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A trained surveyor, Phil Spencer is best known for fronting some of the UK’s favourite property shows, including Location, Location, Location and Love It or List it alongside Kirstie Allsopp. He has written three books, hosted podcasts and runs a property advice site, Move iQ. Spencer joins Telegraph Money as a regular columnist to share his knowledge and experience from over 20 years of buying and selling property and operating as a landlord.
The words “moving day” have struck fear into the hearts of many. Whether you are a homeowner or a renter, moving house comes with a multitude of logistics. Lots can go wrong if you don’t get ahead of the curve.
In my experience, if you put in more planning ahead of the day, it increases your chance of enjoying it. And you should enjoy it. A house move is often really special and comes with a great sense of excitement (and a bit of relief) to finally be in your new home.
That doesn’t mean it won’t be stressful and emotional. That’s the nature of these things. But getting on the front foot can really make a difference.
So where to start? The first thing to do is decide what level of help you want with the move. Are you going to use professionals, or can you do it yourself by hiring a van and getting a couple of friends to pitch in?
My preference is to use a removals company, but then all of my moves in recent years have been big family ones involving furniture, so going it alone hasn’t been an option.
If you are opting for professional help, you’ll also need to decide how involved you want them to be; do you want help just with just the moving or the packing too? I have to admit that we go all in. This means the team comes in and packs everything up for you, moves it across to the new property, and unpacks it all. It is great, but it is a luxury.
If you are going to use a removal company then get quotes as soon as possible. The good ones get extremely busy – especially on Fridays – so the earlier you can book a slot the better. Have people round to do an assessment on what they will need for the job.
If you are doing most of the packing yourself, then it’s worth coming up with a game plan. Which rooms or items do you use the most, and therefore need to be packed last?
Are you sure all the furniture you are taking with you can be moved out of the house, or are there pieces you need to take apart? You really don’t want to be stuck on the day trying to work out how to get a bed out of a first floor window – it does happen!
The same applies to the place you’re moving to. Will everything fit? To answer this question, it’s worth asking for an additional viewing before you move, and taking your measuring tape. Also, try to plan what is going to go where, so once you’re in, you’re in. It seems basic, but as a crucial reminder – always label your boxes. A surefire way to create chaos on the day is if you don’t know what is where.
Professionals are excellent at moving complicated and heavy things, but put the wrong thing in the wrong room and it’s not only a waste of the moving service, but can be a total nightmare to get sorted.
A couple I know have been stuck with a small bedroom for the past 20 years, because their daughter – who was only seven when they moved house – was first up the stairs quicker on moving day and politely directed the movers to put the boxes of her things in the biggest room. They never had the energy to switch.
Another thing to bear in mind if you are getting help with packing – think about any personal items you’d rather deal with yourself. Do you really want one of the moving team going through your underwear drawer? I can tell you from experience that you probably don’t.
One thing that often gets forgotten is parking. The removal company will say it’s your responsibility to sort parking and access to both your new and old properties; no one wants to be lugging furniture from 50 yards away.
The nightmare scenario is when you are moving in and the previous owners are moving out on the same day, and there is a backlog with two moving vans. You will not be popular with your new neighbours.
If there is a chain, another thing to watch out for is if someone’s money is transferred late and the keys can’t be released. You might have moved out in the morning, and put all your belongings in a removal van, but then the money doesn’t arrive and the removal men are on overtime, and may need to go to another job. Or worse, everything is left on hold until the next day.
To avoid this, get confirmation in advance from the conveyancers of when the money is likely to land in the relevant accounts, and what time keys can be exchanged from there. Things may still go wrong, but you reduce the likelihood if everyone has a timeline to aim for on the day.
Moving yourself without professional help needs other considerations. You will get more flexibility on the day, but you have to be on the ball in the run-up. Start packing as early as possible in the least-used rooms, and declutter as you go. The less you can take the better. Pack room by room – the danger if you don’t is that you go round the house like a headless chicken and nothing gets done.
Some specifics: take photos of your electricals and which wires go where in the TV – you’ll save hours of frustration when setting it all back up. Cables are a disaster area for me and really stress me out, so I rely on taking pictures to save me time later on.
A really common mistake is overpacking boxes. You manage to get everything in, but suddenly you can’t lift it. It is easier to have more but lighter boxes than fewer heavy ones.
Whether you are moving yourself or getting a removal company, pack your valuables and important documents yourself, and keep them on you. If you have any sentimental pieces I would try to keep hold of those as well.
On the day, make sure you have done final meter readings and leave the place in a good condition for the next owners. This is even more important if you are renting, as you will likely have a property inspection before you leave, and certainly before you get your deposit back.
Don’t pack away everything. I keep a spare change of clothes in the car on the day, plus some basic cleaning products, toiletries, kettle, tea bags, sugar and mugs. Trust me, you will want a cup of tea at the end of the day, or something stronger. If you are using movers, it won’t do any harm to put a few more mugs in the car and offer teas and coffees at the other end. A nice idea is to also keep a bottle of champagne to hand to celebrate the move.
One set of clean bedding is another essential to keep to hand so you can make the beds for your first night. (I have found you can usually get away with putting the kids in sleeping bags and selling the experience as an “adventure” for a night).
Speaking of which, I tend to think that the old TV adage of “never work with children or animals” also applies to moving days. They will likely be unnerved by all the activity and risk getting in the way. However, the exception is older children. They may appreciate being included in the process and may want to say goodbye to their old house and room.
A trick I have used is packing their boxes last so they are the first to be unloaded out of the van, and then they can be happily occupied unpacking in their new room.
Pets may be trickier. The last thing you want is a dog running riot around and causing a distraction. If you can, I recommend leaving them with a trusted friend or family member until it’s a bit calmer and you can give them some proper attention.
If you are renting and moving then there are other considerations. Make sure you aren’t held up by final landlord checks at your old property, and that everything is paid and signed for at the new one.
After the move there are still bits you’ll need to sort. Make sure all of your post is redirected and your driving licence is up to date, that sort of thing. Personally, I also like to get the locks changed. You never know who has a key, and putting in your own will give you peace of mind.
And then, relax… until the decorating starts.
Phil Spencer: Protect your underwear drawer, and my other house moving tips
I swear by my moving day game plan, whether using professionals or doing it yourself