Removals and Storage

10 things to remember before the removals van comes - or how to not stay friends with your  soon to be ex neighbours

1. Pack the cat, or leave the little vicious creature behind.

2. Wear clean undies, you new house will notice, or you might get hit by the removal van.

3. Give the postman a leaving present (wink wink). Or the milkman, you choose but don’t be over generous

4. Set fire to your neighbours fence, the one you don’t like obviously, claim it’s an accident.

5. Leave a note for the new people, claim the house is haunted and you couldn’t stand it any longer.

6. Remember your stash from under the floorboard in the cupboard. No explanation required.

7. Deliberately over stuff the bin, even though collection isn’t until next week.

8. Remove all the light bulbs; the person in your new house might have done the same.

9. Stand naked in your garden, it might be the last chance you get. Alternatively, put out the wheelie bin with just a kitchen apron on.

10. Infest the garden pond with something that will eat the fist, i.e. a crocodile. If no crocodile available, buy a piranha or a shark from the local pet store. Set up a hidden video camera.

When moving home you must remember to tell people who have your old address what the new one will be. Important people to inform your change of address are the bank and any other financial establishments who have your details.

Of course tell your family and friends too.

The telephone company should be told which day you will move so that you can arrange to pay right up to the last day of residence and also you should tell them or the new company at the new address, when you are moving in to that address.

The gas company should be told about the move for the same reason and the electric company. Also tell the water company. All these utilities must be paid up to the last day and the new area companies should be informed if they are different.

Don’t forget the council tax people. Your TV license can be stopped on the day you move and a new one started for the new address. If you have bought a whole year’s license, you can send it back for refund on the remaining months.

Arrange with the local post office to forward your mail that may filter through and make sure to inform the people who are still writing to the old address that you have moved. If you have a TV service or internet connection paid for to the old house, tell the companies so that they can set you up at the new one and you can just hopefully continue where you left off but in a new area. You don’t want to be paying for someone else to have those facilities.

 Some removal companies will move a full fridge or freezer but it isn’t too much bother really just to empty them gradually leading up to the move and defrost them ready. That way they will be fresh and clean when they get to the new building. You can put any remaining cold things in a cool box. Before you go, check the roof space to see that you haven’t left anything in there that you will regret. Once you vacate for the last time, anything remaining becomes the next owner’s property.

Also check sheds and garage. Turn off any taps and switch off all the electrical sockets and the heating and lights. Lock the door and leave the key at the arranged place.

Happy moving day:)

Moving house can be a stressful time. Here are some tips to make it easier:

(1) Arrange for redirection of mail in advance, to avoid a delay in receiving important items like bills.

(2) If you have deliveries made to the house such as milk or newspapers, give several weeks notice to cancel them, and rearrange them for your new address.

(3) Arrange to have your meters read in your current address, and pay the final bills.

(4) When packing, try and pack items in boxes according the rooms they are from.

(5) Have a good clear out before you move; give unwanted items to charity shops.

(6) Make sure that your belongings are insured when in transit.

(7) Arrange for telephone, internet and television to be connected in your new address.

(8) Give out your new address to all relevant companies, such as banks and credit card companies, and your family and friends.

(9) Have a cash float available to deal with unexpected expenses.

(10) When you arrive, check for loss or damage immediately.

Moving house is never easy, but in light of the recent 2008 Budget, taking on the strain and the cost of uprooting your entire family and all your belongings will have many of us counting the pennies and trying to get the very best out of selling our homes. CheaperStorage.org’s definitive guide to getting the best out of selling your property will teach you how to get the best price from your home with a quick sell, and how to save money whilst you’re at it.

1. Look at your house from the view of the prospective buyer – detach yourself from possessions and the ‘home’ you have made for yourself and put the spotlight on the property’s best features.
2. Clutter, dirt, neglect = bad. Open spaces, clean surfaces and working appliances = good. Most simple repairs can be done by yourself, although you may need to hire a professional for repairs to plumbing or electrical fixtures.
3. Repaint and re-carpet only where necessary, and be careful about redecorating – garish colours and bad paint jobs can bring the value of your property down whilst costing you money in supplies. Consider taking up old carpets if you have good wooden flooring. A little varnish could do wonders and gives the room a more spacious, airy feel.
4. Make sure the rooms smell fresh (and not pumped full of air-fresheners) for when your viewings start. Fresh flowers are a nice aesthetic touch, and bring a pleasant scent to rooms.
5. Make rooms spacious and comfortable; remove floor rugs, clutter and collections, as well as excess furniture and accessories where possible – remember you are selling the house, not its contents, so keep the floor space as neat and spacious as possible.
6. If you have one, de-clutter your garage as much as possible to make room for at least one car, perhaps consider using a storage space. Clean and de-cobweb any nooks and cranny’s!
7. Try to put away most of your family photo’s and personal items to help the prospective buyers see themselves and their families occupying the space.
8. Most importantly, always try to look through the eyes of the buyer, and remember that you are not making these changes to live with; you are just trying to get the best out of your home!

For many people, the thought of getting ready to move can induce stress and anxiety. However, moving home doesn’t have to be a chaotic, disorganized experience. By planning ahead and following a few simple tips for preparing for your move, you’ll find that getting ready to move to your new home isn’t as bad as you thought it would be.

1. Have a Packing Plan

Even though it may take a little extra time on the front end to organize your moving boxes, you’ll be really glad that you did. By keeping track of what is inside each of your moving boxes, you’ll avoid the stress of digging through ten different boxes to find something you need to locate right away after you move home.

Put a moving box in each room of your home when you start packing, and exert every effort to keep items that will go in the same room at your new house boxed together. The more you can group items together in the same way they will need to be unpacked, the less stressful moving house will be. It’s also a good idea to keep a list that details which items are enclosed in each box. The more details you have about what is in each box, the easier your move will be in the long run.

Make sure that each box is clearly labeled. You can write the room on the outside of the box, or colour coordinate each labels to make life easier for you and the removal company! You may want to use a special colour or marking on boxes that you know you will need to open and unpack right away.

Indicate what room the box came from by either writing the room on the outside of the box or by color coordinating your labels. For example, boxes packed with items from the bedroom get a blue label. For boxes you know you will need to open the first day you arrive, such as boxes containing sheets and towels, also mark them with a red label for easy identification.

2. Don’t Procrastinate

If you wait until the last minute to start packing, you’ll find yourself frantically throwing items into boxes and will be exhausted when the actual removal company turn up. It’s in your best interest to start packing items you are not currently using several weeks before the day you’re actually moving home. Even if you are hiring a removal service to handle the actual packing for you, it’s a good idea to start early getting your belongings grouped together and ready for packing.

3. Get Rid of Things You Don’t Use

Start packing the least organized parts of your house first. If you have a room or closet that is a designated junk area, start with that room. Use a discriminating eye when packing these areas, setting aside things you haven’t used in a while to sell in a pre-moving yard sale or to donate to charity. Continue on with the same mindset as you attack the closets, drawers, and cabinets throughout your home. There is no good reason to pack and move things that no one in your household is likely to ever use again. Keep in mind that you are only wasting time, energy, and likely money if you take things that you aren’t ever going to use to your new home with you. Remember the less the removal company have to move the quicker it will be done and the less they will charge you.

Moving house is a stressful time for the whole family, and often it is our pets who suffer the most. Cats are especially susceptible to the stress of moving house, as they are normally family animals and like to be involved; the confusion of moving house can be very traumatic for them.

There are many things you can do to make moving less stressful for yourself, such as organising your removal company and storage company beforehand, there are also a few things you can do to make moving home a little less disturbing for your cat.

1. Before Moving Home

When you start to empty and box up the contents of the house, start with one room first and completely empty it. When you have done this, put the cats’ bed, toys, food, litter tray and a lockable carrier in the room. Having the lockable carrier in the room, will make it less intimidating for the cat when it needs to use it for the journey. Introduce your cat to this room, as it will be its home for the next few weeks. Although the room will be empty, your cat should be quite happy as it contains the things your cat is used to seeing such as its bed. The good thing about using this empty room is that should you need to keep the cat away from something (when you are moving house a curious cat might jump in to a box being packed), you cat should not be upset as it is used to going in to the room.

2. On the Day you Move House

When you have moved house, your cat should be your first priority. Find an empty room and place all the same items in it as you had in the empty room before. This will be your cats room for the unpacking time. Only let your cat out once the entire house is unpacked and sorted out. Your cat will want to explore the house, however it may be nervous of the new surroundings, so talk soothingly to it, and try to calm it. Also make sure you show the cat where its food bowl and litter tray are. Your cat will then begin to explore the house by itself.

3. After Moving House

If you let your cat outside, try not to let it out too soon. Make sure your cat is used to the new house first, otherwise it may run away. Let the cat in to the garden in short, supervised intervals, and when your cat seems happy with the garden and how to get back in to the house, you can happily let your cat go and explore its new territory. Once you move, you need to remember to update the contact details on your cats collar, should your cat get lost in your new neighbourhood, people will need to be able to contact you.

A recent survey has shown that elder children are more likely to receive financial help from parents when moving home.

Parents are more likely to donate towards a deposit for their eldest children and figures show that around 17% of parents have given them money to help them onto the property ladder. However, figures drop to around 12% for second children wanting to move home and 9% for third children.

It has also been revealed that parents invest more time helping their oldest children find a suitable change of address. Some parents have spent over 22 hours visiting properties and estate agents with their children. However, the hours dropped to around fifteen hours of help for their second child and just thirteen hours of help for their third child.

When it comes to the actual day of moving home, older children receive around 31 hours of toil and sweat from their parents but these hours diminish to just 19 hours for a second child and plummet to fourteen hours for a third. Probably time to call a removal company.

Although the second and third child do not receive as much time and effort from their parents, figures showed that they did receive the highest amount when it came to help with a deposit. Older children only received around £3,346 whilst the second child received £7,899 and the third child was lucky enough to receive around £10,000.

Although parents may think that they have been fair with all of their children when it comes to help with moving home costs, what may seem fair may not always fit in with the changing price growth of properties. Therefore, younger children may have to receive a bigger deposit than their brothers or sisters as property prices are likely to have increased with inflation.

Parents with just one child were surprisingly economical with their money and only offered an average of £3,621 to help an only child to move home. They also spent just fifteen hours helping their loved one to find a home and twelve hours helping them to move home.

Moving home is becoming more and more difficult as finances are stretched to their capacity but in order to compete with others, sellers have to be prepared to finance some vital home improvements to attract the attention of those elusive buyers seeking a change of address.

When you decide that you would like to move house, it is time to start turning your attention to making your home as desirable as possible. Therefore, it is worth bearing in mind the following moving house tips:

First impressions are everything to potential buyers so if your house is looking a little run down on the outside, it may be time to give it a much needed face lift.

Give the garden a good old tidy up and remove any ostentatious garden ornaments such as garden gnomes. Children’s play furniture can also detract the eye from the length of a garden, so pack them up and keep the garden neat and clutter free. Spring time is the season when people are most likely to want to move house, so make sure that gardens are neatly trimmed and that the grass is fresh and green without any bald patches. Add a fresh lick of paint to door and window frames and take a trip to the garden centre to pick up some shrubs and plants to add plenty of colour.

Moving home involves a lot of work. There are also a lot of financial considerations that people generally are not used to. Engaging a solicitor, arranging the mortgage, paying for bridging finance if it is necessary, seeking the best selling price for your home, and the best buying price for the home you are moving into as well as costs for removal companies, all of these are very large and important transactions that cost a lot of money and may also cause you a lot of stress.

Add to this the stress of actually moving house. There may be some emotional attachment to the home you are leaving and you may find this very difficult. Then you have all the practicalities of dealing with utility companies, changing address to have mail redirected, cancelling your services and informing friends and business of the move.

Moving Home can be Traumatic

And this has not even begun to consider the hassle of packing up your belongings, arranging for a removal company, and transit insurance if you think you need it, and unpacking everything at the other end. It is really no wonder that so many people consider moving house such a major and traumatic experience.

However, if you take a step back, the situation is really not that bleak. Most people end up moving home for very positive reasons. These will include getting a new job, or moving to a bigger property. Therefore, as well as all the stress there is also a lot of joy and excitement involved.

Get Sorted when you Move House

You can also use the move as a chance to clear out your possessions. Look through everything before you start packing and decide what things you do not want to take with you to your new address. If there are a lot of clothes you can pack them up and give them to a charity shop. You should think about getting boxes and old newspapers gathered up. Boxes will be available from local shops and you can save your newspapers for wrapping breakables.

If you are moving everything yourself, you can rent a van to help you out. Make sure it is a suitable size. If the van is too small you’ll find yourself doing multiple trips, and if it is too large you may not be able to park, or even drive it. You should be comfortable with driving the van so give it a try before loading it up to make sure. The alternative is always to hire a professional removal company.

Almost 75% of homeowners in the UK have taken the decision to move house at least four times and have added or reduced their mortgage repayments in the process.

A third of the population are changing address on a regular basis in pursuit of their ideal home and by the time homeowners reach the age of 65, they will have lived in at least six or more properties in the pursuit of finding their little corner of the world that they can truly call home.

Looking at current house prices, each homeowner will have spent anywhere in the region of £1.2 million from continually moving home including costs like removal services.

The trend for moving home on a regular basis has become so noticeable that the Brits have been described as a nation of ‘home hoppers’.

What are the main reasons for moving house?
Well, many are striving to climb the property ladder, whilst others move house to be closer to family and friends. The desire for a larger home is also hot on the list for ‘home hoppers’ and one in four cited career or work as the main reason to move house. Elderly home owners want to move house in order to downsize and 25% of pensioners are looking for smaller houses, bungalows or flats now that their offspring have flown the nest.

The region most known for ‘home hopping’ can be found in East Anglia, Yorkshire and Humberside where half the residents in this area move house each year.

The size of a property increases with age and decreases at around 55 when most homeowners complete the circle and start looking for smaller properties once again.

The younger generation love to move house and during the past twelve months over 50% of 25 to 34 year olds have had a change of address.