How to Prepare Your Home for Removal Day

Removal day tends to go one of two ways. Either everything is boxed, labelled and ready when the van pulls up, or the morning disappears into last minute packing while a crew stands about waiting for something to carry.

The difference is almost always preparation, and none of it is complicated. Here is what we would suggest doing in the days before we arrive, based on a good many Bristol moves.

Finish the packing, and label as you go

The single most useful thing you can do is be genuinely finished packing the night before. Half-packed rooms slow everything down, and open boxes cannot be stacked safely in the van.

Label every box on the side rather than the top, and label it with the room it is going to in the new place, not the room it came from. That way the team can carry it straight to where it belongs and you are not shifting the same box twice.

• Heavy things in small boxes: books and tools in a large box quickly become impossible to lift safely.
• Fill the gaps: a half empty box collapses under weight, so pad it out with soft items.
• Mark fragile clearly: on more than one side, so it is visible however the box ends up stacked.
• Tape the base properly: a couple of strips across the seam saves a spilled box later on.

If packing is the part you would rather not do at all, our packing service covers full or partial packing, and we can drop boxes off beforehand so you are not hunting for them.

Furniture, appliances and anything that comes apart

Let us know in advance what needs dismantling and what you would rather handle yourself. Beds, wardrobes, garden furniture and large tables often have to come apart to get through a door, and it is far quicker if that is settled before the day rather than on it.

If you are taking things apart yourself, keep the fittings with the item. A freezer bag of screws taped to the underside of the frame saves a lot of frustration at the other end, usually at about nine in the evening.

Appliances need more notice. Fridges and freezers should be emptied, defrosted and dried out at least a day ahead, because a half-frozen freezer will leak in the van. Washing machines need disconnecting and draining, and refitting their transit bolts if you still have them.

Clear the way, and sort the parking

Access is where moves lose the most time. Walk through the house imagining a wardrobe coming out of the far bedroom, and clear anything in its path: hallway furniture, plant pots, bikes, the coat rack by the front door.

Parking matters just as much, and it matters at both ends. Bristol streets can be tight, and if there is no space for the van within a sensible distance of the door then everything takes longer than it needs to.

• Check for restrictions: residents’ parking, loading bays and time limits at both addresses.
• Ask about a suspension: the council can suspend bays for a move, but it has to be arranged in advance.
• Warn the neighbours: a friendly note a few days ahead usually keeps the space clear on the morning.
• Prop doors and gates: and mention any awkward turn or narrow stairwell you already know about.

It is worth protecting floors too, particularly if there is new carpet at the new place. Our teams bring blankets and covers, but a runner down a busy hallway never does any harm.

What to keep with you

Set aside one box that does not go in the van. Kettle, mugs, tea, phone chargers, toilet roll, a couple of basic tools, any medication, a change of clothes and whatever the children or the dog will need. Keep it in the car where you can reach it.

Passports, jewellery, important documents and anything irreplaceable are best travelling with you as well. The same goes for houseplants, and for anything a removal firm cannot legally carry, such as fuel, gas bottles, paint and aerosols.

The morning itself

On the day, a short run through keeps everything moving.

• Be up and dressed early: we usually arrive at the start of the agreed window rather than the end of it.
• Do a final sweep: loft, shed, garage, under the stairs and the back of the airing cupboard.
• Sort pets and children: a friend’s house, or a closed room well away from the front door.
• Take meter readings: gas, electricity and water at both properties, with a photo of each.
• Keep the kettle out: it is the last thing to pack and the first thing anyone wants.

Why the preparation is worth it

None of this is about impressing the removal team. It is about making the move faster, safer and cheaper for you, because a clear house with everything boxed and a van parked close to the door is a job that finishes in daylight rather than well after dark.

We will always talk you through what to expect before the day, and we are happy to answer the small questions that never quite feel worth asking. If you are moving in or around Bristol and want to get a date in the diary, request a quote and we will take it from there. Our ultimate guide to moving house covers the wider timeline if you are still a few weeks out.