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Furniture on the Move - Claire Hose, MoveMinder

Furniture on the Move

Something to consider when you move house: is your furniture going with you? When considering your current interior stock, it may help to ask yourself the following questions:

1 Will it fit?
The general rule is, if you got it into your current residence, then you’ll get it out again. It might need to go through the window instead of the front door, or be disassembled if you built it in situ, but if you prepare for it, there shouldn’t be any delays. Potential problems arise when you get to your new property. Chances are you only saw it once, and your memory of the size of a doorway/corridor/window might not quite match the reality. If you don’t want to chop the legs of your sofa (which happened to a friend of mine) or something similar, it’s always a good idea to measure up, just in case.

2 Will it go?
You’re moving from a mega modern, uber trendy loft conversion which you lovingly filled with original Eames era classics and contemporary design into a quaint countryside cottage complete with original features. Or you have a huge living space filled with huge pieces of furniture but are moving into a shoebox. Chances are you won’t be able to transfer items room for room and you might need to get rid of a few bits. Not a huge disaster, it just means you can go shopping for more ‘stuff’.

3 If not, what should I do with it?
a) Storage
If your current move is temporary and you know you’ll use something again, but it just wont fit for the time being, storage is an option. There is a variety of options available to suit your needs including 24 hour access storage facilities, which is more expensive than the other option: out of town container storage units offered by removal companies. This option usually requires a bit of notice before you can access your belongings. Or there’s option three: sucking up to a friend with a big garage or loft space where you can leave stuff for free.

b) Sell
Make a bit of money back to fund your new home, or the spiralling removal/estate agent/solicitor fees by selling items you know you won’t need again. Car boot sale, friends/family, eBay, or Auctioneers (for the really good stuff)

c) Donate
If you’re feeling charitable, chances are you can find someone to take unwanted belongings off your hands, especially if it’s of good quality. For items rejected by friends and family, charity shops are an obvious option and some have a homes division that will take good quality furniture. Not all will collect so you may have to find it in your heart to cover delivery costs, and don’t be surprised if you call up and they say they have no room – there are a lot of charitable people around and only so much space to keep items in before they are passed on to the needy. Try a few places though, someone will benefit. Another option is the website www.uk.freecycle.org where you post an ad detailing your wares and someone will contact you to collect. It might not go to a good cause but at least it’s out of your way.

d) Dump
The dump might be the easy option but most people like to recycle where possible – waste not want not. The council will collect large items – check their policies because there is usually a limit to how much they will take each year.

Claire Hose

‘Expert mover’ Claire Hose is Managing Director of MoveMinder Limited. MoveMinder Limited is a move management company which specialises in assisting individuals with all the additional tasks associated with moving house.

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