Moving Home in Staffordshire At Short Notice

If you've finally received your completion date only to discover you're moving in less than a week, don't panic. It might feel like everything has suddenly become a race against the clock, but you're certainly not alone.

One of the biggest frustrations when moving home is that you often know you're moving, but not exactly when. Weeks can pass with very little progress while solicitors, mortgage lenders and everyone else in the property chain work towards exchange and your completion date. Then, just when you've started wondering if it's ever going to happen, the phone rings and you're told your completion date is only a few days away.

Sound familiar?

The good news is that, while a last minute moving date might come as a surprise to you, it's something experienced removals companies deal with all the time.

At Goodwins Removals & Storage, we've spent many years helping people in Staffordshire and Cheshire move at short notice. We regularly receive calls from customers who've only just had their completion date confirmed and are convinced they've left it too late to arrange professional help. More often than not, that's simply not the case.

Fortunately, last minute removals are much more common than you might think. While we can never guarantee availability, we regularly help customers who only have a few days between receiving their completion date and moving home. If we have space in our schedule, we'll always do our best to help.

While you can't control when your completion date will be confirmed, you can control how prepared you are when it finally arrives.

The key is to act quickly, stay organised and remember that you don't have to do everything on your own.

Can You Book A Removals Company in Staffordshire At Short Notice?

Yes, you can.

One of the first things many people say to us is, "I suppose you've got no availability?"

The truth is, every removals company is different. While we'd always recommend booking as early as possible, we know that isn't always in your hands. Your completion date can suddenly be confirmed with very little notice, property chains can quickly progress, and what looked like a move several weeks away can become a move in just a few days.

Like any professional service, we appreciate as much notice as possible. It allows us to plan vehicles, allocate the right crew and organise our schedule to give every customer the best possible service. However, we also understand that moving home rarely follows a perfectly planned timetable.

If you're looking for last minute removals, don't assume every company is fully booked. Pick up the phone and ask. Established removals companies sometimes have cancellations, changes to their schedule or availability that isn't obvious from looking online. The sooner you start making enquiries after your completion date has been confirmed, the more options you're likely to have.

Start Preparing Before You Have A Moving Date

One of the best ways to reduce the stress of moving home at short notice is to start preparing before you know exactly when you'll be moving.

As soon as your house goes on the market, or even before, you already know that a move is on the horizon. While you can't predict your completion date, you can make life much easier for your future self.

Start working through your home a little at a time. Declutter wardrobes, sort through kitchen cupboards, organise the loft, clear out the garage and decide what you genuinely want to take with you. Donate anything you no longer need, recycle where possible and dispose of anything that's reached the end of its useful life.

You don't have to do it all in one weekend. Even spending half an hour every few days sorting one cupboard or one room soon adds up. Every item you remove now is one less thing to pack when your completion date is confirmed and moving day suddenly becomes very real.

• Read our article about effective decluttering for moving home

Book Your Removals Company Before Anything Else

Once your completion date has been confirmed, don't be tempted to spend the whole day packing boxes. Before anything else, make sure you've secured your removals company.

Once you've booked your move with a professional removals team, everything else becomes much easier to plan. You'll know when your belongings are being collected, you'll have expert advice available if you need it, and you'll have one less thing to worry about.

If you're hoping to arrange last minute removals, making those phone calls should be at the very top of your to-do list.

Consider A Professional Packing Service

When time is against you, professional packing can be worth its weight in gold.

Many people underestimate just how long it takes to pack an entire house. Trying to squeeze it into evenings after work or over a single busy weekend can quickly become exhausting.

Our professional packing service takes much of that pressure away.

An experienced packing team can often complete in a single day what might otherwise take several evenings. We know how to protect fragile belongings, pack efficiently and label boxes clearly, giving you one less thing to worry about during an already busy week.

Many customers who book last minute removals tell us afterwards that adding a packing service was one of the best decisions they made.

Focus On What Matters Most

When you're working to a tight deadline, organisation becomes your best friend.

Keep important paperwork relating to your move, medication, passports, keys, phone chargers and valuables together in a bag that stays with you throughout the move.

It's also well worth packing a small overnight bag containing clothes, toiletries, children's essentials and a few kitchen basics. After a long moving day, you'll be pleased you don't have to search through dozens of boxes just to find your toothbrush or make a cup of tea.

• Read this handy article about what goes into an essentials box for moving home.

Let Friends And Family Help

If friends or relatives offer to help, don't be afraid to accept.

Rather than asking someone to "help with the packing", give them a specific job. They could wrap kitchen items, dismantle furniture, collect packing materials or keep children and pets occupied while the removals team is working.

A few extra pairs of hands can make a huge difference when time is limited.

Keep Everyone Updated

Good communication can make a fast-moving situation much easier to manage.

If your completion date changes, your completion time is updated or there are any other changes that could affect moving day, let your removals company know as soon as possible. Likewise, keep in touch with your solicitor and estate agent so everyone is working from the same information.

Moving home at short notice can involve lots of moving parts, but keeping everyone informed helps everything run as smoothly as possible.

Don't Forget The Little Jobs

When everything is happening quickly, it's often the small jobs that get forgotten.

Remember to arrange a Royal Mail redirection, notify your utility suppliers, update your address with your bank, insurer and GP, and check that broadband arrangements are in place for your new home.

A simple checklist is often all it takes to stop these jobs slipping through the net.

• Check out our moving day tips.

A Last Minute Move Doesn't Have To Mean A Stressful Move

There's no denying that receiving your completion date with only a few days' notice can feel overwhelming, particularly if you've spent weeks waiting for that phone call.

But it doesn't have to end in chaos.

Last minute removals happen every week, and experienced removals companies understand exactly what's involved in making them a success.

The best approach is to prepare before you know your moving date, act quickly once your completion date has been confirmed and make use of professional help wherever you can.

At Goodwins Removals & Storage, we've helped many customers who thought they'd left it too late to book a removals company in Staffordshire and Cheshire, only to discover that, with the right planning and support, their move went ahead perfectly smoothly.

So, if you've suddenly been given your completion date, don't assume it's too late to arrange professional help. Give us a call as soon as possible. If we have availability, we'll do everything we can to help you enjoy a smooth, well-organised and successful move into your new home.