up and we always knew at the end of this lease, we would be moving.
We spent 2 years in that home, had 2 babies there, Mr Aspiring Millionaire finished his commercial diving qualifications after getting residency etc. By living in a tiny place with super cheap rent for the area we were able top achieve other goals.
With those things achieved, it was time to move.
Our Home Requirements
When looking, we had a list of what we wanted including a minimum of 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a large backyard, under a specific amount per week and within 1km of the school, shops etc.
After months of looking, we secured the home we really wanted. As soon as we saw it, we knew it was the right one for us and we were approved the day after we applied.
Given the current rental market, we were shocked since so many get rejected repeatedly, for months before securing a property. For us, we had applied for a few others and did get a few rejections, some were for sale at the same time and sold hence the rejection. Overall, we felt confident we would secure the right property at the right time and we did.
We Need an Office
One of the biggest needs was an office. With studying and working from home, having a space where we can go to focus has been on the list of requirements for a while.
Previously, having an office made work a lot easier, faster and more lucrative for me. We did what we needed to recently but now the time has come for a proper home office set up again and we know it will have a significant impact on our income.
Moving and Setting up on a Budget
It is amazing what you can get for free or super cheap. Our home came with the type of fridge we wanted, already plumbed in. Plus a spare fridge, chest freezer, lawn mower and a pool table.
Since we are moving from such a small home to a large one, we needed to move some of our belongings and buy more. We sold off probably half our items because when we looked on Facebook Martketplace, they were easy and often free to replace instead of move.
The main things we wanted to keep were our mattresses, memory items, all the kids things and a few items of furniture. After getting a few quotes from removalists, the price for moving our belongings was about the price of one of our mattresses, so completely worth it.
Buying/picking up things on Facebook means we have almost everything we want for next to nothing. The only thing I was adamant about buying new was the washing machine. I had such issues with the one we had that was second hand, I wanted a new one. Plus a bigger one due to the size of the family now.
Tips for Moving Frugally
Get quotes from removalists. You might be surprised how cheap it can be. Take into account the cost of your time to pack a truck, drive it to the location, unpack etc. Not just the cost of hiring the truck or trailer to move your things.
Consider if you really need to move everything you own. Sell off anything you can, especially those things you have not used in ages.
Take the time to compare all your services when connecting and disconnecting. Some companies offer amazing sign up deals, others will offer bonuses to stay with them when you move.
Budget for more than you think you need to. Connection and disconnection fees, food because you are likely to spend more while doing this, insurance, bond cleaners etc. The list is long
Clean yourself if you can. Not all real estates allow this, however, my cleaning has always been better than any bond clean I have paid for. This time I had to pay for a bond cleaner and used one with excellent reviews. However, they didn’t do it properly so had to go back which is the first time I have ever had that issue.
