Moving house is said to be one of the most stressful things you can do. But it doesn’t need to be. We’ve invited Master Removers – the new national ‘supergroup’ of removals firms – to provide professional tips and clever hacks for making packing and moving as painless as possible.

1. Do your research

The surest way to ensure your move is stress-free is to book an experienced, reliable removals firm. A reputable team of removers will have seen and done every kind of move in its time and will know how to handle any unforeseen hiccups on the day.

Before you book a firm, check out the reviews on Google or Trustpilot. Ask if the firm is registered with BAR (British Association of Removers) – a good sign of a top-quality service – and check whether its staff are trained employees rather than temporary agency staff. A company should always visit your home to give you a quote, and provide a single point of contact to look after the move from start to finish.

2. Get a written guarantee of your moving date

There can be serious consequences if you don’t move out of your old house on time, so making sure your remover turns up on the correct day is generally the biggest single cause of stress. Ask your firm for a written guarantee of your moving date well in advance.

3. Ask your removals firm to sort out parking permits

Many of the better removals firms will organise parking permits for their lorries and vans from the local council themselves. That’s one less headache for you as moving day approaches.

4. Make smart use of storage

If you’re buying bulky furniture for your new home, you can avoid cluttering up your old house – or going for weeks without sofas and beds in the new one – by having your purchases delivered direct to storage before your move. Most removals firms offer storage and not only is it generally a much cheaper option than self-storage, but your removers will also be able to deliver items to your new home on moving day or very soon after.

5. Pack smart

Your removal firm should be able to supply you with all the boxes and materials you need. The most important thing is to label boxes clearly with their contents (top tip: use marker pen on the tape rather than the boxes – that way you can re-use them). If you have complex electrical set-ups for hifi or computer systems, take photos of the cables and wiring so you can quickly recreate them in your new home.

6. Pack a special moving day box

Think about the things you’ll need straight away and pack them in a special box marked ‘open first’: bedding, towels, kettle and mugs, phone chargers, basic crockery, and so on. You might also want to load this box into your car rather than onto the lorry. Also include a selection of lightbulbs, cleaning materials and a few basic tools (screwdrivers, hammer, allen key, pliers) to help you with any little practical jobs that might need doing straight away.

7. Hire cleaners

This is especially useful if you’re moving out of rented accomodation. If you can set aside a bit of your budget to hire a professional cleaning service you’ll save yourself labour, time, stress and will reduce the risk of losing any of your deposit. Many removers offer cleaning services so ask them for a quote when you book.

8. Book an unpacking service

A good professional removals firm will offer a comprehensive unpacking service, which can even include putting clothes in wardrobes, plugging in white goods and hanging pictures. At the very least, it will put all your boxes in the correct rooms, so show your removal team around the new house when you arrive. A top tip is to use a colour-code: stick different coloured Post-it notes on your boxes and on the doors of the corresponding rooms. That will save you a lot of heavy lifting as you unpack over the next few days.

Further information

Contact Master Removers