Keep children away from active lifting and preserve the routines and essentials that make the first days predictable. Give age-appropriate choices without making them responsible for logistics.

Before the move

Explain what will change using a simple timeline. Visit or show the new area, plan school/childcare records, label a personal essentials bag and let children choose a small set of items that travels with the family.

Arrange supervision for survey, packing and moving day. Open doors, stacked boxes, tools and vehicle movement make the loading area unsuitable for play.

Ways children can help safely

They can choose label colours, decorate room signs, photograph their old room, sort toys with an adult and pack a light personal box away from the crew. Do not involve them in carrying, climbing or identifying hazardous disposal.

First-night access

Keep medicines, comfort items, clothing, bedding, toiletries, school items, snacks and chargers accessible. Set up sleeping space before non-essential unpacking.

After arrival

Walk through safety boundaries, maintain familiar mealtimes/bedtimes where possible and allow mixed feelings. Confirm school, transport, healthcare and emergency-contact updates.

FAQs

How can children help without being near lifting?

Use planning, labels, room choices and light personal packing in a separate safe area.

What should stay accessible?

Medicines, documents, comfort items, bedding, clothes, hygiene, food and school essentials.

Suggested component

Use a Family Move Routine Planner with supervision, school tasks and first-night essentials, avoiding collection of unnecessary child data.

Related guides

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A piano move needs an item-and-route survey, not a price based only on postcode. Type, dimensions, weight distribution, stairs, turns, surfaces and final placement determine crew and equipment.

Describe the instrument

State upright, baby grand or grand; maker/model; width, height and depth; condition; detachable parts; and declared value. Grand pianos usually require different preparation and supports from uprights.

Survey both routes

Measure doorways, corridors, turns, steps, landings, lift dimensions/capacity, slopes and outdoor surfaces. Photograph tight points and note parking/walking distance. Do not plan a hoist or window route without specialist and property permission.

Quote questions

• Is the mover experienced with this piano type?
• What protection and specialist equipment are included?
• How many crew attend?
• Are stairs, cranes or waiting charged separately?
• How does liability apply to the declared value and pre-existing damage?
• Is tuning excluded after the move?
• Who confirms final floor loading and position?

Avoid DIY lifting instructions: concentrated weight, awkward balance and fragile mechanisms create injury and damage risks.

FAQs

Does piano type change the plan?

Yes. Construction, balance, dismantling, supports and route equipment differ between upright and grand instruments.

What should I measure?

Piano dimensions and every route restriction at collection and delivery, including turns and lift limits.

Suggested component

Use a Piano Access Survey Form with type, measurements, route photos, steps, surfaces and declared-value questions.

Related guides

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Prepare every appliance from its exact manufacturer instructions and use qualified people for gas, hardwired electrical, plumbing or refrigerant work. Movers transport appliances; they may not disconnect, install or commission them.

Build an appliance list

Record make/model, dimensions, weight, fuel/connection, shut-down time, transit parts, access route and who performs disconnection/reconnection.

The manual, not a generic article, determines defrost, orientation, transit-bolt and restart instructions.

Moving day

Confirm appliances are empty, dry and disconnected by the agreed person. Secure cables/hoses without damaging them and keep model-specific transit parts labelled. Photograph connections before disassembly if permitted.

At the new property, check services and clearances before reconnection. Do not power equipment simply because it has reached the room; follow settling, levelling and commissioning instructions.

FAQs

Who should disconnect an appliance?

The person competent and authorised for its connection. Gas and hardwired work require the appropriate qualified trade; check the mover’s written exclusions.

Where should transit and restart instructions come from?

The official manual or manufacturer support for the exact model.

Suggested component

Use an Appliance Move Planner that stores model-manual links, disconnection owner, transit parts and restart status.

Related guides

Compare House Movers is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write.

Some movers include straightforward dismantling; others charge separately or exclude particular furniture. List every item, access restriction and required reassembly before the survey.

What to record

For beds, wardrobes, tables, sofas and fitted items, record dimensions, material, construction, assembly instructions, floor and doorway route. Identify flat-pack furniture, glued joints, fragile finishes, wall fixings and missing hardware.

Flat-pack furniture can weaken after repeated assembly. The mover may exclude damage caused by prior condition or decline unsafe reassembly. Keep instructions and photograph condition.

If a sofa will not fit, do not assume doors or windows can be removed. A route survey may identify dismantling, specialist upholstery, hoisting or a different item, each with separate permissions and risk.

Furniture types

The answer depends on how the item is built. Ask the firm about each type separately rather than assuming one rule covers everything.

Included, excluded or specialist

Practice varies between firms, so treat the table as a list of questions, not a promise of what any quote includes. Heavy stone tops are covered in moving a marble or stone table, and route problems in furniture that will not fit through the door.

Fixings and who does the work

• Agree in writing who dismantles and reassembles each item: you, the mover or another trade.
• Ask whether the firm’s cover applies to items you took apart yourself.
• Keep fixings for each item in a separate labelled bag, taped to the largest part or packed in one marked box.
• Photograph each item before it is taken apart and keep the assembly instructions with the fixings.
• Note any parts already loose, missing or damaged before the move.

Do not take apart anything with springs, gas struts, electrics or heavy glass without the manufacturer’s instructions or a competent specialist. List these items at the removal survey so the firm can plan for them.

Compare House Movers is building Move Planner, an app that records awkward furniture with photos, dimensions and notes in one place; contact us for pricing and availability.

FAQs

Should I dismantle flat-pack furniture myself?

Only if competent and the mover agrees how it will be packed and reassembled. Label parts and retain every fixing.

What if a sofa will not fit?

Pause and assess the route. Obtain permission and specialist input before removing building elements or hoisting.

Suggested component

Use a Furniture Access and Assembly Inventory with dimensions, route photos, scope and hardware fields.

Related guides

Compare House Movers is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write.

Protect each item’s surfaces and edges, prevent movement inside the container and make unusual dimensions visible to the mover. High-value or irreplaceable pieces may need professional packing or a custom crate. Where a maker, framer, gallery or conservator has given care instructions for a piece, follow those before any general advice, including this guide.

Before packing

Photograph condition, measure dimensions, record declared value and ask how liability applies to owner-packed items. Identify loose frames, damaged glass and hanging hardware before wrapping. If anything is already cracked, loose or flaking, do not try to repair or pack it yourself: tell the mover and ask whether a specialist should handle it.

Who should pack which item

The practical answer changes with value, size and condition rather than with the type of object, so decide item by item:

Condition photos that help

Good photos make a later conversation about damage factual rather than a matter of memory. Useful examples:

• a wide shot of each valuable piece in place, then close-ups of corners, edges and any existing marks;
• the back of framed work, showing hanging hardware and labels;
• a mirror or glazed frame photographed at an angle so existing scratches show;
• a sticker or inventory number visible in the frame, matching your written list;
• the same item again at unpacking, before you dispose of the packaging.

Keep photos dated and avoid capturing documents, addresses or anything private in the background. If something arrives damaged, the guide to documenting a damage complaint sets out what to note and when. Compare House Movers is building Move Planner, an app that keeps inventory items and condition photos together in one record; contact us for pricing and availability. It records what you capture; it is not a packing standard or certification.

Glassware

Use divided cartons where appropriate, wrap pieces individually and fill voids so contents cannot collide. Avoid overloading and mark orientation. Never rely on a “fragile” label to compensate for poor internal protection. For crystal, antique or hand-made glass, ask the mover whether its packing service should handle it instead.

Mirrors and framed work

Protect the face without using adhesive that may damage the surface, and use a correctly sized mirror or art carton. Do not take down or carry a large, heavy mirror on your own; leave it for the crew or a specialist, who can assess weight and the route. Large, heavy, glazed or valuable work may require a rigid crate and specialist handling.

When to crate

Compare crating when an item is irreplaceable, high-value, unusually heavy, sculptural, vulnerable to pressure or travelling through groupage/international handling. Obtain the crate design, handling points and unpacking plan in writing. The same planning logic applies to heavy stone items; see moving a marble or stone table.

FAQs

When does an item need a custom crate?

When ordinary cartons cannot control movement, edge load, impact or handling risk. Let the mover or specialist assess the route and item.

Should I photograph condition?

Yes, before packing and again if unpacked damage is found. Keep dates and inventory numbers.

Will owner-packed fragile items be covered?

Not always. Some firms limit or exclude damage to the contents of boxes they did not pack. Read the terms in removal insurance and liability and ask before moving day.

Suggested component

Use a Fragile-Item Packing Planner with dimensions, value declaration, packing party and photo checklist. For quotes that include fragile-only packing, see packing services.

Related guides

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Start with items that need the longest exit route: valuable goods to sell, charity collections and regulated waste. Do not leave every unwanted item for the final week.

Use four decisions

1. Keep: useful, wanted and suitable for the new space.
2. Sell: enough likely value to justify listing, messages and collection.
3. Donate: accepted in its current condition by a confirmed organisation.
4. Dispose: no safe reuse route; follow local waste rules.

Measure the new home and check storage before moving furniture by default. Set sale deadlines and a backup route so unsold items do not block moving day.

Keep identity, financial, property and medical documents with you until retention and secure-destruction requirements are checked. Never put sensitive papers into an unattended open skip.

For waste-carrier checks, hazardous materials and local collection rules, use the dedicated Compare Waste Removal guidance rather than improvising.

FAQs

How early should I sell bulky items?

Start early enough for listing, viewing, collection and a backup plan. The more essential the space saving, the earlier the deadline.

Which documents should stay with me?

Identification, contracts, financial/legal records, medicines information and anything needed during the move. Review retention before secure disposal.

Suggested component

Use a printable Declutter Decision Log with deadline, route and fallback fields.

Related guides

Compare House Movers is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write.

Pack for safe handling and easy placement, not for the fewest boxes. Use sound containers, distribute weight, fill voids and label destination plus handling needs.

Choose containers

Use purpose-made or sturdy reusable crates for heavy, fragile or valuable contents. Reused retail boxes can suit light, non-fragile items only if dry, clean, rigid and undamaged. Avoid boxes weakened by moisture or missing lids.

Pack by weight

Keep books and dense objects in smaller boxes. Put lighter bulky items in larger cartons. Reinforce as the box maker instructs, protect edges and avoid top-heavy loads. A box should be liftable by the agreed crew without the bottom flexing.

Label for the destination

Use room name, brief contents, priority and handling direction. Number boxes and keep a separate inventory rather than writing valuable contents conspicuously. Colour coding helps only if everyone has the key.

Lower-waste choices

Reusable crates, returned cartons, paper padding and correctly sized boxes can reduce material. Reuse only where protection is not compromised. Ask whether the mover collects boxes after unpacking.

FAQs

Can I reuse supermarket boxes for everything?

No. They can work for light items when strong and clean, but inconsistent sizes, open tops and food contamination make them poor for fragile or dense contents.

How should I label boxes?

Destination room first, then handling/priority and a box number linked to your inventory.

Suggested component

Use a Box Label Generator that prints room, priority, orientation and inventory number without exposing high-value contents.

Related guides

Compare House Movers is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write.

Packing help is most valuable when time, fragility, mobility or liability matters more than doing every box yourself. Compare full, partial and fragile-only services against a written inventory, and get the scope, materials and any unpacking written into the quote.

Full, partial or self-pack

The three options differ less in the boxes than in who does the work, how long it takes you and who answers for the way each box was packed. Firms define these services differently, so treat the table as a set of questions to put to each one, not a description of every firm’s terms.

Ask whether materials, labelling, dismantling and disposal are included. Some items cannot be packed by movers, including hazardous materials, cash, important documents and certain valuables; use the mover’s exact exclusion list.

Professional packing does not remove your responsibility to identify high-value or unusual items and follow declaration terms. Photograph condition where relevant. For screens, computers, mirrors and art, see the guides on packing electronics and home-office equipment and packing glassware, mirrors and artwork.

Boxes, materials and unpacking

Two points cause most misunderstandings, so get both answered in writing:

• Who supplies boxes and materials. With full or partial packing the firm normally brings its own cartons, paper and specialist boxes, but check whether they are included in the price or charged per item. If you self-pack, ask whether the firm sells or lends boxes, delivers them in advance and collects them afterwards.
• Whether unpacking is included. A quote that says “packing” does not automatically include unpacking. If you want it, name the rooms and say whether the crew should put items away or only unwrap them.
• Specialist items. Ask which items the firm will pack itself and which it would refer to a specialist, for example fine art, antiques or a marble or stone table top.

Inventory checklist: everything or fragile-only?

“Pack the fragile things” means different things to different people. A short room-by-room list removes the guesswork and makes quotes comparable. For each room, note:

• who packs it: the firm, you, or a specialist;
• fragile items by name (glassware, china, mirrors, framed pictures, lamps, screens);
• anything oversized or unusually heavy, with rough dimensions;
• high-value or irreplaceable items to declare or carry yourself;
• items not moving at all (sold, donated or left for the buyer);
• items the firm will not carry under its exclusion list.

Give the same list to every firm so each quote covers the same scope. The guide to comparing removal quotes without missing extra charges shows how to line the answers up. Compare House Movers is building Move Planner, an app that keeps a room-by-room inventory with photos in one place; contact us for pricing and availability.

Is it worth the cost?

There is no reliable single percentage for what packing adds to a removal, because it depends on volume, the number of fragile items, materials and how much time the crew needs. Ask each firm to price packing as a separate line so you can see it.

Packing help tends to be worth considering when you have little time before completion, a large amount of fragile or valuable contents, health or mobility limits on lifting and bending, or when self-packed contents would be excluded from cover you rely on. Read the firm’s terms alongside the guide to removal insurance exclusions before deciding.

Hypothetical example, round figures for illustration only: if Quote A shows £1,000 including packing and Quote B shows £800 without packing, the gap is only meaningful once you know what B would charge for the same packing scope, and how much of your own time self-packing would take.

FAQs

Can I book fragile items only?

Often, if the mover offers partial packing. List every item and confirm whether custom cartons or crates are included.

Does packing include unpacking?

Not necessarily. Unpacking is often a separate add-on, so ask for it by name and agree which rooms are covered.

What should I avoid packing first?

Keep documents, medicines, keys, chargers and prohibited/no-load items separate. Use the mover’s written list.

Suggested component

Use a Packing Service Scope Builder with room/item selection and user-entered prices. To get quotes for professional packing, see packing services.

Related guides

Compare House Movers is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write.

Before paying a deposit, check who you are contracting with, who you are paying, who will actually carry out the move and what the written booking says. Reviews are useful evidence only when combined with identity, address, cover wording, written scope and complaint checks. This guide sets out the checks, the red flags and a shorter list for urgent bookings.

Due-diligence checklist

1. Confirm legal/trading name, physical address, phone and company details.
2. Ask whether work is performed by employees, subcontractors or another mover.
3. Obtain a written inventory, access assumptions, price basis and terms.
4. Read liability, exclusions, cancellation, delay and complaint clauses.
5. Check membership claims directly with the named trade body.
6. Look for review patterns across more than one platform.
7. Confirm payment recipient matches the contracting business.

Five checks in detail

Each check answers a different question. None of them proves a firm is good; together they make problems much easier to spot before money changes hands.

Membership claims and listings

Check membership claims with the organisation itself. The British Association of Removers (BAR) says you can check whether a mover is a member on its own website or by phone, and that the BAR logo on a member's website should work as a live link. BAR is a trade association: membership means meeting BAR's own membership criteria and code of practice. It is not a statutory licence to trade. See what the BAR badge checks.

The licence that does apply to many removal firms is about vehicles, not service quality. In Great Britain, a business carrying goods in a vehicle with a gross plated weight over 3,500 kg needs a goods vehicle operator's licence; Northern Ireland has its own rules. See operator's licence rules for removal firms.

A listing is not an endorsement. A removal firm appearing on Compare House Movers, or being put in touch with you after a quote request, has not been endorsed or had its standards checked by us. Run the same checks on every firm, however you found it.

Red flags

Be cautious when a mover refuses a survey for a complex move, will not identify the business, gives only a cash price in messages, demands a large urgent transfer to a personal account, changes company names, cannot explain liability or uses copied membership badges.

A deposit is not automatically suspicious. The concern is amount, timing, payment destination, refund/cancellation terms and lack of a credible contract.

Who will arrive?

Booking websites and lead services may pass work to another business. Ask for the operating mover’s name, vehicle arrangement and responsibility for loss or damage. Recheck if this changes.

Urgent booking checklist

When a move is days away, pressure to pay quickly is exactly when checks get skipped. If you are booking at short notice, or replacing a firm that has not turned up, keep to this shorter list:

1. Get the contracting business's full name, address and phone number in writing, and look up a limited company on the Companies House register.
2. Send a written inventory (room by room, plus loft, garage and shed) and the access at both addresses, and get the price and what it includes in writing.
3. Ask who will turn up: the firm's own crew, or another business.
4. Pay only to an account in the contracting business's name, and confirm the bank details by phone on a number you found independently.
5. Ask what happens to your deposit if the firm cancels or cannot attend, and get the answer in writing.
6. Check any membership claim with the organisation before paying, not after.
7. Keep every message, quote and receipt in one place.

For the fuller process, see how to check a firm quickly for a last-minute move and what to do if the removal company has not turned up.

FAQs

How can I check who will carry out the move?

Ask the contracting company in writing whether it subcontracts and request the operating business details before payment.

What should concern me about a deposit request?

Pressure, personal accounts, unclear refund terms, mismatched names and an amount disproportionate to the stated booking commitment.

Does BAR membership mean a removal firm is licensed?

No. BAR is a trade association with its own membership criteria and code of practice. Membership is not a statutory licence. Check current membership with BAR directly.

Does appearing on Compare House Movers mean a firm has been checked?

No. A listing or an introduction through this site is not an endorsement. Use the checklist above for every firm.

Sources

• British Association of Removers, “Moving House in the UK”
• GOV.UK, “Get information about a company”
• GOV.UK, “Being a goods vehicle operator”

Related guides

Compare House Movers is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write.

Work backwards from the earliest possible move date, but keep bookings flexible until the legal or contractual date is secure. Use this master timeline and open specialist guides only where your move needs them. Everything on this page is free to read and print; no email sign-up is needed.

Provisional or confirmed?

Split your list into two stages. Provisional planning is everything you can do safely while the date might still move: getting surveyed quotes, decluttering, gathering account details and holding a provisional removal date. Confirmed booking is what you lock in once the date is legally secure: the removal date and scope in writing, parking or lift bookings, storage and the dates you give to utilities.

When the date becomes secure depends on where you are buying or selling:

• England and Wales: when contracts are exchanged.
• Northern Ireland: also at exchange of contracts.
• Scotland: once missives are concluded; ask your solicitor when your date of entry is fixed.
• Renting: your notice and tenancy start or end dates, as set out in the tenancy and the rules for your nation.

The eight-week moving house timeline sets out these stages week by week.

Four to eight weeks before

• Build an inventory and identify specialist items.
• Compare surveyed removal quotes and terms; see what happens in a removal survey.
• Declutter with enough time for sale, donation or lawful disposal.
• Check access, parking, lifts and building rules.
• Gather documents and create a change-of-address list.
• Plan children, pets, medicines and accessibility.

Final week

• Confirm addresses, contacts, crew, arrival and payment.
• Label boxes by destination room and priority.
• Separate valuables, documents and items travelling with you.
• Prepare first-night supplies.
• Defrost or disconnect appliances only as manufacturer and mover instruct.
• Photograph valuable-item condition and both properties.
• If your date was only confirmed late and you still need a firm, see last-minute house removals.

Moving day

• Keep keys, phone, charger, medicines and paperwork with you.
• Walk through the property with the crew and identify exclusions.
• Record meter readings at the relevant handover time.
• Check cupboards, loft, shed and outside areas.
• Complete the agreed key handover.
• At delivery, direct boxes and note visible loss or damage promptly.
• If the crew has not arrived by the agreed time, follow what to do if your removal company has not turned up.

After

• Confirm utilities and address updates.
• Unpack safety-critical and essential items first.
• Check the inventory and report issues under the contract.
• Retain quote, inventory, payment and complaint records.

Printable checklist: who does what

Many tasks fail because everyone assumes someone else is doing them. Use your browser’s print option to print this table and write the name of the person handling each task beside it.

FAQs

What should be done before the van arrives?

Clear routes, reserve access, finish agreed packing, separate no-load items and confirm keys/contact/payment.

When should I record meters and hand over keys?

Follow the property transaction or tenancy instructions. Photograph readings at the point responsibility changes and record key receipt.

Can I book a removal firm before exchange or missives?

You can hold a provisional date, but ask in writing what happens to any deposit if the date moves, and only confirm once the date is legally secure.

Suggested component

Offer a printable Moving Timeline Checklist with movable dates and household-specific modules. The download mirrors this page.

Related guides

Compare House Movers is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write.