Fleet of Luton vans
There is nothing more stressful than moving house. Relying on professional and experienced removers is the best way to ensure your home move goes smoothly. But there are a number of things to consider before your moving day:
1) Select an experienced and recommended removals company. Make sure to book your removals or ‘man and van’ company well in advance to ensure they are available for your preferred time.
2) Get organised and start packing your belongings 1-3 weeks earlier than you think you will need. It could take much longer than you imagine and this will ensure your removals company isn’t waiting for you to finish packing.
3) Change your addresses!
It will probably take you a few days if not weeks to manage to notify everyone of your change of address so start right now.
We would recommend changing your addresses at least two weeks prior to moving – don’t leave it until the last minute!
Alternatively, complete a Redirection form – these are available in a Post Office branch or you can find it online
4) Think about securing a parking space for the removals well in advance. If parking permits are required, it is your responsibility to arrange it.
If you don’t have your own driveway, you could simply put the bins out on the road to reserve space (informing your neighbors that a removals van will be parked on that space on such and such a date). That is really important as it will help a lot while loading/unloading and save plenty of time.
5) Think about how much ‘stuff’ you have! Be thorough – check the attic/loft, shed and any other storage places. Make a list of items, to make sure that nothing is left behind and be sure the removals company has arranged enough vehicles to get all your furniture and other belongings on in one trip – especially if somebody is moving into your old house on the same day or if you’re moving to another city.
It is a good idea to get quotes from different removal companies before choosing which one to go with.
6) When packing:
Ensure that car keys, house keys, wallets, passports, and other important things are kept safe, to avoid getting accidentally packed away.
Don’t overfill or under-fill boxes, choose the right-sized boxes to make sure they’re not too heavy to carry and that they are well taped. Wrap all the fragile items in bubble wrap, newspapers etc. inside the boxes and mark them with a marker pen or ‘fragile’ tape so that your removal men are aware of what’s inside and are able to find a safe place for it in the removals van. You may also consider using colored labels or marking your boxes and items with a different colour or number for each room. This would help the removal men a lot while unloading your goods into a new home.
7) Think about the big furniture, such as beds or wardrobes and consider access. If you do it yourself, make sure that it’s disassembled before the removals team arrives and that all screws, nuts, and bolts are kept together in a safe place. Alternatively, make sure furniture dismantling and re-assembly has been agreed during quotation so as to avoid misunderstanding and additional charges on moving day.
8) Make sure all appliances are drained and disconnected before you move and that the fridge freezer is defrosted and cleaned if you’re planning to keep it in a storage.
9) Garden stuff and plants. If you have a lot of garden stuff, we would advise having a separate van so as to keep them as far away from your household items as possible, as this will avoid getting other household items dirty.
10) If you’re renting, take photos of your cleaned-out old and new houses before you’re moving in, to have it as a proof for your estate agency/landlord.
11) Once the removal van is fully loaded, walk around the house to ensure all items have been moved and nothing is forgotten.