At Gibbs Removals, we pride ourselves with an experience of over 10 years, having helped families and businesses alike to relocate successfully.
The service we provide is the result of an excellent team effort and all our staff members are committed to make the move as smooth as possible. Our skills and attention to detail enable us to offer our clients personalised packages and we guaranty total satisfaction. When it comes to relocating, the days of packing all your belongings into a few bags, loading them into your personal car and hitting the road are long gone. Gone are the days when you could leave your unwanted junk behind. We owe more, we consume more, and we are also more conscious about proper disposal of unwanted items.
Here are a few steps to help you prepare for the big day.
Two months before
1. Start preparing emotionally for the big day by talking about it with friends and family. For those who have children, the discussion is important as it helps the children grasp on the importance of such a change in their lives and by using the right approach it will help them get involved and help rather than get in the way.
2. Sort and purge your belongings. Try to go through every room and decide what you would like to keep and what can go. Also, this is a good time to think about items that require special packing like objects of art, ceramics, etc.
3. Start researching for a removal company. Do not set your mind on the first company you come across. Check credentials and reviews. Social media info can prove extremely valuable for that. Get a quotation in writing from each company and compare.
4. Create a folder where you will keep all information regarding the moving, from lists to invoices and inventory.
Six weeks before
1. Donate or dispose of unwanted items. By now, you should have decided what you want to take with you to your new place. Whatever is of no use to you, start disposing of by donating it to the charity shops, friends or family or by selling it. Also, for furniture or other large items, you can check with the removal company you have in mind if it provides disposal services at extra cost.
2. Order boxes and other supplies such as tape, bubble wrap, labels, permanent markers. Check with the removal companies if they sell or rent moving supplies. We can provide your packing supplies at very competitive prices or, even better, we can do the packing for you, a service that we offer at very high standards.
3. Start preparing a guiding map of the place you are moving into for the removal company. This step is very important as it will help the mover to know exactly what box or item goes into what room and so avoiding any confusion and stress for both parties involved.
4. Take measurements of the rooms in the new home to make sure your furniture will fit in and that larger pieces will easily fit through the doors without causing damage.
5. Start using things you don’t want to use like frozen foods and cleaning products.
6. For those with children, this might also be a good time to contact the schools and make sure the children will get a place at a desired school in the new area they are moving to.
One month before
1. Choose the removal company and contact them to check their availability
2. Start packing into boxes if you decide to do it yourself. We advise on starting with the items you useless. Make sure you pack valuable and easily breakable items into the appropriate type of boxes.
3. Label boxes. We advise on clearly labelling each box, indicating a number and the room the box must go into the new place. The map we advised for previously will prove invaluable at this point. Also, it is advisable to start an inventory list recording every box that will go into your special folder.
4. Separate valuables at this point. Documents such as passports, birth certificates, tenancy contracts, jewellery and small items with personal value are your indispensability. Gibbs Removals ask that you pack them into a safe box and the box will be moved by you personally.
5. Request a change your address officially.
6. Notify important parties of the change of address such as utility suppliers, internet suppliers, banks, etc. And schedule a disconnect date
Two weeks before
1. Reconfirm the moving date with the company.
2. Arrange to have a day off from work on the moving day.
3. For those with children, we advise to start making arrangement with friends and families to help with childcare on the day in order to avoid any unpleasant situations, accidents or delays.
One week before
1. Pack a suitcase with the essentials for a few days at the new place. Each family member should pack bedding, towels, toiletries, a change of clothes. Children would need their school bags handy too.
2. Stop buying groceries, try to use what you have in your cupboards.
3. Defrost freezer and clean your fridge in case it is coming with you.
4. Contact your mover again and confirm last minute details like arrival time etc. At this point, it is crucial to promptly inform the mover about the exact state of the property you are moving into, if any work is being done to it, if the property will be vacated by the previous occupier in time for your arrival, etc.
Moving day
1. Make sure you are ready on time! We can assure you we will be there with punctuality in case you decided to use our company.
2. At the end of the day, before our team leaves, make sure you take inventory together in order to avoid confusion and the stress of missing items. We hope our step by step guide will help you to have a stress-free move and that we will make your journey towards the next stage of your life a pleasant and a happy one.
