MOVING GUIDE

The first thing to do is to decide which removal company you are planning to move with and let them know as early as possible. 

This way you may avoid any annoying follow up calls, but more importantly your removal company will be able to advise you on the best days to move so you can let your solicitor know. 

There’s no point agreeing to a date and then hoping to get the remover of your choice only to realise that you’ve picked a premium day and only man and van companies are available. 

Preparation is key. You need to work out what you really want to be moved to your new home. 

It is an ideal opportunity to get rid of those things you don’t really need. 

A good way of telling is thinking: if you haven’t used something for over a year, do you really need it? 

You will be surprised how good it feels to shed some of the clutter! 

Car boot sales and garage sales are a great way of disposing of unwanted items, as well as charity shops. 

If you have a large amount of items to dispose of then you should get a skip. Be sure to get one that’s bigger than you think you need as it’s never big enough!

You need to get organised. Get a folder to keep all the documents you will accumulate during your moving process and to keep notes of what you need to do, what you’ve done etc. 

Think about your new home layout and start thinking about where you will want the furniture placed. 

Prepare a floor plan of the new layout so that you will be organised when your furniture arrives at your new home. 

Get familiar with your new community. Request information on schools, health centres, community centres, parks and recreation from the Local Authority. 

Start collecting suitable moving and packing supplies if you plan to do your own packing or partial packing. 

You can either purchase all these materials from us, but if you are moving with us then we will provide the packing materials well in advance, even if you don’t have a moving date. A small deposit will be required. 

Start running down your freezer, we can move freezer contents but fully filled ones are very heavy. If you have a chest freezer you will need to place all loose items in bags so they can be taken out easily and placed back in once the freezer is loaded. Fridge contents will need to be emptied so make sure you have collected some cool bags/boxes ready for moving day.

Go to the Post Office and complete a change of address form. 

If your moving date is still unsure, ask the cashier for advice. 

It may be worth getting the form and waiting until you exchange contracts before sending it off. You will usually need to allow 7-10 days for this to take effect.

Empty the loft early. There will usually be items in there that will need to be disposed of, so the earlier you do this, the better. 

If you have a spare room, it may be a good idea to take the bed apart and use the space to stack up items ready for moving. 

Contact your insurance company to transfer medical, property, fire and car insurance, to your new address. You will need to notify the following of your change of address: 

• Friends and Family
• Clubs and Organisations
• Milkman/Newspapers
• Utility Companies
• Telephone Company
• Mobile Phone Company
• TV Licensing Authority
• Sky or Cable Company
• Water Company
• Electricity Company
• Internet Provider
• PersonalBusiness
• InvestmentsHP Agreements
• Credit Arrangements
• Bank and Creditors
• Local Government
• Child BenefitInland Revenue
• Health ServicesSchools
• Subscriptions
• DVLA
• Religious Body
• Banks and Financial Institutions

You should also organise the disconnection and reconnection of domestic appliances, such as your washing machine, cooker and dishwasher.

Next, get advice on how suitable it is for you to transfer your aerials and satellite dishes to your new home. Make sure you gather together in a safe place all important documents, medication, keys and the like that you will need during your move.

If you are packing yourself, make sure you have left enough time and have enough materials to complete the job. 

Remind yourself of the jobs you are doing, such as dismantling furniture, and what your remover has agreed to do. 

For example they may have agreed to dismantle the beds but not remove the curtains and blinds. 

The key is preparation; the smoother your preparation, the smoother the move and the less stress you will experience as a result. Below is a short list of useful tips.

Below is a short list of useful tips.

• Leave drawer contents unless they are heavy or fragile (except divan drawers; these will need to be packed, unless it’s only a duvet).
• Use space in trunks or ottomans to place light, non-fragile items like toys.
• Separate any flammables and arrange to take these with you or dispose of them. Make sure petrol lawnmowers and strimmers are fully drained before we load them.
• Gather any small plants together and place in plastic trays if possible. Larger plants can be moved as they are. Don’t water plants the day before removal.
• Allocate an area to gather items you do not want loaded such as cleaning materials, keys, laptops, chargers, bags, kettle, etc. Make sure you clearly identify this area.
• Make arrangements for childcare and animal care on moving day.
• Make sure all boxes are clearly marked and labelled, and closed correctly (not interlocked).
• Start cleaning the house as you go along. Make sure you have all the documents related to your move to hand.

Moving day at your old home can be stressful, but not if you keep a clear head and stick to our step-by-step process below. 

• Get up early and don’t panic!
• Take bedding off beds and pack it up.
• Walk your removers through the house, tell them what you need them to do and take their advice on the actual loading.
• Make sure your removers know where they are going.
• Give the house a final clean.
• Leave a note of your name, new address and contact number for the new residents of your home so they can forward any mail that doesn’t get re-directed.
• Have a final walk round to check you’ve remembered everything – do this BEFORE the removal vehicle leaves!
• Make sure you have keys to your new home and drop off your current keys as prearranged.
• Make sure you load everything you’re taking yourself in the car and lock it!
• Switch everything off, lock up and leave!

When you get to your new home, you can’t sit back and relax just yet!

• Check everything is working such as power, gas etc – if not, call the relevant utility companies to find out why not!
• Supervise the unloading process to get everything where you want it.
• Offer the movers a drink and snack (optional!).
• Clean before you start unpacking.
• Start unpacking essentials.

• Unpack logically, working down from essential to non-essential items.
• Reassemble your furniture when you have time.
• Get all of your major appliances ready for use again and connect them up.
• Check your mail is being forwarded to your new address.
• Register with a doctor, dentist, veterinarian and the like if you haven’t already done so.
• If necessary, change your driver’s licence and car details, etc.
• Once you have unpacked, check with your remover as they may collect the boxes from you and recycle them. If they do, make sure you flat pack them.

Finally, if you are in any doubt about anything to do with moving and if you’re moving with us, we will be more than happy to help. 

Simply get in touch and let us know. 

Remember, we do this every day!