Home > Planning the Move > Coordinating Your House Moving Day

Coordinating Your House Moving Day

By: Mary Williams BA (hons) - Updated: 11 Jul 2012 | comments*Discuss
 
Coordinating Your House Moving Day

Moving house is supposed to be one of the most stressful experiences we go through in life. Making sure everything goes as smoothly as possible on the big day itself is therefore vital. But this does require some planning ahead.

Sale and Completion

First and foremost keep in regular contact with your solicitors and your agent. Make sure everything runs smoothly from their ends and that they have everything they require from you as soon as they need it. Once you have exchanged contracts make sure everything is in place for completion.

Confirm the time you are expected to be out of your house (usually 12pm) and the time you can move into the next property (usually the same). Find out how the key hand-over will take place. Some solicitors like this to happen in their office. If this is the case you will need to schedule this into your moving day.

Deal with Utilities

Ring your utility companies in good time. Find out what is required of you with regard to terminating your contracts at one property and starting up others at the new house. Make sure they are aware of your moving date. Check gas, water and electricity will all stay on in the new property ready for your move in. Sometimes it’s easier to stick with the company being used by the current owner until you are established in your new home and can look round for some good deals. Beware of being hooked into a contract for a year or two. Ask for a basic deal with no tie-in.

If you wish to keep your existing phone number remember to request this well ahead of the move as well. Sometimes, however, the phone company will not assign a new number to a line until the existing owners have terminated their contract. Discuss this with their solicitors or the owners themselves if you have an easy relationship. Make sure you have a mobile phone fully charged in case there’s no working phone at the new house.

Book Removals

It is well worth putting money aside to pay for help from a removal company if you want everything to run smoothly on the big day. Remember, these companies are experts – they help people move house every day. Check when they will be arriving and whether they want you to “cone off” space in front of the house.

Be sure you know exactly what they will and won’t move and how much preparation you need to do in advance. If they aren’t packing for you, you will need to ensure that all boxes are packed and labelled before moving day and that furniture that needs to be disassembled has been taken apart.

Accept Help

Moving days are incredibly busy and you often have to do the move out and in within a short period of time if you are caught in a chain. Do, therefore, accept all the help you can get. Draft in grandparents and aunties to be responsible for children and pets – and perhaps to help you clean the house room by room as it is emptied. Ask anyone who is handy with a screw driver if they can spare an hour or two at the other end, putting pieces of furniture back together again as they arrive – so that you have something to sleep and sit on.

Be Prepared

Get up in very good time on moving day and cook a big breakfast to set you all up for the day. Then wash up the plates, cups and pans etc you have not packed and put them into a “handy” box that you will be able to access easily at the other end.

Get every member of the family to pack themselves a “holiday” bag a week or so before the move. Suggest they pack as they would for a holiday at that time of year – taking at least a week’s worth of clothes etc with them. This should travel with them on the big day itself to ensure they won’t have to rummage through piles of boxes immediately.

Make Lists and Schedules

Plan the move like a military exercise. Make sure everyone knows what they should be doing and when. Draw up lists and schedules. You may well have to split up, with some people staying at the old house and some travelling with the removal company to the new one. Don’t forget to decide who will be the last to lock up and leave. And don’t forget to catch the cat in good time and to have somewhere comfortable for her to hide out away from the chaos at the other end.

You might also like...
Share Your Story, Join the Discussion or Seek Advice..
Why not be the first to leave a comment for discussion, ask for advice or share your story...

If you'd like to ask a question one of our experts (workload permitting) or a helpful reader hopefully can help you... We also love comments and interesting stories

Title:
(never shown)
Firstname:
(never shown)
Surname:
(never shown)
Email:
(never shown)
Nickname:
(shown)
Comment:
Validate:
Enter word:
Topics