News & Views Blog

When you have exchanged contract and know the completion date of the move you can begin making the arrangements. Contact your phone company to organise reconnection or installation of your new phone line. It is also advisable to contact your gas and electrical companies to give details of the move.

Inform all appropriate people of your change of address, including the post office, who will be able to redirect your mail from the date you will move in. Your local authority will also be keen to know that you are moving. Read your meters and pay any outstanding money owed, cancelling any regular deliveries – a common oversight of home movers.

Plan in advance where you intend to put furniture in your new property. There is nothing more time consuming and frustrating than being surrounded by boxes and furniture in your new home with no idea of how to begin sorting, and chances are you will be tired already from the days activities. With a bit of planning, you will be able to instruct your removal company to place heavy objects in the relevant rooms, making life a great deal easier for you.

Of course, you may have decided that you want to do the move yourself, rather than enlisting the help of a removal firm. Most people choose to employ others to do the hard work for them but this is really a question of money, the distance you are moving to and the amount of stuff that you have.

If you do the packing yourself and do not pay to have it done for you, it is vital to mark all boxes with your name, the room where you want it placed and what each box contains, marking fragile items as such.

It may help your peace of mind to move some stuff yourself, particularly fragile objects, as you will know that they are in your care. Ensure that all electrical items are unplugged and that cords are wrapped tightly and secured and be sure to have your large appliances serviced and disconnected. Your removal company can help you with this.

Check parking restrictions. If you live in a big urban area such as London, it may not be possible for the removal van to park for long periods of time and you may need to obtain permission from your local council. If you live on a busy main road, you may need to decide upon an alternative nearby street for the removals van to park, although this may make life harder for the removals team, and for you if you have opted to help out! It is also important to tell your removal company if access to your property is restricted, as this will affect the overall cost. Alternately, you may live in a remote rural area, in which case it is advisable to provide your removal company with a map in advance.

Have a checklist on the day of the move to ensure that it runs according to plan and when all your items have been delivered, be sure to tick them off your list. With a bit of preparation and organisation, you can turn a potential nightmare into an altogether more pleasant experience.