After weeks of preparation, the time has come: moving day. If you know what happens that day and in what order, you keep track and can help the movers on their way. This is what a moving day looks like from start to finish.
The evening before
A good moving day starts the evening before. Make sure all the boxes are closed and labelled. Strip the bed and put the bedding aside in a bag, so you can make the bed first later on. Defrost the freezer in good time and empty the fridge.
Have a bag ready with everything you want to keep with you that day:
- keys to the old and the new home;
- phone and charger;
- papers, bank card and medicines;
- coffee, tea, drinks and something to eat;
- toilet paper, a towel and cleaning things;
- a tape measure, screwdriver and a marker.
In the morning: arrival and walk-through
When the movers arrive, walk through the house together once. Point out what is coming along and what is not, which furniture needs to be taken apart and where the fragile items are. Put things that are staying behind together in one room, with a note on it. That way nobody accidentally takes something that needs to stay.
Keep the route to the door clear and make sure the removal van can park as close to the front door as possible.
Loading
Movers load in a set order: first the large and heavy furniture, then the boxes, and the fragile items so that they cannot shift. That is why loading goes faster if you are not standing over them. Your role is mainly to be available for questions.
In the meantime, you can check the rooms in the old house that are already empty. Look in cupboards, drawers, the meter cupboard and the loft to see if anything has been left behind.
Closing up the old house
Once everything is in the van, do a final round. Write down the gas, water and electricity meter readings and take a photo of them. Close the windows, turn the heating down and leave the keys ready for the new occupant or the landlord. If the house needs to be handed over, it is often better to plan that for another day, so you are not pressed for time.
In the new home
If you arrive at the new home first, you have a moment to take the meter readings and check that everything is clean and empty. Stick the room label or colour on each door, so the movers can see where each box needs to go.
Unloading works the other way round: first the large furniture, then the boxes. Stand in a central spot, for example in the hall, and point out where each piece of furniture should go. That is the moment to say the wardrobe needs to go against the other wall. Moving it later is a lot more work.
Assembling and finishing off
Furniture that has been taken apart is put back together. Beds first, because you will need them in the evening. At the end, check with the movers that everything is there and nothing is damaged. If you notice anything, say so straight away, so it can be looked at right then.
The first evening
You do not have to unpack everything on day one. Start with the box for the first evening: bedding, toiletries, some crockery and a kettle. Make the beds, switch on the fridge and order a takeaway if need be. The rest will come in the days after.
What you can do to keep things running smoothly
- Make sure the parking space is free, and that an exemption has been arranged if needed.
- Let children and pets stay with someone else that day.
- Make sure there is coffee and drinks for everyone helping.
- Keep your phone to hand and stay reachable.
Want to know what your moving day would look like? Request the free moving check and we will go through it together.
