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Moving House

When moving house there are many things to be considered and a ‘million’ people to be informed. The information and checklists contained in this chapter are designed to make the task easier and hopefully help prevent a nervous breakdown – provided you don’t leave everything to the last minute.

Note that only divorce or a bereavement can cause more stress than moving house!

Moving home is an ideal opportunity to be ruthless and throw out all your old furniture, clothes and other belongings that you haven’t used in years. This is a good time to have a (car) boot or garage sale, as it not only gets rid of all the junk but may also bring in a surprising sum. It also allows you to assess your lifestyle, particularly when moving to a new region or city. You will need to give a multitude of government departments, organisations and companies your new address, which is an ideal opportunity to save money by looking around for better deals and cancelling anything you don’t really want. This particularly applies to utilities and other service providers, telephone companies, insurance, banking and credit cards.

DIY or removal company?

The first decision you will need to make regarding moving house is whether to use a removal company or do the move yourself. It’s possible to rent a self-drive van or truck (a standard car driving licence covers you for vans with a laden weight of 7.5 tonnes) and rope in a few friends to help you. However, although you can save money, for most people it’s inadvisable unless it’s a simple job, e.g. a few items of furniture and personal effects only.

Moving house is a back-breaking job which involves wrapping and packing everything in boxes (taking care to protect fragile items from damage), loading it all into a van, driving to your new home, unloading it and possibly repeating this a few times until you’re finished or have collapsed!

It’s no fun heaving beds and wardrobes up stairs and squeezing them into impossible spaces. It may be better just to move selected fragile and valuable items yourself and leave everything else to the professionals.

Most insurance policies have limitations and may not cover items above a certain value or breakages unless they were packed by the removal company.

Cost is obviously the main factor when making the decision whether to do a move yourself or employ a removals company. This varies considerably, depending on the distance between homes, how accessible both properties are, when you want to move (the day of the week or time of the year), the size of your home and the amount of possessions you have, and exactly what is being moved. To move personal possessions and a few pieces of furniture may cost only a few hundred pounds, while the contents of a large house can run to several thousand. If you’re moving only a relatively short distance, don’t have a lot of things to move, or are moving to or from an apartment with lifts rather than stairs, it may be a straightforward job which you can do yourself. However, you will need to calculate the cost of hiring the van (and possibly paying someone to drive it), petrol, insurance and the possible loss of a day’s earnings. You will also need to take into account the time involved, which may be an important consideration when time is money.

Finding a removal company

Most people choose to use a removal service when moving home, as it reduces the chaos of packing to one or two days. If you’re moving a relatively long distance (say over 200mi/320km), you should look both in the area that you’re moving from and where you moving to, which may reveal surprising differences in cost. Unless a small company is highly recommended, it’s best to use a major removal company with a good reputation. You can ask for references from previous customers, although this isn’t usually necessary if someone is a member of a trade association such as the British Association of Removers (BAR).

British Association of Removers

Members (some 650) of the British Association of Removers (020-8861 3331, www.bar.co.uk) have fair contract conditions, an approved code of practice, approved insurance cover, use environmentally-friendly packing materials, and have access to the BAR conciliation and arbitration service. BAR members also have access to Careline, an insurance policy to help customers deal with emergencies (such as emergency accommodation, legal advice, breakdowns or accidents and even burst pipes) during the first three months in a new home. Membership of BAR doesn’t guarantee that nothing will be broken, but at least it will ensure that you’re dealing with professionals who won’t disappear with your belongings!

Quotations

You should obtain at least three written quotations before choosing a company, as costs can vary considerably. Don’t forget to include everything, such as the contents of your garage, garden, attic, loft, cellar, annexe and workshop, as quotations can increase dramatically (and disproportionately) if you include things later. Most major companies provide a variety of levels of service which may include a standard move (load and unload only), fragile packing, full packing service, and combination service (e.g. packing and unload but not unpack). They may also provide storage services. A company may give a rough quote over the phone or a website, which will give you a good idea of the final cost, but they should send a representative to provide a detailed quotation after assessing the volume of your home’s contents.

Companies base quotes on the number of hours they expect loading and unloading to take, the amount of fuel required, driving time and extras such as packing, carpet laying, navigation of difficult stairs, using winches to access upper floors, etc. If there are access or parking restrictions for a large truck (the ground must also be firm enough to support a heavy vehicle) at either end, you should warn the remover as this is likely to influence the quotation (otherwise the bill will need to be adjusted later). If furniture needs to be taken in through an upstairs window, you may need to pay extra.

Check whether a quote includes packing and packaging, as these are optional extras with some companies and part of the standard service with others. A company may provide different packing services such as packing only breakables or packing everything, while others won’t pack anything, but will provide packing materials (sometimes they won’t even do this). Check whether the quote includes insurance and VAT.

Insurance

It’s highly recommended that you insure your belongings when moving house. Most people take up the insurance offered by their mover, which is specially designed to cover the risks involved in moving house. However, it isn’t usually advisable to insure with a removal company that carries its own insurance (some do), as they may fight every penny of a claim. Insurance premiums are usually 1 to 2 per cent of the declared value of your goods, depending on the type of cover chosen. Find out what is covered and ask them to provide a list of exclusions, which is easier than trying to wade through the small print. Make sure that they have insurance for injuries to their staff during the move, as you don’t want to be sued when one of the removal men falls down the stairs (most companies have insurance for injuries to staff).

Most insurance policies cover for ‘all-risks’ on a replacement value basis, although you may be able to choose between replacement basis (‘new for old’) or indemnity basis (‘like for like’ with an allowance for age, wear and tear). Note that china, glass and other breakables are usually only included in an ‘all-risks’ policy when they’re packed by the removal company. Insurers may only pay for the loss or damage to goods packed by a customer if there’s the total loss of a consignment.

If there are any breakages or damaged items, they should be noted and listed before you sign the delivery bill, although it’s obviously impractical to check everything on delivery. If you need to make a claim, be sure to read the small print, as some companies require clients to make a claim within a few days, although 7 or 14 is usual. Send a claim by registered post. Some insurance companies apply an ‘excess’ of around 1 per cent of the total shipment value when assessing claims. This means that if your shipment is valued at £50,000, claims must be over £500.

It’s prudent to make a photographic or video record of valuables for insurance purposes. Alternatively, you may wish to keep your valuables out of harm’s way by renting a safety deposit box for the duration of the move. You may also wish to photocopy your important documents and leave the originals in a safe deposit box. If you’re taking valuables with you, you may wish to ensure that they’re covered by your home contents insurance while in transit.

Packing

Most companies will pack your belongings and provide packing cases and special containers. It can, however, be very expensive, although it’s worthwhile if you have a lot of valuable glass or ceramics. Ask a company how they pack fragile and valuable items, and whether the cost of packing cases, materials and insurance is included in a quotation. If you’re doing your own packing (as most people do), most shipping companies will provide packing crates and boxes, but you may have to pay for them. You will also need a number of rolls of strong tape and possibly a trolley to move boxes after you’ve packed them. Some items such as books, which should only be packed in small boxes, can be very heavy.

If money is no object, the best advice is probably to leave it all to the professionals, particularly as anything you pack yourself won’t be covered by insurance. However, most people choose to pack small items, leaving the removers to deal with (and protect as necessary) larger items of furniture.

Take care to pack small, valuable items (such as jewellery) separately and carry them yourself, which in any case are usually excluded from liability in a contract and insurance policy. If you have any questions about how to handle pets, fish, plants, antiques, fine art, wine cellars or anything else of particular importance or value, discuss it with your removal company well in advance.

Storage

If you’re unable to ship your belongings directly to your new home, you may need to put them into storage for a period. It’s advisable to use your removal company to store your goods, which will minimise the number of people handling them and also reduce the cost. Most removal companies have their own storage facilities and they may even allow a limited free storage period before shipment, e.g. 14 days. Storage costs are based on volume and there may also be handling fees. You may have no access to your belongings while they’re in storage, so take care not to pack anything that you may need before you move into your new home.

When leaving items in storage for a long period, you should ensure that they’re adequately protected against temperature changes, damp and humidity. Warehouses are rarely heated and in winter the temperature is much lower than in a centrally-heated home. Bear in mind that items can be damaged by mould or mildew if they’re left in storage for a long time.

If you need to put your household effects into storage, it’s imperative to have them fully insured as warehouses have been known to burn down!

Contracts

Although most people cannot be bothered, it’s advisable to read the small print in removal and insurance contracts, for example some insurance policies require owners to declare the value of all goods that are fragile or breakable above a certain nominal amount, e.g. £50. However, if it can be proven that a contract isn’t reasonable, you may have a case for compensation. Removers are responsible for loss or damage caused by their negligence, although what this actually includes is debatable. Without insurance, a removal company’s contract will limit their liability to a paltry sum in the event of damage or loss and will exclude liability for jewellery and other valuables.

Bookings

The first thing you will need to do – on which everything else will hinge – is to decide your moving day and book a removal company (or hire a van if you’re doing your own move). Book a removal company well in advance for the best price – at least one month’s notice is advisable. If you book at short notice you may not be able to make a booking on the day that you want and may need to pay more, particularly as a company will be aware that your options are limited and may increase its rates. At the very least it may not be willing to negotiate a lower rate.

Avoiding peak times such as bank holidays (or the week in which bank holidays fall), school half-term holidays and Fridays is advisable if you want to save money. Friday is the busiest day of the week, although if you have any problems you may not be able to contact anyone over the weekend to fix them. You will need to book well in advance if you wish to plan a move during a peak period.

You should be prepared for your moving date to change at the last minute! Bear in mind when moving home that everything that can go wrong often does; therefore you should allow plenty of time and try not to arrange your move from your old home on the same day as the new owner is moving in. That’s just asking for fate to intervene!

Instructions

Give the removal company an itinerary for moving day with approximate arrival times, and provide them with a map and instructions how to find your new home. You should also give them a key, even if you’re sure that someone will be there to meet them. Give them a mobile phone contact number (or two in case your phone packs up at the last minute, you forget to recharge it or a pay-as-you-go phone runs out of money). This could be the number of a friend who you can get in touch with. You should attach a floor plan of your new house and a colour-coded guide for the carton labels, so that they know where to put things.

If there are access or parking restrictions for a large truck (the ground must also be firm enough to support a heavy vehicle) at either house you should warn the remover, as the cost can increase significantly if access or parking is restricted. These may include double yellow lines, metered or resident parking or any other obstruction that’s going to cause the job to take longer than would otherwise be expected. If necessary, arrange with the local council around a week in advance to suspend a parking bay (or two) or get the police to cone off a parking area. If you don’t have access for a large vehicle (some are the size of a double-decker bus), your removal company may be able to use a smaller vehicle and make a number of trips. If access to upper floors is restricted by narrow doorways, difficult or spiral staircases, lack of lifts, etc., you may need to arrange for furniture to be hoisted on a pulley or ‘lift’ and be taken in through an upstairs window or balcony.

Doing your own packing

If you’re using a removal company but doing your own packing, there may still be certain items that you cannot deal with or would prefer the experts to handle. If you have any questions about how to deal with pets, plants, tropical fish (ask at a pet shop), antiques, chandeliers, fine art, wine cellars or anything else of particular importance or value, discuss it with your removal company. Take care to pack small, valuable items (such as jewellery) separately and carry them yourself, as they’re usually excluded from liability by insurance companies. Note also that anything you pack yourself won’t be covered by the removal insurance policy. Check that your home contents insurance covers your belongings in transit and insure your possessions from the day of arrival in your new home.

Packing Materials

Most shipping companies provide packing crates and boxes, but you may have to pay for them. Start collecting packing materials if your removals company isn’t providing them. You can obtain free boxes from supermarkets and other stores, although it may be better to obtain stronger boxes from your removal company. Note that you will need lots of small boxes for books and other heavy items. You will also need a few rolls of strong plastic tape (with a dispenser), coloured marker pens, coloured tie labels or tape, bubble wrap and tissue paper for delicate items, corrugated cardboard or thick foam sheeting (for packing mirrors and pictures), and a plentiful supply of plastic bags and newspapers. If you have access to a shredder you can use it to convert newspapers into packing material for fragile items. You may also need some old blankets or sheets to protect large delicate items such as mirrors and light fittings.

Start Early

Start packing early – for example at least two weeks before you’re due to move. It’s surprising how long it can take to pack, particularly if you only have free time in the evenings and at weekends. If two people are packing you will need to allow at least three full days (or two weekends) to pack the contents of an average 4-bedroom house. Get your children to help pack their own belongings, but check that they’re doing it correctly. Two weeks before you move you should have finished sorting your cupboards, loft, garage, cellar, etc. and have discarded, sold or given away anything that you don’t need to charity shops or a recycling dump.

Packing Boxes

Ensure that your boxes and other containers are strong enough (they will be if the removal company provided them) to permit stacking in the van without damaging the contents. Don’t over-fill boxes (all boxes should be sealed and flat) and don’t fill large boxes with heavy items such as books, as they will be too heavy to lift. You can pack the bottom half of large boxes with books and other heavy items and fill them with lighter items.

Fragile Items

Pack fragile items in tissue or bubble wrap with plenty of padding, and mark boxes ‘FRAGILE’ or ‘GLASS’ in large red letters. Pictures and mirrors should be securely wrapped in corrugated cardboard or foam sheeting (available from removal companies) and have their corners protected – you can also buy special cardboard corner protectors and special picture boxes. Special care must be taken with valuable paintings, which you should move yourself. Wrap the legs on chairs and tables to prevent damage. Remove bulbs from lamps and other items and wrap plugs to prevent them damaging lamp bases. Large pieces of silver should be wrapped in acid-free tissue paper, especially if they’re going into storage, which prevents them from becoming tarnished. If you have any really fragile or valuable items, you should transport them yourself in your car.

Marking Boxes & Items

Make a floor plan of your new home and where you want your belongings to be stacked by the removers by ‘colour-coding’ each room. You can then mark boxes and items with a coloured pen, labels or tape, so movers can readily identify where to put them. (Don’t forget to give your removers a copy of the floor plan and colour-coding along with a map and instructions how to find your home, plus spare keys.) Mark boxes on the top and the side(s), as the top of a box may be obscured when it’s stacked. Tie coloured labels to items that aren’t boxed or mark them with coloured tape or sticky labels. Pack things together that you will need in the same room when they’re unpacked – don’t be tempted to throw things at random into boxes that belong in different rooms!

Special Items

When it comes to packing, certain items may need special consideration or handling, these include:

• Self-assembled Furniture – This usually needs to be dismantled before you can move it and you may need to arrange with the supplier or a specialist to do this (a removal company may also
do it). If possible move small items in one piece, although this won’t be possible with large items of furniture such as wardrobes and sideboards.

• Kitchen Appliances – Cookers, washing machines, refrigerators, freezers and dishwashers should all be disconnected before moving day. The drums of washing machines must be secured with the proper brackets (obtainable from the vendor or a local agent) to avoid damage. Refrigerators and freezers should be washed with detergent and dried thoroughly to avoid unpleasant odours, and if they’re going into storage wedge the doors open to allow air to circulate and tape them in place.

• Fixtures & Soft Furnishings – Curtains, blinds and fixed items
such as shelves and lamp fittings need to be taken down before moving day and cleaned – soft furnishings should be washed or dry-cleaned.

• Clothing – Clothing on hangers can be transported in special wardrobe cartons available from major removal companies. Clothing in chests of drawers may be able to be left in situ, although if in doubt pack them separately (the drawers may need to be removed to lighten the load).

• Computers, Audio & Video Equipment – This is best moved in its original packaging. Items should be secured for transit in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions.

• Food Stuffs – When moving food you should ensure that all bottles and jars are tightly sealed, and packages and cartons securely closed, if necessary by using tape. Wrap anything that may leak in a plastic bag and put loose food in plastic food boxes. Refrigerated food should be kept in a separate box, with different foodstuffs wrapped in separate plastic bags. Frozen food should have been eaten or defrosted a few days before your move. However, if you’re moving the contents of a freezer, put items into large polythene bags (ideally inside cool boxes) so that they can quickly be transferred to the freezer on arrival. Only transport frozen food if the journey is short enough for it not to defrost (don’t re-freeze food that has defrosted as it can lead to food poisoning).

• Flammable Items – Note that your removal company won’t be insured to transport flammable substances, old tins of paint, creosote, paraffin, matches, gas bottles or similar items. All containers and bottles should be securely sealed with tape to prevent leakage.

Survival Rations

You should pack any items that you may need on moving day (or before unpacking your boxes) and personally take these with you when you move home. Take care not to pack them in boxes beforehand, as they could get mixed up with items to be transported by the removal company. These items (‘survival rations’) may include some or all of the following:

Essentials

• Keys for your new home;

• Directions to your new home and a local map;

• Removal contract (in case of queries);

• Mobile phone (or two - and battery chargers), address book (with numbers of estate agent, removal company, solicitor, vendor, your buyer, neighbours, utility companies, etc.);

• A fixed-line phone of the roamer variety (if the line is connected);

• Notepad, pen/pencil;

• Medication (headache pills!) and first-aid kit;

• Wallet/handbag with cash, credit/debit card, cheque book, etc;

• Driving licence, car registration and insurance papers;

• Briefcase with copies of important documents.

Tools & Equipment

• Vacuum cleaner;

• Broom, dustpan/brush and mop;

• Cleaning materials;

• Light-bulbs, plugs, adapters and fuses;

• Self-sealing plugs (for sinks and bath);

• Tool kit with an adjustable spanner, large and small (electrical) screwdrivers, hammer, picture hooks, tape measure and pen knife;

• Camera (you may wish to take pictures of your old and/or new homes);


Basics

• Small TV (with remote control) and/or computer (to pacify children!);

• Radio/CD player and CDs;

• Portable computer;

• Camping stove, matches/lighter, candles, torch and oil lamp;

• Electric kettle, saucepan(s), frying pan, teaspoons, teapot, cups/
mugs, tin opener, can and bottle opener, corkscrew and a sharp knife;

• Plastic or disposable cups, plates and cutlery;

• Washing-up liquid, dishcloth and rubber gloves;

• Toilet paper, tissues and wipes;

• Toiletries (soap, toothpaste, deodorant, etc.);

• Make-up bag;

• Change of clothes and slippers for all the family;

• Nappies and toys;

• Bed linen, duvets and towels;

• Hot-water bottles and a portable heater if the house has been empty for some time.

Provisions

• Tea, coffee, milk (long-life or powder), sugar (sweeteners), biscuits, soft drinks, bottled water and alcohol;

• Breakfast cereals, snack food (fruit, crisps, cheese, bread, etc.), prepared meals for lunch/dinner and tinned food;

• Pet food, bowls and litter;

• Baby food;

• Bottle of bubbly to drink when the removal men have gone!

Countdown to moving day

As soon as you know when you will be moving – ideally at least four weeks before your moving date – you should begin to plan your removal.

In general you should be wary of arranging things or giving anyone your new address before you’ve exchanged contracts, as some 30 per cent of sales fall through before the exchange of contracts.

On the other hand, you shouldn’t leave things too late, particularly if you’re planning to move house the same week as you exchange contracts, when you will just have to play things by ear. The key to a smooth move is to consider all aspects well in advance and make a timetable of when jobs need to be done – and stick to it!

You also need to allow for Murphy to throw a spanner in the works at the last moment!

The way to ensure a smooth move is to make a number of checklists of jobs to be done before moving day, split into periods of from four weeks before the move to the actual moving day itself. These checklists relate solely to the task of moving your family and belongings from one home to another. They don’t include other activities involved in the buying or selling process, therefore you should bear in mind that there will be many other things going on that could affect your schedule. To help you plan a move, the jobs to be completed before moving day have been divided into the timeframes shown below.

• Four weeks before moving;

• Two weeks before moving;

• One week before moving;

• Three days before moving;

• The day before moving;

• Moving day;

• On arrival;

• After moving.

Note that the checklists below are only a guide and you may prefer to do some things earlier or later than indicated.

Four Weeks Before Moving

There are a number of things you need to do well in advance of a move. Some jobs can be left until one or two weeks before your move, but you should at least be aware of them and make sure that they’re on your ‘jobs to do’ list.
Book a removal company or van or reconfirm the moving date with the removal company or van hire company.

• You need to start the process of cancelling services or insurance at your old address and re-arranging them at the new address, possibly with a different company.

• Notify your landlord if you live in rented accommodation. Obviously this will need to done in accordance with your rental contract, so check your notice period well in advance.

• Let your employer know when you’re moving and arrange to take time off work, if necessary. Some employers give employees a day or two off work to move house.

• If you will need a bridging loan until the sale of your current home goes through, discuss this with your bank manager well in advance.

• Arrange alternative accommodation if you’re selling your home before buying a new one, or if you don’t plan to stay in your old or new home amidst the chaos of moving. If you need hotel or self-catering accommodation you should book well in advance, particularly if you’re moving during the summer months.

• You may wish to arrange for a few friends to help you move, which you will need to organise well in advance, particularly if they need to take time off work.

• If you require a residents’ parking permit or special permission from the council or police for the removal van to park outside your current or new house, you will need to make an application for a permit around a week in advance.

• Arrange for a friend or neighbour to look after your pets on moving day or book them into a kennel/cattery. If they will be travelling with you they may need to be sedated – ask your vet for advice.

• Find a babysitter or someone to look after your children for the day of the move.

• Contact your insurance companies, for example private health, car, buildings and home contents. You should insure your new home from the day you exchange contracts. Check whether you’re entitled to a rebate on your car, buildings and home contents insurance, which will apply if you’re moving to a cheaper home or to an area with a lower insurance rating for car and home contents insurance, e.g. when moving from a city to the country. However, if you’re moving from a rural area to a city, you will usually have to pay more! Shop around for new insurance as moving home is a good opportunity to save money.

• Contact government agencies such as the Department of Social Security, Child Benefit Agency, Department of Pensions, etc. If you’re self-employed you will need to contact your local DSS office and give them your name, date of birth and National Insurance number.

• Contact your local tax office quoting your tax number, shown on your P60 or a payslip.

• If you have a driving licence or car you will need to get both
your licence and your car registration papers updated with
your new address (failure to do so is against the law). Complete
the appropriate section on your car registration document and
send to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AR (0870-240 0010, www.dvla.gov.uk). Complete section 1 of your paper Counterpart Driving Licence (D740) and send it with your photocard licence and the fee to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BN (0870-240 0009). Note that the DVLA no longer issues paper licences and if you have one you must obtain a photocard application pack from a post office or the DVLA.

• If you’ve got a TV licence, contact TV licensing (0870-850 1202) and give them your licence number and new address.

• If you have cable or satellite TV (or special aerials), contact your provider with your new address or to cancel your agreement (you can compare the cost of digital TV from different providers at www.uswitch.com). If you have a satellite system you will need to arrange for the dish to be moved to you new house or for a new one to be installed if you aren’t taking it with you. This also applies to your television aerial.

• Contact your internet Service Provider (ISP). If you have a broadband connection in your old home, you may need to make arrangements to have this service in your new home.

• Inform your children’s current schools of their leaving date if applicable or warn them that you will be moving as far in advance as possible. This also applies to colleges, universities and local educational institutions where any members of your family are studying or plan to study. Obtain a copy of any relevant school reports or records from schools and arrange to visit schools in the area where you’re moving to if you haven’t already done so.

• If you’re taking your carpets, appliances (such as a cooker or dishwasher) or anything requiring specialist removal and installation, arrange for someone to remove or disconnect them and reconnect/refit them in your new home. Some removal companies will do this or will arrange for someone to do it. If you need to buy new carpets or curtains for your new home, arrange a visit to take measurements and order them well in advance.

• Notify your stockbroker, share accounts, company registrars and other financial institu¬tions.

Make arrangements for the cleaning of your old home or for furniture disassembling and assembling if you won’t be doing it yourself. You may also wish to arrange for your new home to be professionally cleaned after the seller has moved out

Few people leave a home spotless and the best time to spring clean is when it’s empty!

• Arrange for any work to be done on your new home that needs doing before you move in. This not only includes essential work – such as fixing a hole in the roof – but also such things as changing the locks, installing an alarm system, or special electrical or plumbing installations.

• Start running down food stocks, particularly frozen foods. If your fridge and freezer are going into storage, they will need to be thoroughly cleaned and dried in order to prevent mould developing (store them with their doors ajar).

• Make a list of all the major items that you plan to leave behind in your old home and give it to your solicitor. It’s important that this is accurate as it will be appended to the contract and every item must be accounted for when you move.

• Start sorting through your belongings in cupboards, loft, garden shed, workshop, garage, annexe, etc. and discard, sell or give away anything you don’t plan to take with you. Investigate local car boot sales (or Ebay) and charity shops.

• Make a list of all the major items that you’re taking with you for insurance purposes, including the cost and date and place of purchase.

• Go through all your papers and copy any important documents – store the originals in a safe or safety deposit box. These may include birth certificates; driving licences; marriage certificate, divorce papers or death certificate (if a widow or widower); educational diplomas and professional certificates; employment references
and curricula vitae; school records and student ID cards; medical and dental records; bank account and credit card details;
insurance policies (plus records of no-claims’ allowances); and receipts for valuables.

Two Weeks Before Moving

By now you should have finished sorting your cupboards, loft, garage, cellar, etc. and have discarded, sold or given away anything you don’t plan to take with you. You should also have accumulated packing materials ready to start packing items you won’t need in the next few weeks. Other jobs to do in the next week include:

• Start packing anything you won’t need until after your move.

• Cut the lawns short so that you won’t have to do them again. Drain any fuel from garden equipment such as lawnmowers, clean your BBQ, and ensure that all outdoor equipment is clean enough to transport. Make a list of plants and shrubs that you’re taking with you and ensure that you have proper pots and tubs to transport them. Make a note of any garden ornaments and other items (shed?) that you’re taking with you and dismantle any children’s play equipment such as swings or climbing frames (keep all the nuts and bolts together in a plastic bag).

• If you haven’t already done so, start running down the contents of your freezer. This is necessary if you need to defrost it – either to clean and leave or to take with you.

• Sort through your kitchen cupboards and start packing any equipment, tinned food, crockery and cutlery that you won’t need before you go. Dispose of anything you don’t want.

• Make a backup copy of any important data on your computer to floppy disks, a zip drive or a CD-ROM. (After making a backup, check that you can read the backup files – there’s nothing worse than a backup file you cannot read!)

Bear in mind that computer hardware doesn’t always travel well and the last thing you want to find is that you’ve lost vital data due to a hard disk crash and you don’t have a backup!

Obtain written instructions from the vendors of your new home regarding the operation of appliances and heating and air-conditioning systems; the maintenance of grounds, gardens and lawns (the name of their gardener); care of special surfaces such as slate, wooden or tiled floors; and the names of reliable local maintenance men who know the property and are familiar with its quirks.

• Arrange to do a final check or inventory of the new property a few weeks before moving.

• Contact banks, building societies, post office, credit union, stores and other institutions where you have accounts. If you’re staying with the same bank, you may wish to transfer your account to the nearest branch to your new home or workplace. If you have a safety deposit box or documents in safe keeping at your bank, you will need to collect them and make alternative arrangements at your new bank. Arrange for any direct debits or standing orders for your old home to be cancelled at the appropriate time. If you change your bank account you will need to ensure that all your direct debits or standing orders are switched to the new account or cancelled.

• Contact credit, charge and store card companies and give them your new address and bank account details (if applicable). Also notify your card protection insurer if you have one.

• Contact insurance companies such as mortgage payment protection, permanent health insurance, pet insurance, travel insurance, income insurance, life insurance, private health or dental insurance, car insurance, etc.

• Make arrangements with gas, electricity and water companies to read meters and transfer your account to your new address. Although most companies officially require only a few days notice, it’s advisable to contact them one or two weeks in advance and confirm the meter reading appointment a few days before. You may wish to take the opportunity to save money by changing your electricity or gas supplier. You can compare rates via Uswitch (www.uswitch.com) or the Energy Helpline (www.energyhelpline.com).

• Contact your telephone companies, both fixed and mobile. If you’re moving locally you may be able to retain your existing phone number. You can compare the rates of the main phone companies at www.uswitch.com.

• Contact your local post office if you have a pension book, as they will need to arrange for you to collect your pension from a post office close to your new home.

• If you have premium bonds you will need to notify the Bonds and Stock office (the form is available at post offices).

• Give your new address to your private pension companies, accountant, solicitor, and professional or regulatory bodies.

• Contact hire purchase and loan companies, and local businesses where you have accounts.

• Give your family doctor, dentist, optician and other health practitioners your new address. If you have regular prescriptions, ensure that you have enough medicines to last until you’ve registered with a new doctor. If you’re moving to a new area you will need to register with a new (NHS) doctor and dentist and arrange to have your records transferred (if possible, take them yourself). If you’re undergoing hospital out-treatment, notify a new doctor as soon as possible and arrange to continue treatment in the new area.

• Notify private clinics or health practitioners such as a chiropodist, chiropractor, optometrist, osteopath, physiotherapist, etc.

• Contact anyone necessary to tell them that you’re moving. These may include your accountant, alarm company (home), babysitter, car breakdown service (AA, Green Flag, RAC), car washer, catalogue shopping companies, charities, cleaner, chiropodist, football pools coupon collector, frequent flyer schemes, gardener, gym or leisure centre, hairdresser, library, masseur, milkman, national savings/premium bonds, newsagent, nursery or playgroup, online shopping accounts (e.g. Amazon or Ebay), pension provider, religious organisations, store cards, trade unions, tutors, vet, website hosting companies and window cleaner. It’s unnecessary to give everyone your new address, but it will save time to have a ‘change of address’ sheet printed to distribute to your family, friends and those listed above.

One Week Before Moving

One week before you should have completed most of your packing and should only have minor items to pack such as food and clothes.

• Check that you haven’t forgotten anything that you didn’t agree to leave such as bathroom cabinets, shelving, mirrors, pictures and light fittings. If you haven’t already done so, now is a good time to dismantle any furniture that cannot be moved in one piece (keep all the nuts and bolts in a labelled bag).

• Have your post redirected at the local post office. Redirection of all post addressed to one surname (can be any number of people) costs £6.55 for one month, £14.30 for three months, £22 for six months and £33 for a year. The post office requires one week’s notice. Alternatively you can have post held for you if you’re moving locally or arrange for a friend or your buyer to forward it (note that some post may get through even if it’s redirected by the post office).

• Contact the local authority and inform them of the day you’re moving. You may be entitled to a refund of part of your council tax.

• Arrange to drop off your keys with your estate agent and collect the keys to your new home at the earliest opportunity.

• Give the kitchen a thorough spring clean.

• Start finalising your ‘survival rations’.

• Make lots of copies of the map and instructions how to find your new home and give them to any workmen or friends who will be involved in your move. You will also need to give instructions to anyone who’s delivering anything if your new home is difficult to find. (Make a map and instructions on your PC that you can email or fax.)

• Check (again) that the removers have all the instructions and information necessary – including maps and instructions how to find your old and new homes and a colour-coded floor plan of your new home – and confirm the moving date and time.

• Apply to the local council to suspend a parking bay (or two) or get the police to cone off a parking area on moving day.

• Obtain your pets’ records from your vet.

• Give friends, relatives and business associates the address and telephone number of your new home or, if you’re moving into temporary accommodation, an address (plus email) and telephone number (mobile?) where you can be contacted.

• Return any library books and videos or anything borrowed.

• Give your new address to all regular correspondents such as newspaper and magazine subscriptions, book clubs, social and sports clubs, and professional and trade journals. You can do this earlier, but it’s advisable not to do so before the exchange of contracts, as your purchase could fall through.

• If you operate a business from home, arrange for the printing of new headed notepaper and business cards.

• Collect any dry cleaning, repairs or anything on loan.

• Obtain the forwarding address and telephone number of your sellers.

• Make sure that you’ve got a telephone number on the removal day where you can be contacted by the removers, your partner and anyone else who may need to contact you urgently. This could be your own or a borrowed mobile phone, or that of a friend who can relay messages.

Three Days Before Moving

By now you will be wondering whether you will ever get everything done in time, although you should be well on track if you’ve been following these guidelines!

• Before completion day it’s important to check the general condition of the property you’re buying and ensure that anything you purchased separately or which was included in the purchase price is present. Don’t forget to do this in the chaos of moving.

• Finish off cleaning the kitchen. Clear out the freezer if you’re taking it empty, defrost the fridge and freezer and give them a thorough clean (make sure they’re dry). If you’re going to take your freezer full of food, turn it up to full power so that everything gets frozen solid over the next few days. Pack everything except your survival rations.

• Prepare any plants that are you’re taking with you; spray them with water, give them some nutrients if necessary and use canes to support them.

• Complete odd jobs such as finding and labelling spare keys, throwing away any junk you aren’t taking with you, getting rid of sacks of rubbish, recycling bottles and newspapers, etc.

• Finish packing and labelling boxes and check that they’re labelled correctly.

• Start cleaning the rest of the house.

• Confirm that meters will be read by utility companies before or soon after you move, and confirm that the meters will be read and services connected when you arrive at your new home.

• Do last minute laundry and pack any clothes you won’t need before you move.

• Ensure that the keys for your new home are going to be available.

• Cancel any regular deliveries, e.g. milk, newspapers and magazines, and pay any outstanding bills.

The Day Before Moving

By now you should be almost finished and sitting around enjoying a well-earned rest, rather than running around like a headless chicken!

• If you haven’t already done so, turn the fridge back on after it has been defrosted to keep your survival rations cool.

• Confirm that there’s a parking area for the removal vehicle or hire van.

• Confirm the arrangement for your children and pets if they’re being looked after by friends or relatives.

• Provide the removal company with any last minute instructions regarding how to find your home from the nearest motorway or main road and how you can be contacted if they get lost.

• Make sure that you have all your survival rations – if not you may have to dash out and do a quick shop.

• Pack any remaining things that you’ve wanted to keep out until the last minute.

• Take down curtains and blinds if not done earlier.

• Check that you have the keys for your new home or when and where you can collect them.

• Finish cleaning the house.

• Disconnect the power and water from your washing machine and fit transit bolts if necessary.

• Disconnect your TV aerial or satellite dish if you’re taking them with you.

• Have a final check over the home to see whether you’ve forgotten anything.

• Withdraw some cash from the bank to cover emergencies and out-of-pocket expenses.

• Get a good nights sleep – but don’t forget to set the alarm (or two) if you’re making an unusually early start!

Moving Out

There are certain unwritten rules when moving out:

• Don’t remove door handles, light-bulbs or light fittings, fireplaces, fitted cupboards or anything planted in the garden or cemented down, unless it was specifically noted in the purchase contract.

• Leave a property in the condition in which the buyer first saw it, but cleared of items that weren’t included in the purchase price or were purchased separately by the new owner.

• Do as you would be done by – clean the property and dispose of all rubbish and unwanted belongings.

• Don’t forget to take everything with you, as the new owner could claim that any items you leave behind are now his and they could be hard to recover.

Moving Day

Hurrah – it’s moving day at last! However, before you break open the champagne you have a long, exhausting day ahead of you, where anything and everything can go wrong. The following list assumes that you will be there to supervise the move at both ends. If this isn’t the case, you must ensure that someone will be at the collection and delivery addresses to supervise the loading and unloading.

• Show the removal team’s foreman around the house and give him any final instructions regarding the removal or packing of any special items.

• Ensure that the movers have the floor plan and colour-coded guide
of your new home so that they know where to put items.

• Take the children and pets to their carers for the day or, if they’re staying with you, set aside a room with food, drink, toys, TV
or computer.

• Provide ample tea, coffee and biscuits!

• Sedate the dog if you haven’t found someone to look after it.

• Strip the beds and put the bedding into plastic bags for use that night.

• Pack up your toiletries and make a last check of bathroom cabinets.

• Check that wardrobes and cupboards are empty.

• Check that nothing is being taken that shouldn’t be and that the packing inventory is accurate. This is the list that the remover will ask you to sign on departure and again after delivery.

• Check that all rooms are empty and the lights switched off.

• Switch off the fridge and boiler and disconnect any appliances
that you’re leaving. Ensure that the water, gas and electricity supplies are turned off at the mains and make a note of the final readings.

• Empty rubbish bins and leave rubbish bags for collection (or drop them off at the local rubbish dump).

• Close and lock all windows and doors. Leave all keys to internal doors, windows, garage, shed and other outbuildings (which should be clearly labelled).

• Once the van is loaded, check the complete house, garden and outbuildings with the foreman to ensure that all items to be moved have been loaded.

• Say goodbye to your old home, wipe away the tears and drive off into the sunset (taking one last backward glance in the mirror!).

• Drop the front door keys off at your solicitor.

On Arrival

On arrival at your new home you will need to do the following:

• Unload your survival rations and organise the children and pets. Pets should be kept in a quiet room from which they cannot escape.

• Make sure that you’ve protected the carpet in the hall and other rooms where it will get a lot of use from the removers, particularly if it’s a wet day or the carpet is new or has just been cleaned.

• Ensure that everything is unloaded and stored in the appropriate rooms in your new home (and unpacked by the removers if applicable).

• Once you’re satisfied that everything has been delivered (check them off against your inventory) and positioned in the appropriate place, you will be asked to acknowledge this by signing the delivery sheet. If you find that anything is damaged or missing later, contact the removal company immediately and make a claim.

• Make sure that your keys are returned by the removers.

• Have something to eat and drink (not forgetting to offer the removers a drink).

• Make the beds with the bed linen that you’ve brought with you.

• Plug in your fixed-line phone and any appliances that were left by the previous owners.

• If the house hasn’t already been cleaned, start cleaning before you unpack and put everything away. This particularly applies to kitchen cupboards, fridge and freezer.

• Make a note of the meter readings and check that you aren’t over-charged on your first utility bills.

After Moving

In the few days following your move you will need (or may wish) to do the following (some things will have been done already):

• Arrange to change the external locks (including the garage) as you have no idea how many keys are floating around. You may also wish to have an alarm system installed or the general security checked, e.g. are there locks on the windows?

• Photograph, measure and record the details of all period features and have them included in your household insurance.

• Contact the local council offices and organisations (e.g. CAB, tourist office) to obtain information about local amenities, sports facilities, clubs, educational establishments, etc.

• Make courtesy calls on your neighbours. This is particularly important in villages and rural areas if you want to become part of the local community.

• Register with the local council for council tax and the electoral roll.

• Register with a local National Health Service doctor and dentist.

• If you have oil or gas-fired central heating, you may need to order a delivery of oil or have the gas installation checked. You may also need to order logs or coal for open fires or boilers.

• Check with your local town hall regarding local regulations about such things as rubbish collection, recycling and on-road parking (you may need to obtain a resident’s permit).

• If you’ve changed your bank account, you will need to ensure that all your direct debits or standing orders are switched to the new account or cancelled.

• Check that you’ve given everyone necessary your new address and telephone number.

• Make sure that you’re receiving your post if it’s being forwarded by the post office.

• Organise your house-warming party and invite your neighbours
to it!

© Survival Books Limited 2005

“Buying, Selling & Letting Property” 2nd Edition, David Hampshire.
Reproduced with the permission of Survival Books Limited.

Further information on this topic can be found in “Buying, Selling & Letting Property” 2nd edition, by David Hampshire.

For extensive, annually updated information about buying, selling and letting property, you can purchase this book at www.survivalbooks.net

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