Help Moving House - The Basics

TractorFactor

Thanks, some really good pointers here.

I think it's more the logistics of buying a new property and getting the terminology right with the two mortgage thing rather than "have a box with kettle and such".

We moved from rented so had the house and keys a week before we actually moved. Got a company in to move us, which was a must but we have three little ones and associated toys now to contend with.

There's a few things I'd be looking to take in my car, but I must remember we have a whole load of garden things to take too.
It worries me it won't all fit in the removal truck!

TractorFactor

Thanks, some really good pointers here.

I think it's more the logistics of buying a new property and getting the terminology right with the two mortgage thing rather than "have a box with kettle and such".

We moved from rented so had the house and keys a week before we actually moved. Got a company in to move us, which was a must but we have three little ones and associated toys now to contend with.

There's a few things I'd be looking to take in my car, but I must remember we have a whole load of garden things to take too.
It worries me it won't all fit in the removal truck!

EssexHebridean

The removals firm will know what size of truck to send - just make sure you show them the tuff i the garden and any outbuildings etc as well as the house contents. A good local firm will send someone to have a proper look, I would be cagey about any firms that don't do that as if it DOESN'T fit then, and you have given them amounts, it will become your problem not theirs! 

Your removal firm will probably want to arrive somewhere around 8am on completion day and will then start loading up - once your current property is empty they will head off and wait somewhere near the new place until you get the nod to pick up the keys and can let them in. Remember to factor into your timings that you will need to deal with dropping your current keys at one place and picking the new ones up from somewhere else (we were lucky on this, the two agents were literally across the road from one another!). Once you are into the new house, the unloading will happen very fast indeed - you'll be astonished! (Took ours 3 hours for loading up, and half that to unload)

Make sure you have a robust labelling system, and as you are packing, note contents on boxes - on the sides NOT on top - as this makes identifying things later miles easier. We used a labelling system where we used an up arrow for upstairs, a down arrow for downstairs, and then each room was assigned a number. Those numbers were then also printed onto sheets of A4 paper and then masking taped to the doorframe of each room - so ^1 was bed 1, ^2 Bed 2, and so on. Remember that the movers won't know which room YOU consider to be bed 1, 2 etc so just using numbers makes life easier. We also marked up a copy of the floorplan with each room's labelling. The kitchen and bathroom, being obvious, were just labelled as such. our movers loved this - and were intending to go back to their office and ask that it was suggested as a system for others to use as it was so easy to follow. We also ended up with no boxes in the wrong places which was a bonus! 

We took delicate electronics in the cars, plus intended to take the "essentials" box with the kettle etc but in fact the movers just stuck that in the cab of the van and yanked it out first - they knew their priorities! Another trick we used was to change our bedding a few days ahead of moving, then stripped our bed first thing on moving day and just shoved the lot into a black bag. Clothes, towels etc for the following few days were packed into a rucksack, and those bits were also taken in our car. Once our bed was in and put back together, we made our first job to go and remake the bed and just stuck the bag with the clothes etc on top of it so we knew we had a bed to fall into at the end of the day!

Oh - and moving-in night meal is a takeaway - always.  

SarahB16

When moving can I ask will removal firms dismantle wardrobes and then put them back together if they were originally flatpack wardrobes?  I realise it would be something to discuss in advance with them but is this a normal request to ask removal companies?  

EssexHebridean

They wouldn't normally need to I wouldn't have thought? All our flatpack furniture just got moved as it was - it wouldn't have occurred to me to ask them to dismantle anything. 

TractorFactor

Thanks, some really good pointers here.

I think it's more the logistics of buying a new property and getting the terminology right with the two mortgage thing rather than "have a box with kettle and such".

We moved from rented so had the house and keys a week before we actually moved. Got a company in to move us, which was a must but we have three little ones and associated toys now to contend with.

There's a few things I'd be looking to take in my car, but I must remember we have a whole load of garden things to take too.
It worries me it won't all fit in the removal truck!

Bigphil1474

Our movers took some flat pack stuff as was. I had to dismantle one unit as it wouldn't fit through the door and they didn't want to do it. If it can be taken out, they'll normally shrink wrap it and move as is.

Our movers brought two trucks - a smaller one for the outside stuff as we had a lot of plant pots and garden furniture to shift, the larger one was for the house stuff. As with all things, get at least 3 quotes - some will do a video survey with you on the phone, some will come out and have a look round. Either way, if they don't survey your house, they probably won't be very good.

user1977

Wardrobes are the sort of thing which may have been constructed in situ so might not fit through doors/stairs on the way out again.

SarahB16

user1977 said:

Wardrobes are the sort of thing which may have been constructed in situ so might not fit through doors/stairs on the way out again.

Exactly, that was what happened in my house and I know I won't be the only person who has done this. I have two very tall wardrobes that in all likelihood will only be able to be removed from my house if they are dismantled. I just didn't know if people dismantled them themselves or asked removal firms to do this for them. 

EssexHebridean

Yep - fair point, not anything we’ve had to move so didn’t occur to me. 

Best bet is probably to ask the removal firm whether it is something they can quote for when they come round to survey your stuff ahead of quoting?