How far in advance should I start planning a move?

Six to eight weeks is comfortable for a house move. Book your removals company as soon as your date looks firm — month-end, Fridays and summer dates go first — and start decluttering immediately, because it takes longer than anyone expects.

Who do I need to notify when I move?

Council tax, utilities, water, broadband, banks, insurers, your GP and dentist, the DVLA, your employer, schools, and anyone who sends you anything important. Royal Mail redirection covers the ones you forget.

What should I keep out of the removals van?

Passports, deeds, wills, keys, medication, chargers, valuables and jewellery, plus a first-night box with kettle, mugs, toilet roll, bedding, towels and a change of clothes. Fuel, gas bottles, aerosols and paint cannot travel on the van at all.

When should I book the removals company?

As soon as you have a date you believe in. Request a free quote early to hold your date, and if the chain moves we would rather rebook you than have you lose the slot entirely.

How long does a house move take on the day?

A local two or three-bedroom move is typically most of a day: loading in the morning, travelling and unloading in the afternoon. Access at both ends affects it more than distance on local moves.

Checklist

Moving house checklist

Everything that needs doing before moving day, in the order it needs doing. Work through it week by week and the last few days stop being frantic.

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Quick answers

Book your removals company six to eight weeks before your move, as soon as your date looks firm.
Order broadband for the new home about four weeks out. It usually takes the longest to set up.
Pack room by room and label each box with the room it is going to.
Keep passports, deeds, medication, keys and a first-night box with you, not on the van.
On moving day, take meter readings and check every room, cupboard and the loft before the van leaves.

Moves rarely go wrong because of the removals. They go wrong because something small was left until the last day — a meter reading, a key handover, a box of paperwork nobody can find. This is the list we give customers, built from what actually catches people out.

Eight to six weeks before

This is the cheapest week of your move, because everything you decide not to take is volume you never pay to shift. Start with the loft, the garage and the shed — the three places nobody includes in their own estimate.

Get removals quotes and book your date once it looks firm
Declutter properly: charity, resale, tip runs, and be honest with yourself
Decide whether you are packing yourself or want packing included
Check whether you need storage between completions
Start a moving folder for contracts, quotes, reference numbers and receipts
Tell your landlord or agent if you are renting, and check the notice you owe

Four weeks before

Now the admin. This is the block of jobs that people leave and then regret, because half of them have lead times measured in weeks.

Order boxes, tape, paper and bubble wrap, or arrange materials with us
Book broadband installation at the new property — this has the longest lead time of anything
Notify council tax, utilities, water, insurers, banks and your GP
Arrange Royal Mail redirection to start on your moving date
Register children at their new school if you are moving area
Start packing anything you will not need: books, spare bedding, out-of-season clothes
Use up freezer food rather than trying to move it

Two weeks before

Packing becomes the main job now. Pack room by room and label by room rather than by contents — the crew needs to know where a box goes, not what is in it.

Pack in earnest, one room at a time, labelling each box with its destination room
Mark fragile boxes clearly on the top and the sides
Confirm the removals booking, the arrival time and the crew size
Arrange parking at both ends: permits, cones, or a word with the neighbours
Book pet and childcare cover for moving day — it makes a real difference
Service or cancel anything tied to the address: cleaner, gardener, milk, deliveries
Take photos of valuable furniture and electronics before they are packed

The final week

Everything except the essentials should be in boxes by now. This week is about the things that cannot be packed early and the things that must not go on the van.

Dismantle flat-pack furniture you are handling yourself; bag and tape fixings to the frame
Drain and dry the washing machine, defrost and dry the fridge and freezer
Drain fuel from mowers and machinery — fuel cannot travel on the van
Set aside anything that must not travel: aerosols, gas bottles, paint, chemicals
Pack a first-night box: kettle, mugs, tea, toilet roll, soap, towels, bedding, chargers, snacks
Keep passports, deeds, wills, medication, keys and valuables with you personally
Confirm key collection arrangements with the agent or solicitor

Moving day

Your job on the day is decisions, not lifting. Be available, keep the kettle findable for as long as possible, and walk the crew through anything they need to know before loading starts.

Walk the property with the crew: what goes, what stays, what needs special care
Keep pets and children somewhere safe and out of the carry route
Take final meter readings and photograph them
Check every room, cupboard, loft and the garden before the van leaves
Leave keys, manuals and anything agreed with the buyer or landlord
Travel with your valuables, paperwork and first-night box in your own car

The first few days after

Unpack in the order you will actually need things: beds, bathroom, kitchen, then everything else. Nobody has ever regretted making the beds first.

Beds assembled and made before anything else
Bathroom and kitchen essentials unpacked next
Locate the stopcock, fuse box, meters and thermostat
Take opening meter readings and register with the suppliers
Check for any damage and report it promptly so it can be dealt with
Update your address with anyone still missing, and test smoke alarms

FAQs

Common questions

Next steps

Areas we cover

Removals across Wrexham, Cheshire and Shropshire

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