It’s not like you move home every week, this is relatively unchartered territory and while moving day mistakes await lesser movers and shakers, a little planning will help you avoid some of the more common relocation abominations, because you’re a winner!
“It’ll be alright…”
No it won’t. That flatpack wardrobe you don’t want to dismantle, that bed frame that’ll “probably” make it through the door without scratching the door frame… All those shortcuts are the fast way to damage items and cause delays.
Take a little more time to prepare in advance and everything will go much more smoothly on the day.
“We’ve got enough…”
No you haven’t. Packing boxes, tape, bubble wrap, there never seems to be enough. You’re far better off having more than you need (you can always return it or resell it) than find you run out of the essentials with two rooms still to pack and the removals van on the way!
“I reckon we can lift that…”
But if you can’t, it’ll be hard work pushing it all the way to your new house. Rope in friends and relatives to ensure you have enough pairs of hands on the day.
“It’s all on my phone…”
Print out all the important information in case you lose or damage your phone on the day.
“We can do it in multiple trips…”
The best laid plans of mice an men get held up in traffic. Most house moves will come up against difficulties that will take up time, so using a larger vehicle is the best method.
“But he seemed so nice…”
Your removals salesman was a great guy, now he won’t take your calls. Before you sign up with any removals company, do your research. Check them out on social media, review sites, trading standards. If you’re going to entrust them with everything you own, make sure they’re ‘kosher’.
“Oops!”
Get insurance. Most removals companies will have some liability cover, but having your own insurance will ensure all your items are fully covered.
“I didn’t read the small print…”
We’re all guilty of ticking the box without actually reading the contract, but not all removals companies are the same. Some won’t do loft spaces, some won’t move items that are still plumbed in, some will only reassemble the beds on the third Thursday of the month, if it’s a full moon… “It’s right there in the contract you signed.” Make sure you’ve read all the finer details, so there are no unpleasant surprises on the day.
“No WiFi? My life is over!”
You don’t want your teenagers arriving at your new home to find they can’t TikTok/YouTube/WhatsApp/Instagram… for a whole 5 minutes, “It’s like living in the Dark Ages!” Arrange broadband to be in place on moving day at your new address to avoid teenage dramas or work delays.