House removals in London

Why does a London house move start with a survey?

A survey turns a guess into a plan. We look at the volume of furniture and boxes, but just as closely at the building: the width of the front path, whether the hall stair turns back on itself, the height of the bannister, which doors come off their hinges, and where a lorry can stand on your street. In a Victorian terrace in Walthamstow the limit might be a narrow hallway. In a townhouse in Highbury it might be four flights and a top-floor bedroom. We can survey in person or by video call, walking room to room with you on your phone, and we note the items that need special handling, such as a glass dining table, a large mirror, a sculpture or a wine collection. The written quote is built from that survey, so the crew size and vehicle on move day match the house you actually live in.

Packing: three levels to choose from

You decide how much of the packing we do. Many households land somewhere in between, and the levels can be mixed room by room.

• Full packing: our team packs the whole house ahead of move day, with double-walled cartons, paper, bubble wrap and wardrobe boxes so clothes travel on the rail. Every carton is labelled by room.
• Fragile only: we pack the kitchen, glassware, pictures, mirrors and lamps. You pack books, clothes and the rest.
• Self-pack: you pack everything. We can drop off materials ahead of time, and we still wrap the furniture on the day.

Dismantling and protection

Beds, wardrobes, dining tables and desks are taken apart where they need to be, with the screws and bolts for each piece sealed in a labelled bag and fixed to it so nothing ends up in the wrong room. Sofas and upholstered chairs are wrapped. Wooden furniture goes into padded blankets. Mattresses travel in covers. Inside both homes we lay floor runners, cover banisters and door frames where furniture will pass, and protect the lift car or shared hall if you live in a block. If a piece will not go down the stairs whole, we work out a plan with you first. That might mean taking legs off, removing a door, or, for a sash window, discussing whether it can be eased out safely. Outside, we keep an eye on the front path and the pavement, because a London move often means carrying past neighbours, bins and parked bikes, and nobody wants a scraped gatepost to remember the day by.

How does move day run?

The crew arrives, walks the house with you and agrees what is going and what stays. Loading follows a set order: heavy furniture and white goods first, cartons next, and the essentials box, kettle, bedding and any tools you need that evening, last on so it comes off first. Before we leave, we check every room, loft and cupboard with you. At the new home you tell us where things go, or we follow the room labels. Beds are rebuilt and large furniture is put in place, so you are not dragging a wardrobe across a room late in the evening. Parking and any lift bookings at both ends will have been sorted before the day. If you have pets or young children, it helps to have someone looking after them away from the doorways while we carry, since a front door left open is part of every move.

What happens if the chain is delayed on completion day?

Completion day in a London chain depends on money moving between solicitors, and that does not always happen on time. Plan for it. We load in the morning as booked, so the house you are selling is ready to hand over. If the keys to your new home are released late, we wait and deliver when you have them. If completion falls through on the day, your belongings can go into storage in London and be delivered once the sale goes through. Tell us early if your chain looks fragile, and keep us in the loop as your solicitor updates you. A move date that is still provisional is fine to book, and we will work with you as it firms up.