Moving house - when to unplug fridge and other appliances.

purplebutterfly

I have never had to move appliances before so not really sure how to do it for my house move.  These probably seem like silly questions but I'm panicking about everything as we are FTB.  Google throws up conflicting advice so I thought I'd ask for personal experiences. 

Do I need to empty the fridge freezer days beforehand or can it be moved "cold" .  What about the liquid in the drip tray at the back of fridge?  

Also washing machine and dishwasher - is there a way to empty any water left in them so that they don't leak all over the place?  We're moving from a flat so they need to go down a tight flight of stairs with a sharp bend. 

Any moving/packing advice greatly appreciated because this is ridiculously stressful.

TELLIT01

Washing machine and dishwasher - lower the outlet hose and empty it into a bowl.  There may be a little water left in but tying the outlet hose to the back of the appliance after draining it should prevent any more water loss.

A frost-free freezer shouldn't be an issue but you will need to defrost if there is any ice build up in it.  The removal company won't be happy to move anything which could potentially leak water.  Apart from anything else, it's a slip risk for their employees.  For the fridge, mopping any liquid out with paper towel should suffice.

It's more of an issue once the fridge and freezer arrive at their new location.  General advice is not to switch them on for a few hours, presumably to allow the refrigerant to settle.