On top of the cost of buying your new home (even in this economic climate there still don’t seem to be any bargains around) are all the associated costs – solicitor’s fees, estate agent’s fees, removal costs, storage costs. And then all the new furniture, curtains, appliances etc you want, or need, to buy for your new home. So not only is moving house very stressful but you have to pay a small fortune for the privilege.

Understandably many people decide to try and keep a cap on their spending by doing some things themselves – instead of renting a self-storage unit they might ask friends and relatives if they can store possessions between moving out of one home and into another in garages or sheds or lofts. If any friends or relatives have any spare space (which is usually unlikely) you will then have the hassle of storing bits and pieces in various different locations. Not to mention the potential problems of storing stuff in damp garages or sheds or the strain on your friendships when you end up storing your possessions for longer than you expected.

You might also choose to try and save money by doing the house removals yourself and many people do, but it is a hard physical job and you are unlikely to have the experience to know how best to pack the van so may damage some of your furniture or belongings. Or end up making more than one trip in the van because it was inexpertly packed. And when you arrive exhausted and stressed at your new home you will still have to manoeuvre the heavy furniture into the rooms where it belongs.

So is it worth doing a DIY house removal? Only you can decide whether the trade off in pure physical effort is worth the money you will save. Personally I would prefer to shop around and get a good deal on the removals costs and let the experts deal with it.

Why not share with us your house moving triumphs and disasters…