Exeter: 01392 984071
•
Plymouth: 01752 936208
•
Torbay: 01803 362034
•
Newton Abbot: 01626 903024
•
Mobile: 07543 850050
Exeter: 01392 984071
Plymouth: 01752 936208
Torbay: 01803 362034
Newton Abbot: 01626 903024
Mobile: 07543 850050
Plymouth: 01752 936208
Torbay: 01803 362034
Newton Abbot: 01626 903024
Mobile: 07543 850050
6 Week Moving Guide - South Devon Relocations
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6 weeks before the move
- First things first! One of the most important things you need to do is de-clutter the house before getting a removal company to come around and quote you for the move. You do not want to be paying to move stuff that you do not want or need!
- Once you have cleared out the house, garage and shed, you then need to book your removal company.
A good removal company will be busy, so early booking is highly advisable, even if your dates are not
fixed yet. - If you can’t face the prospect of packing or simply don’t have time to do it, then now is the time to talk to us about your packing requirements. We offer 3 levels of packing service, and further details and prices are available upon request.
- If you are packing yourself, check to see if your insurance policy will cover your packed items. Most removals firm’s insurance policies do NOT cover items packed by the customer themselves, only the furniture, fixtures & fittings.
- If you have children, then you need to research schools in your new local area. Visit them if necessary until you and your child finds one you both like, and then arrange to transfer your child’s school records and order any new school uniform.
- Create a folder for all your moving related documents and keep it in an easily accessible place. This will be really helpful throughout the whole moving house process, and will be one less thing to worry about when packing starts.
5 weeks before the move
- If you’re looking for any end of tenancy cleaning (general household, carpets, windows, ovens, pressure washing, decorating etc), then now is the time to talk to us about your cleaning requirements. Check out our ‘Services Offered’.
- You may even want to give some thought to having your new house cleaned in between the old owners moving out and you moving in. Most people at the very least, get the carpets, walls, floors, kitchens and bathrooms cleaned.
- Draw up a detailed inventory of your main possessions and furniture and decide where you’re going to put everything in your new property. It is also advisable to measure larger items, as a back up plan will be required if they don’t fit into the property!
- If you are moving a long way from your existing property, then you might want to consider booking overnight hotel accommodation. Many hotel chains, such as Premier Inn, offer regular promotions where rooms can be booked for as little as £29 per night. To take advantage of this offer, it needs to be booked in advance.
- Spend time with friends and relatives over the next few weeks to ensure you say your goodbyes properly and get away from it all regularly. If you are going to have a farewell party or get together, then now is the time to send out invitations.
- If you are packing yourself, then you need to start thinking about this now. Start by packing non essential items and remember to use good quality boxes. You can source boxes yourself from supermarkets etc or speak to us about your packaging requirements.
4 weeks before the move
- Safely dispose of all hazardous materials and liquids that require specialist treatment e.g. paints,
gas bottles, cleaning fluids and oils – find out where to take each one before the move by contacting
your local council. - Clear out the loft. Use a high powered light and search all corners to ensure you don’t miss anything. Watch out for hidden cables and tread carefully. Please have all boxes and bags down from the loft ready to load on moving day.
- If you are moving long distance, make sure your car is fully checked and ready for the journey. Check the traffic news for ongoing road works & delays. The last thing you will need on moving day is to break down
or be delayed! - If you need specialist help around the home to remove fixtures and fittings, dismantle wardrobes or beds, disconnect wet appliances, computers, TV’s etc, but haven’t arranged for your removal company to help you with them, then now is the time to book the services of the required tradesmen.
- If you’d like a locksmith to change the locks at your new house arrange for them to meet you there on the day of your move. You never know who the previous owners may have given spare keys to in the past.
- Start to run down the contents of the fridge, freezer and kitchen cupboards, especially if you are moving some distance. Throw away anything out of date, and any opened items should be used up, thrown away
or properly sealed.
2 to 3 weeks before the move
- During this 2-3 week period before the move, you should now start contacting the following people and advise them of your moving date and new address:
- Your Employer & Inland Revenue: when you notify your local tax office you will need to quote your reference number, this is printed on your pay slip/P60/code notification.
- DVLA: you need to change your address on both parts of your driving licence (the card and paper part).
- Council Tax Office: Make sure you notify authorities both in your current area and the one you’re moving to if you are changing districts/counties. www.voa.gov.uk
- Bank/Building Society & Credit Card companies: If you are moving a considerable distance away it would be a good idea to transfer your accounts to a branch closer to your home. Most credit card companies send a change of address form with their monthly statements, be sure to fill these out at next statement to change your address.
- Insurance: Make sure your contents insurance is changed to your new property on the date that you move, you may need to get a new quote for your new home, see make sure you received a quote in good time before you move! Your quote may also change for car insurance if you do/don’t have a garage in your new property etc.
- Telephone/Mobile Phone: Make sure you contact both providers of your plan to move, also your internet account if you have one with them to notify your change of address and the date you will be needing to switch your phones/internet connection, sometimes your phone provider may need to come and install a phone line in your new home, so make sure you notify them in good time.
- Junk Mail: To stop junk mail you may have been receiving to your old property, you can register yourself with the Mailing Preference Service (MPS) this can help you remove your name from up to 95% of the direct mailing lists in the UK.
- TV Licence: Your TV licence does not move with you, you need to make sure you notify TV licensing to prevent yourself from facing a fine of up to £1,000 go to www.tvlicencing.co.uk to change your details.
- Satellite TV: If you pay for satellite TV, please don’t forget to notify your provider in good time, so you can arrange a date for them to come and set up your satellite dish in your new property.
- Doctor, Dentist & Opticians: If you will be moving out of the local area you will need to inform your Doctor, Dentist and Opticians so you can de-register with them and register in your new local area. If you go for regular appointments at your local hospital, make sure you also notify the hospital so they can transfer your treatment.
- Vet: If you have any pets make sure if they are receiving any treatment, it can be transferred to a local Vet. Also if you are intending to put your pets in a kennel during the move, then now is the time to arrange that.
- School: If your children are changing schools inform your old school when they are leaving and make sure you notify the new school when they intend to start.
- Post: Make sure you redirect any post that you want sent to your new home. You can have post redirected from 1 month up to a year after you move house, but 3 months is generally enough time to notify any companies of your move. The Royal Mail offer a redirecting service which you can set-up online at www.royalmail.com/personal/receiving-mail/redirection. This service takes at least 5 days to be implemented.
1 week before the move
- Make sure you notify your neighbours of your move to ensure as little disturbance for them as possible. It is also advisable to cone off a prime parking spot for the removal truck, as this makes for a quicker and easier move.
- If you have not had a chance to do so yet, ask a close friend or family member to look after your pets and children. We recommend young children in particularly stay with family members to avoid any
unnecessary stress. - Contact your utility providers (water, gas & electric) for your new and existing properties to advise them the date of your move and your new address, ensure that you give at least 48 hours notice to ensure you have time to arrange disconnection and re-connection of supply in your new property.
- Pack your most important personal items and valuables all together in a safe, but easily accessible place including your passports, driving licences, house deeds/documents, wills, insurance papers, cash, jewellery etc.
- Inform your local milkman/newsagents you are moving and pay off any debts to them, and return any library books you have came across whilst packing, and advise them all of your new address.
- Anything outside you want to move with you (garden toys/equipment) try and bring inside your shed/garage if needed to dry, to ensure you do not get your other items around it wet/mucky on the day of the move.
2 to 3 days before the move
- You might want to set aside or prepare a fresh set of bed linen and towels for the first night at the new house. As soon as the beds have been reassembled at the new property, they can then be made up.
- All sets of keys for the front door, shed, garage and windows need to be rounded up and labelled ready for the handover. You may also need to retrieve keys from any of your trusted key holders, friends and family.
- Give away any plants and flowers you won’t be taking with you and only lightly water the ones you that you are. Remember that plants can not be stacked in the van, so you may want to consider taking your favourite pot plants in the car.
- Make arrangements to pay for your removal, so this is one less thing to think about on moving day. Ring your removal company and ask them what their preferred method of payment is.
- Prepare detailed directions to your new property (especially if it is a rural named property) and all possible contact numbers for your moving company in case of emergency or bad phone reception.
- Return any borrowed items to friends and family. Use this opportunity in returning any borrowed items to say goodbyes at the same time. It is important not to have too many distractions on moving day as you will have more than enough to do!
The day before the move
- Defrost the fridge freezer and ensure they are completely dry before moving to prevent any leaks in the
van or on the carpets. If the freezer defrosts in the van, anything that is on the floor surface will/could potentially get wet. - Do a thorough sweep of your house to ensure you haven’t missed anything. This is best done when all boxes and items are packed into one room. Look behind cupboards, under beds, behind sofas, nooks
and crannies to ensure you leave nothing behind. Take your time doing this, otherwise it might play on
your mind. - Ensure you have the keys to your new house, or have arranged a time to collect them in advance. This is really important, as the removal company can plan their day/route accordingly and save any unnecessary hanging around.
- Consider leaving a welcome note for the new occupier. Leave this with all the relevant instructions on how to operate any appliances etc. This will be one of the first things you will be looking for in your new home, so it is quite a nice touch.
- Make sure you charge your phone fully the night before you move, as you will definitely be needing this on the big day. If you live in a bad phone reception area, it is vitally important to leave the phone somewhere where there is signal.
- Prepare a moving day ‘survival kit‘. This should include: any medication required, first aid kit, children’s favourite bedtime friends & night wear, toiletries, toilet roll, hand towels, tea, coffee, milk, sugar, microwave meals, snacks, pet food, kettle, mugs, cutlery, phone charger, keys, pen & paper.
Moving day
- Drop your children off at a friends or organise for them to be collected, as well as your pets. If your kids will be staying throughout the move, pick a few toys/books to keep them occupied so that they can play in a safe area of the new property.
- If you haven’t set aside fresh bedding as previously mentioned, then strip all the beds and put the linen in black sacks ready to be put on as soon as arriving at the new property. At the end of a long day, you’ll be very glad you did!
- Ensure you do one last final sweep, checking every room has been emptied, behind doors, inside any built in cupboards, the loft and garage, also any wall hangings and mirrors need to be taken down last and put in the van.
- Have your moving related documents folder at hand to travel with you and your prepacked ‘survival kit’ ready to go on the van last. You will feel much better knowing that everything is in order and that you haven’t got to hunt for a toilet roll or a tea bag!
- Make sure you close all windows and doors, turn off the power, gas and water before you lock up the house and leave. Record all the utility meter readings (water, electricity, gas) and store in a safe place.
Arriving at your new house
- Open your new house and inspect the house before moving all your items in. You may want to open all
the windows and doors to bring some fresh air into the house, especially if the house has not been lived
in for a while. - Decide which room will be which, so you know where everything should be placed. Try and have someone stand by the front door to give the removal men clear instructions as to the room and position of each item of furniture.
- Put your ‘survival kit’ in the kitchen along with your moving folder, keys, mobile phone etc. This is a handy central place to grab anything you may need from the ’survival kit’ quickly and everyone will be aware of
it’s location. - Record all the utility meter readings (water, electricity, gas) and store in a safe place. Do not make the mistake of assuming that the previous occupier has noted their meter readings. This is your
responsibility, not theirs. - As soon as the beds have been assembled, make the beds up, but remember to take one step at a time, as you don’t need to unpack everything as soon as you move in, remember how long it took to pack!
- Moving house really does take it out of you, mentally and physically, so once the van is unloaded, it is now time for you to relax. Grab your ‘survival kit’, put the kettle on and think about having something to eat.
The day after the move
- After a good nights sleep, check the security of the property with a fresh pair of eyes and arrange to have a security review etc if concerned.
- Introduce yourself to neighbours and as an ice breaker, why not ask about rubbish/recycle collections, local amenities, bus routes, resident associations, clubs in neighbourhood etc.
- Start unpacking and enjoy making your house a home!
Call us to arrange a FREE estimate in your area:
Exeter
Plymouth
Torbay
Newton Abbot
or Mobile:
Exeter
01392 984071
Plymouth
01752 936208
Torbay
01803 362034
Newton Abbot
01626 903024
or Mobile:
07543 850050
