Preparing for your move
So you have decided to move house?
You have a lot to do when selling, buying or renting between the day you decide to move and the big move day.
You may be an experienced mover or this may be your first time moving home.
Hopefully I have shown below some good helpful advice to help make your move go smoothly for you and reduce the stress levels which may occur during the whole house moving process.
Lets get started in planning for your house move.
Have a look around your house and decide on how much you have to be packed and move. How long do you think it will take? Between now and then do you have any family events in which you need to have a house which is not filled with boxes? If so, you may need to start packing after the event.
Organise your move well in advance
It is time to start thinking about the physical moving of your household effects. You need to consider the furniture you currently have and if it will fit into or even suit your new home.
If your furniture is too large to get out of your home it will need to be dismantled. Can you do this yourself or will you need someone to do this for you? Ask the removals company as any good company will have staff who are all good handymen.
We are constantly asked to dismantle furniture, rebuild it, remove pictures and mirrors, disconnect appliances – even dismantle and rebuild a shed
If you are downsizing what are your plans for your existing furniture? Are you going to sell, donate to charity or store the furniture which is surplus to requirement?
If you are looking to buy new furniture do you have the furniture delivered to your current address or wait until you take possession of your new home and have the furniture delivered there.
At this time, it would be good to contact a removals company to discuss the logistics behind moving your home – and inviting them around to provide a free assessment and also get a quote for your own budgeting purpose.
When your plans for moving home start to take shape
When you have found your home and placed an offer, now is the time if not already done to start getting quotes for your move. In another article I will highlight what to look for in a company when arranging a quote, and how to know they are a reputable removals company.
I am an organised person, and believe in making lists to ensure that nothing gets missed during the house move. So, walk around your house room by room and make a list of items to be moved. Highlighting the furniture which will need to be dismantled to get out your home. Start thinking about how many boxes you may need for the move.
You will soon need to buy Packing Materials, a good removals company will be able to either sell boxes or loan the boxes for your move.
Start to budget as moving home is not cheap
Work out what your budget for the move is? Will you be paying from your 
savings or the proceeds from the sale of your home. Most removal companies will allow credit card payments for a small charge. Most if not all removal companies will expect payment in advance or on the day of the move. It is extremely rare for payment to be taken after the move.
Once the removals company has visited your home, a quote will be provided for the level of service which you require. The quote should be in writing, transparent with all costs of service and provide the Terms and Conditions. 
If you do not receive a quote or the Terms and Conditions in writing then please avoid the company.
Once you have the quote, call the removals company to discuss the quote to ensure that you fully understand the contents and any possible extra charges which may be charged. eg. insurance costs, key waiting costs, or are there hidden costs. If you are not happy then simply reject the quote.
Always find out what the cost of packing materials, and their packing service is and find out if they are flexible with this cost. Will they reduce the packing costs if on the day of the move you have packed some of the items yourself? Do they provide the cheaper Fragile Pack or Kitchen Pack?
Decide what level of service is best for you then book the move as early as possible to ensure availability.
My next article will be about packing your home and getting ready for the move.