Eight weeks before (or as soon as you have a likely date)
- Get two or three removal quotes in writing; send photos of every room, the loft, the garage and the shed so nothing is missed
- Tell each mover about the access at both ends: stairs, floors above the first, lifts, and how close a van can stop to the door
- Decide on packing: we pack everything, we pack the kitchen and breakables, or you pack yourself
- Start the clear-out: loft, garage, shed and the cupboard under the stairs. Every box you do not move is money saved
- Book a clearance for what is not coming with you, with a registered waste carrier (ours is CBDU13412)
- If the sale and the purchase may not complete on the same day, ask about storage now
- If you rent, check your notice period and tell the landlord
Four weeks before
- Accept the quote you want and confirm the date in writing (a quote is valid for 30 days)
- Read the cancellation terms: with us, postponing or cancelling is free more than 14 working days before the move
- Order boxes and materials if you are packing yourself; start with the rooms you use least
- Check whether either street has residents' parking; a bay suspension in Chester needs about ten working days
- Measure the new house: will the sofa go up the stairs, does the fridge fit the gap
- List the furniture you want taken apart and rebuilt, so it goes in the quote (we only dismantle what is agreed in writing)
- Book a qualified person to disconnect the cooker, washing machine and anything plumbed or wired in
- Book the day off work, and childcare or a pet sitter for move day
- Check your home contents insurance covers the move, or ask your insurer to extend it
Two weeks before
- Set up Royal Mail redirection at least a week ahead
- Tell the council, the utilities, the bank, the DVLA, the GP, the dentist and the school
- Plan to eat down the freezer
- Tell us anything that has changed since the quote: a new sofa, a fuller loft, a later key time
- Arrange the keys: where they are collected, who releases them, and the solicitor's phone number
- Take anything we cannot carry to the recycling centre: paint, fuel, gas bottles, chemicals
The week before
- Finish packing everything except the kitchen and the beds
- Label every box with the room it is going to, on the top and one side
- Pack a first-night box: kettle, mugs, tea, toilet roll, bedding, chargers, a lamp, the children's essentials
- Pack a bag that travels in your car: documents, keys, medication, jewellery, the laptop, cash and cards
- Photograph the back of the TV and the router before you unplug them
- Make sure the loft is lit and safe to walk in if we are emptying it
- Arrange payment: it is due in full, in cleared funds, on or before the morning of the move
The day before
- Empty, defrost and dry the fridge and freezer; leave the doors open
- Drain the washing machine and dishwasher, and run the petrol mower dry
- If we are packing, this is usually our day in the house; point out what stays and what is fragile
- Put the first-night box and the car bag by the front door with a note on them
- Charge your phone and save the removal company's number in it
On the day
- Be there, or send someone you trust, at both the collection and the delivery
- Walk the crew round: what goes, what stays, what is fragile
- Take the meter readings at both houses and photograph them
- Check every room, cupboard, the loft and the shed before you lock up
- At the new house, tell the crew which room is which; stand near the door for the first twenty minutes
- Check the job sheet before you sign it
- Note any damage to the house itself on the worksheet by 6 pm that day
The first week in the new house
- Unpack the kitchen and the beds first, then one room at a time
- Report any loss or damage to your belongings in writing, by email or post, within 7 days of delivery
- Register with a GP and a dentist if you have moved area
- Update your address on your driving licence and car registration
- Book the collection of any spare boxes, or keep them for the loft
What a removal van will not take
Our terms let us refuse perishable food, anything that needs a controlled environment, animals, birds, fish and plants, firearms and ammunition. Fuel, gas cylinders, paint and chemicals stay behind for safety. Our guide on what removal companies will not move explains what to do with each.
If the dates do not meet
If your sale completes before your purchase, the whole house can go into our storage and come out the day you get the keys. Storage between completion dates explains how that works and how it is priced.