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Written by The McCarthy's Team on November 8, 2017

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Now, you may not want to hear this, but we are now less than 50 days from Christmas.

Admittedly that still leaves plenty of time for Christmas shopping and defrosting the turkey, but one thing it doesn’t leave a lot of notice for is moving house.

With Spring/Summer being the traditional home-moving period, people are often surprised to hear how busy we are as we approach Christmas. But of course, house sales often taken place over the summer, and it can be a few months of to-ing and fro-ing before everything is agreed and dates are finalised.

And, as Christmas approaches, people feel like they have a deadline. They MUST be in before Christmas. That can create a bottleneck of people all trying to complete before a certain date, which doesn’t really happen at any other time of year.

Of course, having to be in for Christmas isn’t necessarily the best course of action for everyone. Maybe you’d like one last Christmas in your old house, or the new house needs a lot of work – in which case you might be best staying in a relatively builder and dust-free home with working bathrooms until the New Year!

But, if you are in the predicament of being due to complete just before Christmas, and you really do want or need to be in before the big day, there are lots of things you can do to make it easier and less stressful.

We do get busy – busier than you’d expect – so do everything you can to line things up as far as possible in advance as you can. Choose the removal company you want to use – it’s worth getting a few quotes and physically meeting them to check you feel happy, and to ask questions. (Also, always remember to choose a BAR-approved removals company!). The company in question will then have already provided a quote, so that speeds up the process when it comes to booking a date. Then try and pin down the chain to a completion date and get the removals service agreed. Everyone in the chain will benefit from being as organised as possible!

And if your move is all booked in and going ahead in the pre-Christmas period, there are a few other things to bear in mind:

• The shorter days mean it’s getting dark very early. Make sure the electricity in both properties will be connected and you’ve informed utility suppliers. Also, take spare lightbulbs for the new house (you never know what people will take – we’ve known some people strip out every light bulb in the property!). Moving boxes by torchlight is never the best idea. That said, do also make sure you have a torch to hand, just in case!
• Do you know how to work the heating in the new house? Will it be able to be switched on instantly? You can always contact the vendors to find out.
• Ensure carpets are protected from shoes and boots trailing in the wet weather – much as our teams are very well house-trained, there’s a limit to what they can do when going in and out of a property carrying heavy furniture. You could use flattened cardboard or blankets to cover areas, or buy a proper carpet protector. Just be careful of any health and safety issues and make sure there’s no trip hazards, especially around stairs.
• If the weather is icy or snowy ensure that any outdoor pathways are cleared so the team can safely transport your items into the house. We don’t want injured movers or damaged belongings!
• Keep an eye on the forecast. It’s very rare in this country that the weather is so bad our removals teams can’t get out. But if the forecast is looking bad, give them a call and have a chat about ‘worst case scenario’ options.
• Make sure you keep relevant cold-weather items handy. So, things like duvets, blankets, coats, hats, de-icer, grit, candles, matches – all should be in clearly labelled boxes or bags, or even transported with you in your car.
• Remember we can offer a packing service if needed. Not only does this ensure your belongings are packaged safely and securely – and that everything is clearly labelled – but it also saves you valuable time. The festive season is hectic enough without needing to pack up everything you own! You’ll be amazed how quickly the experts get it done, so it’s also less time for you to be living out of boxes.
• Use good quality boxes for your belongings – if it’s raining or snowing they might get wet during the move, and you want them to stay strong and keep the items within protected. Check out our online shop for relevant items.
• If the move is very near to Christmas, make sure decorations and presents are close to hand and easy to find, so there’s no panic about Santa’s arrival – and you can make sure your new home feels festive straight away. Moving house is a massive thing, and decorating a tree might seem like it is going to take up valuable unpacking time, but try and get in to the Christmas spirit as soon as possible in your new home. It’s a nice touch to leave a Christmas card for the new owners of your previous home too!
• Of course, our removal crews like being fueled by cups of tea any time of year – but especially so during the colder days! So, keep a kettle handy, along with tea bags, mugs and milk, and you’ll be very popular. Bring out the mince pies and you’ll get extra brownie points!

If you’re planning a winter move, get in touch with us to have a chat about your requirements.