My experience of relocating ( 2019)

This is my experience of relocating from a 2 bedroom furnished apartment to a 2 bed unfurnished apartment.



This move was different than my previous 2 moves in the UK because of the following reasons:
1. I was moving into an unfurnished apartment.
2. I had a toddler, who like all toddlers is very active.
3. I did not have a lot of time.


Despite searching on the usual websites (rightmove, primelocation, onthemarket, facebook marketplace, spareroom, etc) and viewing around 20 apartments, my wife and I could not find anything suitable. We finally managed to find a suitable accommodation on the 11th of July, 3 weeks before my new job was due to start. Unfortunately, because of delays in clearance from the landlord and then I was on nights , the agency handed the keys over to us on the 2nd of August.
Given that it was unfurnished, we had to get out own furniture. We visited IKEA a good few weeks in advance and had already shortlisted items we needed and had saved the links for easy access later on.
This is what happened:
1. We got the keys to our accommodation on the 2nd.
2. We got IKEA furniture delivered on the 3rd. We started assembling it on the 3rd.
3. We booked movers to shift our items on the 4th. We moved in permanently on the 4th and assembled the remaining furniture on the 4th and 5th.


My tips here:
ANNUAL LEAVE
Please book your annual leave a good one year in advance and ensure you have a few days off in July - 3 weeks in advance of your move so that you have a few days off to view accommodations ( most agencies do not do viewings on weekends) and can sort out documentation, etc for verification.
The ideal dates would be somewhere in the middle of July ( 3 days), end of July ( 2 days) and if possible, the first few days of August.


SEARCHING FOR A SUITABLE ACCOMODATION
Always start looking early.
Be a bit open about the accommodation as well ( we had very strict criteria which were impossible to meet) however never ever compromise on safety and cleanliness.
Check the safety rating on Google and local Facebook groups.
Ask your colleagues about the area as well if you work near that town.


VIEWING THE ACCOMODATION
Make sure that the place is clean. Some places are not what they look like in the pictures.
Take pictures of the accommodation if it is empty ( please DO NOT take pictures if there is a tenant residing there- you can request the agency to provide a floor map in that case). This will give you an idea of where to place your items.


AGENCY  
You need to keep reminding the agency to try to expedite the documentation and verification process. 
My agency had everything online. So I signed the tenancy agreement online, the inventory was online as well with pictures of the smallest things - they had mentioned that I can point out anything which is not according to plan within 1 to 2 weeks of moving in.
Make sure you check the inventory in detail.
Also save a PDF file of whatever document you sign online. If you do not get that option, you can request your agency to email it to you. Remember your rights as mentioned here:
https://www.gov.uk/private-renting


FINANCES
Moving is expensive. You have to invariably buy things, may need assistance with furniture assembly, etc. So be prepared. I usually do extra shifts just to keep enough finances to be able to afford any 'financial bombs' during this period.


REIMBURSEMENT
Read the relocation reimbursement policy of the new trust you are going to start in. There should be a clear policy stating:
1. How much money you can get reimbursed.
2. How many quotes you need.
3. How the money will be refunded.
4. If you need to fill out any specific forms.
You must ask your HR before finalizing any deal with the removals company so that you have an idea of your budget.


REMOVAL COMPANIES
ANYVAN
I went for anyvan this time ( I went for them in 2017, then in 2018 and again in 2019). They have been brilliant all three times. Their quotes have been the most reasonable and their service is top notch.
In order to get an accurate quote, you need to have a list of items to move. It is best to make a memo ( Evernote is a great free app to make sure notes) on your phone and enlist all the items you plan to move. Do this a few weeks in advance, even before you have found an accommodation.
Book a move in date ( usually the first free weekend before the start of your new job) and a reasonable time ( 12 PM is the best - you will be in a rush early in the morning and if you leave it till late, you will end up sleeping on the floor).
Fill out the removal items form on the anyvan website and mention any additional items. It should be as accurate as possible. Mention major items only. There is no need to mention things like 10 pens, 2 perfume bottles, etc. The computer system will then calculate a price based on the items you have enlisted.
Now, you have secured a quote and a move in date. You can edit it till a few days before your actual move in date.

OTHER QUOTES
Usually you need a total of 3 quotes and the trust reimburses you for the cheapest one. Therefore you need to email 2 other removal companies. I usually go for the high end local companies after doing a quick search on Google and copy-paste the memo note from my phone and add in the details.



This is what a typical email would look like:
'

Hello, 

Can you kindly give a quote for moving the following items please: Living room:
*******


Balcony:
*******


Kitchen:
********

Hallway:
******


Main bedroom:********


2nd bedroom
*******


Store:
*******


Bathroom:
********

 We are moving from a 2 bedroom apartment located on the third floor ( has lift access) in *****( Apartment ***, *****) to a 2 bedroom apartment on the second floor in **** ( Flat *******) which DOES NOT have lift access. 

We would like to move by the ***of August,2019 and would appreciate if you could also provide 50 cardboard boxes (  at least 24"x18"x18") with packing material ( ie bubble wrap and packing tape) one week in advance so that we can start packing the small items. 
I was wondering if you could kindly provide a quote for packing the major items and transporting them to the new apartment. 
Many thanks, ******Email address: *****'


This way, you will be able to get 2 more quotes. You may have to send this email to more than 2 companies though as some companies ask for a home visit ( do not bother with this and ask them to give a quote based on the items you need to transport). Once you have received 2 more quotes which are higher than what you want to go for, you should save all quotes and fill the relocation form. Do not send the form TILL you have actually moved ( however some trusts have different policies)




BOXES
You can easily get boxes for free from the following places:
1. Facebook Market.
2. Local Facebook groups -  I got 40 boxes in almost new condition via a local Facebook group my wife had joined and posted ( she got quite a few responses).
3. Your hospital- talk to the porters who will very happily leave empty boxes which have been flattened at the entrance of their store where you can drive to and put them in your car.
Remember, these boxes can be quite bulky therefore ensure you are able to flatten the rear seats of your car ( ie remove the baby seat to make more room).


IF YOU HAVE A CAR
Insurance
You need to update your new address on your insurance policy. Usually, the quote on your existing insurance is usually high  ( in my case, I was paying around 80 GBP per month and when I asked for a quote on just changing the address, the same company gave me a quote of 160 GBP). It is advisable to go on insurance comparison websites and go for the cheapest insurance policy which has a reasonable rating and reviews.

 

Parking
If your new accommodation has on street parking and no free parking nearby ( parking lots which are free are usually not safe late at night), then it best to request your council to provide a parking permit. You will need certain documentation. In my case, I asked for a parking permit on the basis of my initial agreement with the agency ( which I signed upon confirmation of taking the property- 2 weeks in advance) and my insurance policy ( I applied for insurance 1 week in advance). I uploaded these 2 documents on the online portal 5 working days in advance and received a parking permit in the mail a day before my actual move in date.
This way, I saved a considerable amount and time I would have to spend if I parked in a paid parking lot a few minutes walk from my new accommodation.

 

DECLUTTERING
Before you even think of starting to pack, declutter your house. You will find so many clothes and books you do not need. The best thing about this country is that you can donate such items which are in good condition to local charities and you know that these will be used for a good cause.

 

Donating:
There are various donation shops in every city which are more than happy to take items. Some even collect from home. It is worth making a list of things you have and emailing/calling them to arrange a pick up. It is important to arrange your items categorically to make it easier for the charity to sort out ( ie clothes in one bag, shoes in another and so on).

 

Recycling
There are recycling centres in every city. They have different skips for each type of item (cardboard, plastics, wood, paper, books, shoes, clothes, toys, electronics, etc) and just like the charities, some recycling centres advise to put clothes and shoes in bags ( however check the council website/call/visit them beforehand).

 

PACKING
Items needed
1. Boxes - discussed above.
2. Bubble wrap - you can get a reasonable sized bubble wrap from the garden centre of B and Q ( we needed 2 and a half rolls of the biggest bubble wrap the garden centre had)
3. Tape - get packing tape for the boxes and scotch tape to put on the bubble wrapped items.
4. Scissors - here is a formula I found helpful: number of scissors required = 2x (number of adults). You will definitely loose a pair so it is useful to keep an extra handy.

 

This is what we did:

• Decluttered a few days before we started packing
• We started packing a week before we were due to move
• Packing items room wise. Ie kitchen, lounge, bedroom 1, bedroom 2, bathroom, hallway, store. This way we knew where each box would go.
• Label the boxes- ie clothes ( and more specifically whose clothes) , decoration items, etc.
• Bubble wrap all fragile items, put them in a box and label them.
• Put the filled boxes in one room and large items in another.
• I used to make large boxes ( ie unfold them and tape the bottom portion) and leave them for my wife to put her small items - which were not heavy whilst I was working in the hospital. This way, she was able to pack a lot of small items in my absence.
• Rather than putting all the clothes in your suitcases which may already be full, you can line the inner parts of a cardboard box with bubble wrap ( and tape it to the edges) and put all the clothes in it.
• Similarly, you can put all hung clothes in a box lined with bubble wrap with the hangers ( this will also help when you are unpacking as you need to take out clothes with their hangers and hang them directly).
• We had packed all the major items 2 days before our move date. We made 'last minute items' boxes and then put items like bed linen, towels, etc in them.
• We were completely packed an hour before the movers were expected to come.
• We packed the item we needed urgently ( like bed linen, baby changing material, baby food) in separate boxes which were clearly labelled so that we could unpack them first.
• We made a box of personal items ( like jewellery, important original ID documents, etc) and transported that in our car.
• We froze food and transported it in an ice box lined with ice packs so that we would have food at our new accommodation.

THE MOVE
We booked anyvan movers and they had my number. I asked them to park as close as possible to my apartments entrance. They came upstairs, did a quick survey and started taking boxes to their van. We had around 40 large boxes, 10 medium sized boxes and a few pieces of furniture. They took an hour to load everything in the van.
Make sure that you keep going to the van and making sure they have loaded everything. They are very fast and they usually do not miss anything.
Once they have loaded everything, they will set off. So make sure you are ready to go. If you have a baby, ensure (s)he is watered, fed, changed, etc.
I do not know what it is with these van drivers, but they always seem to arrive at the new accommodation quicker than you do. They left 20 minutes later than we did and we stopped to have a quick meal. As we were finishing and were 10 minutes away from the new accommodation, I received a call that they had arrived.
These people move everything out of the van as fast they load it. So ensure that you can direct them where to put everything ( this is where the labelled boxes would help) - They are hot, sweaty and tired. So they do become impatient which is why it is important that you tell them immediately where to put everything. They will also help with shifting existing furniture as well.
Once they are done, if you want any boxes moving from one room to the other, let them know but usually they do not stay for long as they have other jobs and the team is paid by the hour.
Tip each member of the team 10 to 20 GBP and ask them to get a well deserved cold beer.


THE UNPACKING
This takes ages. Hence, it is best to try to move as soon as possible so that you can un pack and settle into your new home by 10 PM.
Unpack the urgent things you need first. It is best to set up the kitchen ( remember to put the frozen food in the freezer first), then main bedroom first. Ensure that your toddler is in a safe place. We put ours in her high chair and gave her a toy. Given that we were unpacking in the same room, she stayed happy.
Take care of yourselves - in the excitement/ anxiety/ rush you forget to eat and drink. It is also a good idea to give the cabinets a wipe down with cleaning solution as there may be small minor stains.


THE BOXES
Within 2 hours, you will have a pile of empty boxes with bubble wrap in them. Put all the bubble wrap in 2 boxes and then fold the rest and make them flat to save space. You can then either take them to the local recycling center/skip or ask a handyman to help which I will explain later.


HANDYMEN
As explained earlier, we got the keys to the accommodation on Friday and we got IKEA furniture delivered on Saturday- This included a bed, 2 bedside tables, 2 heavy wardrobes, bedside lamps, under the bed wardrobes.  As this apartment did not have stairs and the 2 muscular delivery men refused to carry the items upstairs ( this is a common issue - do not be surprised if they do not), I had to book a handyman.
I had Googled 'Handyman in my area' when I ordered the IKEA furniture and had already read the online forums which stated that the deliverymen usually leave it at the entrance and very few transport it to a second floor apartment and had already got a quote.
When the deliverymen refused, I called the handyman who very kindly came within 10 minutes and carried all the furniture upstairs for just 15 GBP!


FURNITURE
We started assembling the furniture- starting with the bed and side tables. It was very tiring and expecting ourselves to assemble everything within a day was impossible especially with a baby. We managed to assemble half of the items and decided to do the rest later.
When we moved in the following day, we were busy the whole day unpacking and we managed to start assembling one cupboard on Monday. However we felt it was getting too much and called the handyman again who did a few other small jobs, assembled the remaining furniture and took the empty boxes ( including the huge furniture packs from IKEA which I could not transport in my car) for a very reasonable cost.


PICTURES
Take pictures of everything , the carpet, walls, meters, kitchen counters, fridge, etc. This way you will know the condition of the place in which it was handed over to you.


Enjoy your new place. And be prepared to repeat the same in a years time.


Other relevant blog posts:
My guideline on accommodation in the UK
http://omarsguidelines.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/my-guideline-on-accommodation-in-uk.html
Checklist of things to sort out when you change jobs in the NHS
http://omarsguidelines.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/checklist-of-things-to-sort-out-when.html
My guideline on relocation when you switch jobs in the UK
http://omarsguidelines.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/my-guideline-on-relocation-when-you.html