Moving Home Guide

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Where to start?

Start with a room which is not used very often, such as a spare room – one which you wouldn’t miss if it was all packed up. I.e. leave the kitchen and bedroom until last!

Ask any friends or family to give you a hand – having someone else to help take the strain will help the stress levels.

When to start?

It is often a good idea to draw up a plan with time estimates – how long it will take to pack up each room, to get the removal men in, to buy all the packaging products you need etc. Remember, some removal companies like to come to the house before they start packing – to allow for them to get an idea of what they are going to be moving and how much they are going to be moving. (See our removal company guide below) Packability will ship a lot of your packaging materials the next day, but some more obscure products may take a little longer. Check it out and make sure you have ordered everything that you need in good time.

Remember to leave yourself enough time before the move date! The stress levels will be doubled if you are also up against time. Depending on how large your house is and how long you have until ‘move day’, you may need to start a good few months before the day. No matter how long you have until you are due to move out, it’s a good idea to start as soon as you can. It is also a good idea to take a week or so off work on the lead up to the move day.

Choosing a Removals Company

It is not essential to use a removal company but unless you have very few possessions, it is highly recommended. They can help take some of the strain and some companies will even pack everything up into boxes too – this can be ideal if you have a larger house and a lot to pack!

Before you choose a removals company, it is a good idea to do some research. The company will need to be notified at least 2 weeks before your move date.

• Use a removals company who is a member of the British Association of Removers
• Ask friends or family to recommend any companies they may have used in the past
• Get at least three quotes before deciding on a company
• Ensure you have read all the small print in the moving insurance
• Compile a list of possessions (or at least important ones) so that you can double check if you have forgotten anything
• Check if the company you have chosen offers discounts on weekdays (some do)

Notifying people of the move

It might feel like the list of people to notify is endless! Here are a few of the key ones to get you going….

• Water
• Gas
• Electricity
• Banks
• DVLA
• Vehicle insurance
• TV licensing
• Employer
• Milk delivery
• Schools
• Subscriptions to magazines or charities etc
• Doctor Surgery

Coping with Children

Depending on the age of the children, the move can be a very distressing time for them as well as you. The change of routine and the lack of their belongings may be upsetting for them. Ensure you involve them with your decisions surrounding the move and make sure they understand exactly why and where you’re moving. Encourage them to help with the packing and other aspects of the move so that they don’t feel left out. On the actual day of the move, it might be a good idea to ask a babysitter/friend/family member to look after them.

Coping with Pets

Pets, similarly to children may find the move strange, unfamiliar and a bit frightening or daunting.

It’s a good idea to put any dogs or cats into a kennels or cattery or to a friend or family member to look after for the few days surrounding the move. These few days will be stressful and there will be an endless list of jobs that need to be done and walking/feeding the dog is one which you could do without. As well as this, it is unfair for the pets to be around when you are stressed and very busy. They may become distressed from various aspects of the move such as:

• Strange people being round (e.g. removal men)
• A lack of routine
• Changes to their territory

If you have cats, consider buying some pheromone spray which will help to keep them calm. And remember not to let the cats out the new house for a few weeks to ensure they don’t get confused and try to find their way back to the old house.

How to pack efficiently and safely

Try to calculate how many boxes you will need and what else you might need such as bubble wrap, packaging tape and self-seal bags for smaller items such as nuts and bolts. Our range of moving packs are ideal and come with a variety of boxes as well as tapes, bubble wraps etc.

• Don’t ‘over-fill’ boxes and make sure the boxes are sturdy enough to take the weight of the contents.
• Check that your contents insurance will cover any damage or breakages which take place over the move.
• Pack similar items together, i.e. bleaches, paints, detergents and aerosols should be packed together and kept away from other items such as clothes and valuables.
• Pack anything you will need over the next week or so together and in well-marked boxes. You won’t be able to unpack everything in one go and any essential items need to be packed together and in easy reach.
• Make sure all boxes are marked with the room name of where the contents came from. This will make un-packing a lot easier.
• Pack any important documents such as passports and birth certificates together and keep them in a safe place.
• Wrap items individually and ensure all breakables are wrapped in bubble wrap.
• Try to finish any laundry before you move to avoid having to pack damp clothes – keep all the dirty washing together in a separate box or bag.
• Pack heavier items at the bottom of the box and lighter ones on top.
• Pack heavy items in smaller boxes to help avoid any back injuries.
• Protect any valuable items with sofa cover/mattress covers or blankets to prevent any dust or dirt damaging the items.
• Use edge protectors on tables and other furniture as these will easily get damaged.
• Use a hand held tape dispenser for sealing u boxes – this will make your packing much less time consuming and easier.
• Consider buying wardrobe boxes for your clothes – these allow for your clothes to stay hanging and so prevent them being damaged or just getting very creased!
• Don’t interlock the flaps of the boxes as this will reduce the box strength.

The Move Day

Finally you are nearly all moved out! By now you should have packed everything apart from some final personal belongings. On the morning of the move day, it’s a good idea to go over the last few windows, surfaces etc with a duster to ensure everything’s clean and tidy for the new people to move in. Make sure you phone all the utility companies with a note of all your metre readings.

Before you leave the house for the last time – have a quick whiz round to ensure all the cupboards are empty, there’s nothing hiding under the beds and there’s nothing left in the garage/attic etc. Once you are happy you have got everything – make sure the removal men know where they are going and notify them of any special parking arrangements at the new house.

Lock all the windows and doors, turn off all the electricity and water supplies and start your journey to the new house!

Once you arrive at the new house – instruct the removal men with where to place the boxes – which room is which and so on and make sure you are present to tick off any items against the inventory.

It is a good idea to check all the items as soon as you can after the move to check for any breakages or damage.

That’s it! By this stage you are bound to be shattered. So find out where the nearest take away is, buy some food and crack open some champagne! You deserve it after all that!