Moving House? Tips on how to prepare for your move

It’s often said that moving house is one of the most stressful events in a person’s life, on a par with divorce and bereavement. Research also confirms this statement to be true.

First, there’s the initial stress of viewing potential new homes to live in and showing complete strangers around your current property. Then there’s the tension and anxiety of the build-up to the actual move day itself. This is such a huge and important moment of your life and there is much for you to consider and plan for. It can be a huge upheaval, especially emotionally. Therefore, any assistance you receive should be helpful, responsive, professional, caring and informative.

No cutting corners

There should be no cutting corners when moving house. At Elite Moving Systems Ltd (EMS), we know that people really do appreciate the finer detail. Many of your items will be full of memories and will carry high sentimental value, so you won’t want to place the care and trust of your items in just anybody. It’s important that care and concern is shown at this stressful, but equally exciting, moment of your life.

What next, once you’ve found a new home?

You have just found your dream new home. You have had your offer accepted, so you now need to begin planning and making various arrangements.

Around 2-3 months before your move, you will need to find a conveyancing solicitor and you should compare different quotes and reviews. It’s essential that you arrange the legal formalities as early in the process as possible. This will ensure a smooth legal transaction of your property sale/purchase and will also allow for any delays. You should also take some time to research the facilities and amenities in the area that you are moving to.

You will also need to arrange your mortgage, so you need to contact mortgage providers and should compare different quotes and reviews.

If you’re renting a property, you will need to let your landlord know which date you are looking to move out. They would need to know this date in advance and you may have to give them a certain amount of notice.

If you have children, you will need to look at schools in the area that you’re moving to and this should really be done much further in advance, as you will need to make an application to the school of your choice, to ensure that your children are accepted. You would then need to transfer your children’s school records and order new school uniform as well.

Getting a Quote from a Removal Company

You should now start thinking about getting removal quotes, especially if you are moving the full contents of your house or apartment, as it’s always much easier to seek professional advice and assistance when moving house.

Here at Elite Moving Systems Ltd (EMS), we would be delighted to provide you with a quote for your move.

You should also check with your home insurance provider to see if your insurance policy will cover your removal. Home insurance providers usually cover moves within the UK, but they don’t usually cover international moves if you are moving overseas. In any case, most removals companies are usually able to provide insurance cover, wherever you’re moving to. Our advice would be to always take out some form of insurance cover, as damages can occur during transit, especially if you’re moving overseas. Check the rate you have been quoted for insurance and try to ensure that cover is in place as soon as possible.

It’s a good idea to keep a record or file of all documents and notes related to your move. These can include quotes, letters, e-mails, checklists, important numbers, deeds, dates and details of all conversations.

What should you do 4-6 weeks before your move?

Around 4-6 weeks before your move is the time when you need to start clearing out anything you don’t want to be moved to your new home. Some removal companies can offer a service where they will dispose of items on your behalf, for which an additional charge would be made. It’s always best to start by making a full checklist of all your major items so you know what you will be moving and are clear on anything that will need to be disposed of before the big day.

If you have not done so already, you now need to arrange for removal companies to perform a pre-move survey of your effects and it’s advisable to obtain estimates / quotes from at least three removal companies, so you can compare prices and services.

If you are moving within the UK

Before asking removal companies to visit you to perform a pre-move survey of your effects, you should ensure they are a member of BAR (British Association of Removers). This is the kite-mark of the industry and holding this accreditation means that a company has passed stringent tests and is regularly audited. Being a member of BAR also ensures that all members have set rules and regulations that they have to adhere to. The British Association of Removers has been dedicated to promoting professional excellence in the Removals Industry for more than 100 years and BAR is at the forefront of developing and maintaining professional standards and services for the benefit of its Members and their customers. EMS is a proud member of BAR.

If you are moving Overseas

Established in 1950, FIDI is the largest global alliance of independent, quality, international moving and relocation companies, who are specialised in moving household goods and personal effects from one country to another and from one continent to another. The FIDI Global Alliance is the only network of global mobility specialists who comply with an internationally recognised quality standard.

You should ensure that you only obtain quotes from removal companies who are members of BAR and also of FIDI (Fédération Internationale des Déménageurs Internationaux, which translates to the International Federation of International Movers). EMS is a long-standing member of this affiliation.

The Pre-Move Survey

The pre-move survey will determine the volume of your effects, what materials are required, how long your move will take and it will also allow the estimator to assess the parking and access at your residence. The estimator may also need to view the access at your delivery address (if you are moving locally), should you have found a property to live in at that stage.

Buildings Survey and deciding where everything will go in your new home

Once you have found a new property, you now need to consider finding a RICS chartered surveyor to carry out a buildings survey at your new home.

You should think about where everything will go at your new home, although this can be difficult, as you don’t always know what Items will fit where until the items have been physically delivered. If you are down-sizing, you may require storage, another service which most removal companies can provide. EMS has storage facilities and can provide storage of your effects, if required.

If you have decided to pack any items yourself, you will need to purchase packing materials and your removals company will be able to supply you with such materials. However, packing items yourself can be very time consuming and there is also more chance of items being damaged during transit if the packing is not done by the professionals. In addition, most insurance companies will not be able to offer insurance cover if a professional removals company has not packed your items.

Furthermore – and certainly if you are moving overseas – as a general rule, “owner-packed” boxes are not allowed to be shipped due to security reasons. A red flag will be raised if a customs officer notices that a box has been written down on the packing list as being “owner-packed”. For overseas moves, the only items which a customer is usually be allowed to pack themselves are clothing items, linen, or books. However, these items should be packed into pre-delivered boxes by the removals company you are using and any box you pack yourself should be left unsealed so that the packing crew can check inside them at the time of packing – for insurance and security purposes, before your removals company of choice seals the boxes, lists and labels them at the time of packing.

Relocating with your company?

If you’re relocating due to your job, you should find out what expenses, if any, your employer will cover as each individual being relocated would usually be given a volume or weight allowance which must be adhered to. You will know if you are under or over your allowances once the initial pre-move survey of your effects has taken place.

It’s very important that the new home you have decided on moving into meets all your needs and requirements. Likewise, you should explore the local area and all its nearby amenities, plus look at how long it will take you to get to work each day. It’s even more important if you have a spouse and children that they are happy. In particular, you need to make sure that the new school your children will go to, is the most suitable option for all concerned and that your spouse is able to do things which makes them happy.

If you need any further advice or information, please contact us at EMS to discuss with our team further. We would be delighted to help.

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