What We've Learned From 1,000+ House Moves

Customers usually underestimate labour, not distance

If there is one lesson that appears again and again, it is that customers often judge a move by the distance travelled rather than the work involved. A move from Preston to Birmingham may involve hours of driving, but the difficult part is usually the loading and unloading. Carrying furniture, dismantling wardrobes, protecting fragile items, negotiating staircases and loading a vehicle safely is where the labour is.

This is why local moves are often underestimated. A customer moving 100 metres away can still require exactly the same amount of physical work as somebody moving 200 miles away. The sofa is not lighter because the destination is nearby.

The phrase we hear most often is “we've just got to...”

After enough moves, you start recognising the warning signs. “We've just got to finish packing.” “We've just got to wrap a few bits.” “We've just got to take that wardrobe apart.” Usually those jobs take far longer than expected. Customers often feel almost ready when, in reality, the final 10% of preparation contains a large percentage of the remaining work.

Packing falls into a grey area

One reason people get caught out is that packing rarely has a clear owner. Other jobs naturally get assigned. Furniture dismantling gets done. Cleaning gets done. Packing often becomes something everybody intends to finish later. Then moving day arrives.

Property size does not tell you how much work is involved

One of our biggest underestimates was a one-bedroom bungalow that looked like an early finish. We expected to be wrapped up by around 2pm. We were still there at 8:30pm because of the sheer volume of belongings inside. The size of the property and the volume of contents are not always the same thing.

Downsizers rarely think they have too much stuff

The biggest downsizing mistake is not clutter. It is failing to appreciate how much space is being lost. Customers often tell us how much they have already got rid of. Then moving day arrives, the new property fills up quickly and suddenly there is nowhere for the remaining furniture and boxes to go. The conversation is rarely “we had too much stuff”. It is usually “all the rooms are full already”.

Storage is rarely regretted

Customers frequently underestimate how long they will need storage. Our general observation is simple: however long you think you will need storage for, double it. Renovations overrun. Property purchases take longer than expected. Downsizing takes time. Temporary arrangements have a habit of becoming less temporary.

Renovations create more disruption than people expect

Most renovation customers initially try moving everything into another room, the garage or a spare bedroom. The problem is that trades still need room to work. Dust travels further than people expect and furniture becomes an obstacle. Empty rooms are usually quicker to renovate, easier to decorate and less likely to suffer accidental damage.

Some furniture causes problems every time

Sofa beds, American fridge freezers and large glass furniture regularly require extra planning. Cheap flatpack furniture can also be problematic because it was never designed to be repeatedly dismantled, moved and rebuilt. Even when removers can take it apart and reassemble it, the furniture itself is often the weakest link.

Customers worry about the wrong thing

Many customers spend weeks worrying about being out of their property by a specific time. Ironically, the most common delay on moving day is often waiting for keys to be released. We regularly see keys released much later than customers expect. Sometimes the removals team is ready, the customer is packed and the house is empty, but everyone is still waiting for the legal process to catch up.

The easiest moves to manage are the best prepared

When we arrive and see neatly stacked boxes, clear walkways and a customer offering a brew because they are relaxed rather than panicking, it is usually a good sign. The opposite is also true. Loose items everywhere, unfinished packing and blocked access routes rarely make a move easier.

The biggest advice we can give

Be ready before moving day. Pack properly. Protect fragile items properly. Exchange contracts as early as possible and push for a realistic completion timetable. Most moving-day problems are easier to prevent than resolve. The customers who have the best experiences are usually the ones who focus on preparation rather than hoping things will somehow work themselves out on the day.