To do before hand

Try to have a hand the following items

Card board boxes of varying size
A pad of paper & pens
Strong tape for sealing boxes
A thick, black felt- tip marker
Bubble wrap
Blankets
Fragile Tape
Utility knife
Old Newspapers

Its a good idea to make a plan view sketch of all the rooms in your new house/flat. This shall aid in the planning of inital packing and also help to imagine how your furniture will be arranged in your new home. It's a good idea to plan this in advance so your not having to do it on the day of your move.

It's best to pack a room at a time so you don’t become overwhelmed with the amount of boxes.

To avoid confusion later, label all boxes with the room they came from e.g. Kitchen, 1 of 9.

Any fragile item that is packed must be labelled with the FRAGILE tape. This will let the removal company know to treat the box with special care and to aid in a claim if anything should go wrong.

Nearer the time

Try to plan what food will remain in your cupboards for the day of the move. A few days before it might be a good idea to have a buffet dinner with your family. This could be a final farewell meal but mainly to use up all your frozen goods as your fridge will need defrosting and cleaning.

Plan when you’re picking up your new keys, either from the estate agents of previous owners.

Double check your booking (Date and time) with the removal company.

Arrange for final readings of your electricity, gas and water.

The day before

Confirm hand over of keys with incoming/outgoing occupants.

Defrost your freezer and fridge and leave these open to dry if you haven’t already done so.

Book a date with a good electrician just before moving, to disconnect your appliances.

Moving day

Try to get up nice and early and have a good breakfast.

Pick up your new keys from your estate agents (or at the house)

Check every item and box loaded onto the truck.

Double check every room all cupboards, drawers, shelves etc.

Give the removal company your sketch of the placement of your furniture.

Have all your appliances connected at your new property.