Moving House with Baxters
It is often said that moving house is one of the most stressful times in your life. But it doesn't have to be that way ! and with a Baxters Move we are happy to give you all our years of experience to make sure your move is easy, stressfree, professional and with a Baxters Move even enjoyable.
Below is an outline to start your plan. Once you speak with your Baxters Move Consultant they will provide you with all the support and advice to make your move a happy event.
Things To Do Six To Eight Weeks Before You Move.
The first thing to do is to decide which Removal Company you are planning to move with and let them know as early as possible. This way you may avoid any annoying follow up calls but more importantly your removal company will be able to advise you on the best days to move so you can let your solicitor know. There’s no point agreeing to a date and then hoping to get the remover of your choice and realising you’ve picked a premium day and only man and van companies are available.
Preparation is the key to a smooth stress free move. You need to work out what you really want to be moved to your new home. It is an ideal opportunity to get rid of those things you don’t really need. A good way of telling is if you haven’t used something for over a year do you really need it? You will be surprised how good it feels to shed some of the clutter! Boot sales and Garage sales are a great way of disposing of unwanted items, charity shops too. If you have a large amount of items to dispose of get a skip, get one that’s bigger than you think you need as it’s never big enough!
You need to get organised. Get a folder to keep all the documents you will accumulate during your moving process and to keep notes of what you need do, what you've done etc. Think about your new home layout and start thinking about where you will want the furniture placed. Prepare a floor plan of the new layout so that you will be organised when your furniture arrives at your new home. Get familiar with your new community. Request information on schools, health centres, community centres, parks and recreation from the Local Authority. Start collecting suitable moving and packing supplies if you plan to do your own packing or partial packing. You can either purchase all these materials from us, or if you are moving with us we will provide the packing materials well in advance even if you do not have a moving date.. Start running down your freezer. Fridge contents will need to be emptied so make sure you have collected some cool bags/boxes ready for moving day.
2-3 Weeks Before Your Move
Go to the Post Office and complete a change of address form, if your date is still unsure ask the advice of the cashier. It may be worth getting the form and waiting until you exchange contracts before sending it off. You will usually need to allow 7-10 days for this to take effect. Empty the loft, there will usually be items in there that will need to be disposed of so the earlier you do this the better. It is a good idea if you have a spare room, take the bed apart and use the space to stack up items ready for moving. Contact your insurance company to transfer medical, property, fire and car insurance, to your new address.
You will need to notify the following of your change of address.
-
Friends and Family
-
Clubs and Organisations
-
Milkman/NewspapersUtility Companies
-
Telephone Company Mobile Phone Company
-
TV Licence
-
Sky or Cable Company
-
Water Supplier Company
-
Electricity Company
-
Internet Provider
-
Business Banks and Financial Institutions
-
Personal Banks and Financial Institutions
-
Investments
-
HP Agreements
-
Credit Agreements
-
Loans Credit & Store Cards
-
Family Tax Credit
-
Local Government departments
-
Local Council
-
The Inland Revenue
-
Health Services
-
Doctors
-
Optician
-
Vet
-
Dentist
-
Pharmacy
-
Driving Licence (DVLA)
-
Schools
-
Travel/Car Association
-
Subscriptions Organise
Make arrangements for the disconnection and reconnection of domestic appliances: Washing machine, cooker, dishwasher. Get advice on suitability of moving aerials/satellite dishes to new home Make sure you gather together in a safe place all the important documents, Medication, Keys etc. that you will need during moving.
If you are packing yourself make sure you have left enough time and have enough materials to complete the job. Remind yourself of the jobs you are doing such as dismantling and what your Remover have agreed to do. For example they may have agreed to dismantle the beds but not remove the curtains and blinds.
The key is preparation, the smoother your preparation the smoother the move and the less stress you will experience as a result. Below is a short list of useful tips.
- Leave drawer contents unless they are heavy or fragile. (Except divan drawers they will need to be packed, unless it’s only a duvet)
- Use space in trunks or ottomans to place light non fragile items (Toys etc.)
- Separate any flammables and arrange to take with you or dispose of. Make sure Petrol lawnmowers, strimmers, etc. are fully drained, before we load them.
- Gather any small plants together and place in plastic trays if possible. Larger plants can be moved as they are. Don’t water plants the day before Removal.
- Allocate an area to gather items you do not want loaded
- such as Cleaning Materials, Keys, laptops, Chargers, bags, Kettle etc: make sure you clearly identify this area.
- Make arrangements for childcare and animal care on moving day.
- Make sure all boxes are clearly marked and labelled, and closed correctly (not interlocked).
- Start cleaning the house as you go along.
- Make sure you have all the documents related to your move to hand.
-
Your Moving Day at Your Old Home.....
* Get up early and don't panic!
* Take bedding off beds and pack it up.
* Walk your removers through the house, tell them what you need them to do and take their advice on the actual loading.
* Make sure your removers know where they are going.
* Give the house a final clean.
* Leave a note of your name, new address and contact number for the new residents of your home so they can forward any mail that doesn’t get re-directed
* Have a final walk round to check you've remembered everything - do this BEFORE the removal vehicle leaves!
* Record your meter readings - Gas - Electric - Water
* Make sure you have keys to your new home and drop off your current keys as you've arranged.
* Make sure you load everything you're taking yourself in the car and lock it!
* Switch everything off, lock up and leave!
Moving day at your new home.....
* Check everything is working such as power, gas etc - if not, call the utilities companies to find out why not!
* Record your meter readings - Gas - Electric - Water
* Supervise the unloading process to get everything where you want it.
* Clean before you start unpacking.
* Start unpacking essentials. After Your Move
* Unpack logically working down from essential to non-essential items.
* Reassemble your furniture when you have time.
* Get all of your major appliances ready for use again and connect them up.
* Check your mail is being forwarded to your new address.
* Register with a doctor, dentist, veterinarian etc. (If not already done so)
* If necessary change your driver's licence and car details etc.
* Once you have unpacked check with your remover as they may collect the boxes from you and re-cycle. If they do make sure you flat pack them.
Finally if you are in any doubt about anything to do with moving, if you’re moving with us, we will be more than happy to help you, remember we do this every day!!