Whilst selling your house it is a good idea to start packing up a lot of your contents in cardboard boxes, as it can make your house look less cluttered and more presentable to your prospective purchasers. We can supply silica gel sachets to put in your cardboard boxes whilst they are being stored in your garage or shed to prevent moisture damage to your household items.

Start planning your move as soon as you have decided on the removal date. Begin by getting rid of all unwanted items: charity shops and jumble sales will take items in reasonable condition or do a car boot; the rest can go to the local rubbish tip - or the refuse collection department of your local authority may be able to advise you about 'special collection' facilities, sometimes available for a small fee.

If you really want to save money and are physically fit, you can hire a van and do your own removal - driving, loading and unloading, perhaps aided by friends or family. You can use our full range of cardboard boxes. Vans are available in various capacities for hire on a daily basis. To drive a 7.5 ton van you will need to have a driving licence issued prior to 1st January 1997 - any queries regarding this contact the DVLA on 0870 240 0009. Try to get a van or lorry with a tail lift as it is no fun humping beds and furniture on to a 3 foot raised loading area. Give the vehicle a good clean inside, especially the floor, before you start loading, in case a builder hired it before!

Estimate carefully the size you will need, and if it involves a long journey try to make the move in one journey if a long distance, returning the van immediately afterwards.

Allow plenty of time for loading and unloading - it takes longer than you think - as well as for journey time.

If, however, you are moving the full contents of a home, employ an experienced removal company.
Use our enquiry form for a quote for your house move.

Getting an estimate - The company will send an estimator to decide what size of van is required; make sure that he knows exactly what is to be moved. Forgotten items that involve an extra journey can bring heavy additional charges.

Go through the house with the estimator, pointing out any fittings - such as carpets and curtains - that you are leaving behind. He will tell the removal foreman, but as an extra precaution label all items to remain, not to be removed.

The estimator will also ask if you are doing your own packing, or want it done by the removers. This will cost extra, but may be worthwhile if you are short of time to do your own - for example, if you are self-employed.

If you are taking fitted carpets with you, ask the estimator if they can be lifted by the removal company in advance, or if you must do it yourself. The removal men will not take up fitted carpets on moving day; they will only roll them up and carry them out. They will not refit them.

Fix a date and time of removals with the estimator, and arrange Insurance cover for possessions, from when they are loaded to when they are unloaded, including any storage period. Removal firms usually offer insurance at about 10 per cent of the removal charge, but it may be cheaper to obtain a temporary extension of your home contents insurance.

The removal company will send you a written quotation; check it carefully for date and time, then confirm your acceptance and ask the company to confirm in writing. Once agreed in writing, it becomes a contract and its terms cannot be altered, except by any special provisions in the quotation. Check that these are fair and reasonable before signing.

Packing -

Do not pack heavy items such as books in the larger tea chest style boxes otherwise you will have difficulty in lifting them up especially up and down stairs, or a removal firm may refuse to lift them up. It is better to pack your items in various sized boxes so your items are safely packed and protected. You can purchase different size packs of boxes to suit your house move.

Starter Pack for a 1 bedroom house or flat.
Medium Pack for a 2-bedroom house/flat
Large Pack for a 3 /4 bedroom house.
Wardrobe Pack of 3 Boxes
Wardrobe Pack of 6 Boxes

You can now safely pack items with the following individual boxes and wrappings.

Packing boxes, tissue paper, bubble wrap, wardrobe boxes, plate- crockery boxes,
storage boxes, tea chests, mattress/sofa covers, television box, archive box, drinks box, packing tape, CD boxes, LP record boxes, singles record boxes, fridge-freezer-washing machine-dishwasher boxes, polystyrene chips, bicycle box, map and poster tube, videos box, video player box, DVDs boxes, DVD player box, satelite receiver box.

If you have special items such as antique furniture, cabinets, you can have bespoke cardboard boxes to exactly fit in any quantity
.
You must take down curtains, fixtures and fittings, and dismantle self-assembly furniture, to save on space in the move if you are doing it yourself.

Clothes in the wardrobe boxes.
Books, kitchen items, garage tools, videocassettes, shoes, in the book boxes or general items boxes.
Plates, crockery, china, china cups, saucers in the plates box.
Wide screen TV, large duvets, curtains, lampshades, large light items in the 32" wide screen TV box.
Bedding, towels, clothes, shoes, lamps, kitchen appliances, sauce pans, portable TV, computer monitor and equipment, in the tea chest boxes.
Pictures, paintings, mirrors in the picture boxes.
Glass ware, drinks bottles, in the glassware box.
Office Files in the archive boxes.
Fridge/Freezer, fridgefreezer, washing machine, dish washer, in the fridge freezer box.
LP Records in the LP record box.
Single 7" records in the 7" record box.
CD's, Floppy discs, in the CD box.
Dvd's in the DVD box.
Golf clubs,fishing rods, standard lamps, ski-ing equipment, curtain rails in the telescopic box.
Bycycle,skis,very large pictures, large mirrors, table tops,in the bicycle box.
Mattress'sin the mattress covers.
Sofa's, armchairs in the sofa covers.

Wrap delicate and fragile in bubble wrap and tissue paper. It is better to use bubble wrap to protect furniture, televisions, computers, pictures etc. Use tissue paper for china, silverware,glass ware, as if you use bubble wrap this will take up to much room in your boxes.

Pets cannot be taken in the removal van - you must take them with you. Cats, small dogs,small animals can be taken in the pet carrier; birds can be carried in their cages, goldfish in a plastic bag containing ten times as much air as water. Tropical fish can also be placed in plastic bags, but put the bags in cardboard boxes and fill the spaces with expanded polystyrene chips or granules to maintain the temperature. If the journey is long, the fish may have to be tranquillised by a vet, as stress can kill them.

Run down the contents of Refrigerators and Freezers and defrost as near to removal day as is convenient. A freezer can be kept in use if you are moving only a short distance - the contents will keep without thawing for up to eight hours. Arrange to have it loaded last and taken off first, so that it can be quickly reconnected.

Gas appliances permanently connected to a supply, such as gas heaters and cookers, must be disconnected by the gas board or an approved corgi gas fitter. Arrange for him to call on the morning of the move, and for reconnections at your new home. You may also want an electrician to disconnect electrical appliances.

At the same time arrange for the gas ,electricity, water meters to be read - you will then be charged only for units used up to that time.For the telephone, notify the sales office of the telephone company of your move, so that they can make up your final bill. If you are moving only a short distance, you may be able to retain the same number.

Other people you need to notify include the local authority and water authority, your employer, bank, credit card companies, insurance companies, Inland Revenue, Department of Social Security, and any clubs or organisations of which you are a member. Send your car registration document to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre, Swansea SA99 1AB. Send your driving licence to the same address, with your new address filled in on the reverse side of the licence.

The Post Office needs seven days' notice to redirect your mail. Fill in Form P944G, available from post offices, and your mail will be redirected for up to a year for a small charge. Remember also to cancel milk, newspapers and any other regular deliveries.

Moving out - Before removal day make a room-by-room plan of your new home, numbering each room. Then number the articles to be moved, so that the removal men know where each piece goes. Give the plan to the removal foreman when the van arrives.

Before it leaves, make sure the driver knows the way; give him a rough map or print one for him from streetmap .co.uk if he does not, and tell him of any access or parking problems there. If there are parking restrictions outside the house, tell the remover in advance, so that they can arrange police co-operation.

Give the foreman the house keys if you are not travelling ahead, though it is best to be there first if you can.

At your old home, have a final check to see that everything has been loaded before the van leaves, then shut all windows and turn off the water at the stop valve and the electricity at the consume unit. Leave a note for the new owners explaining what you have done. Leave something for the new owners perhaps some flowers, box of chocolates, as you will want to keep good relations with them if they get some post for you and you want them to re-direct it. Hand over the keys to the new owner or estate agent.

As soon as possible after the move, check the conditions of your goods; any claims for damage or breakages must be made within seven days.

All material in this guide is copyright protected and cannot be used in whole or part without our permission.