The last thing you need on a stressful and time consuming move is to find out that you’ve paid out of your nose for certain things. Whether it be for the packing equipment, the moving or van rental service, or even for the house itself. It’s a good idea to keep your eyes open for hidden, or rather non obvious costs on a removal. This isn’t a definitive guide on every hidden cost you could encounter, rather a series of tips to stay aware of them.

The costs when moving to Elephant and Castle won’t be the only ‘elephant in the room’, that’s reserved for the shopping centre, which features an actual statue of an elephant carrying a castle on its back. It’s a bustling shopping district, often being called the ‘Piccadilly of South London’. There’s more to this place than it’s shopping centres though. Elephant and Castle has been cemented as one of the landmarks of classic cinema – and pays homage to this through its Cinema Museum. Films are truly in this places blood, as it’s the place where Charlie Chaplin spent his younger life. If you’re intrigued by the golden age of movies, then the E and C is the place to be.

If you’re planning to move though, as I’ve mentioned you need to be aware of the hidden costs. First off, be careful when buying the house in the first place. Once you’ve haggled the asking price down, that’s not the only cost that you need to keep in mind. There’s the mortgage arrangement fee and Conveyancing for a start. What are they? Well the arrangement fee is an extra cost that you have to pay to your lender so they can organise the details of the mortgage. It is, in a sense, the ‘labour’ fee. Conveyancing is the legal cost of buying your home – it’s a small tax on top of things. Ask your lenders about these costs before you commit to a house buy.

In terms of the actual removal, there are more hidden costs to consider. Mostly if you’re hiring a mover. As with the actual house buy you should be sure of all of these before you make a move. Here’s a shortlist:

- Additional services
- Service taxes
- Transport costs (fuel, etc)
- Insurance

When you’re hiring an Elephant and Castle moving company, you may have additional needs that require extra services. Furniture disassembly and reassembly and packing help are the most common ones. Be sure if you ask for services such as these that you know how much extra they cost, so you can budget for it.

The same goes for the taxes, insurance and transport costs. If you ask for an estimate, you’d think that if you input the distance travelled as well as the size of van you need, the removal company would be able to produce an estimate that takes all of these factors into account. But you’d be surprised how many companies hide the costs of fuel and potential van maintenance to lure more customers in. Be aware of such tactics, and ask them for a full estimate which includes everything. If they’re unable to do so, then move on. If they’re not going to give you the time of day, they’re not worth the hassle.

If you know all of the costs that are involved in a move, then you can make a more accurate budget. You’ll know how much you’ll need to set aside if all of the costs are presented to you. This is why you should be a more active consumer. If your bill at the end of the move is what you actually expect, there’s no reason for any money worries. Heck, you might even have a little left over …