Moving house can be stressful enough with having to pack your items in a safe and secure box, bubble wrap your breakables, and ensure you label each box with what it contains and the room that it is to be placed in. Many people, especially if you have a big house, or many items to move, can spend weeks if not months having to get things prepared before moving.

The best way to move house is to do the following: Before you even think about getting a box and packing it with items, you need to get a pen and paper and make a list. Make a list of all the rooms of your new property, for example kitchen, bathroom, bedroom 1, bedroom 2, garage etc. Then you can label every box that you pack as you go along with the room that it is to go in, and also write a number on the box, and also on your list, and what the box contains. Now this is going to seem like a lot of prep work, however it is going to be worth it when you come to actually moving, loading, and unloading all of your boxes, especially if you have a big house, or many, many boxes full of items. The idea of having a list of all your boxes, having them numbered, and list what each box contains is to make it a lot easier for you and the London removals company (if you’re based in London) so that when you arrive, and you are unloading the lorry you and the removals company know exactly what room to put each and every box, and what it contains. The idea of this list is so that you know what boxes are here, and what boxes are missing, or have been placed in another room.

If you are using a professional removals company like Durrants removals then you will receive a very quick, and profession move for your money. Another option is to use a man and van service. A lot of people who live in flats use a man and van service because it a much smaller job compare to a full house removal and it is much cheaper to have a man and van.

If you’re planning on moving house to London, then you’ll find that property prices vary significantly from one part of London to another and you if you’re moving to London for work, you may consider instead buying or renting somewhere in one of the surrounding counties – Essex, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Surrey or Kent (starting to the North East of London and finishing South East of London).

Here, property prices will be significantly cheaper and you’ll be able to commute to work for £1,000 – £2,500 or so a year, depending on your location.

For removals to London, parking is often an issue, so we recommend obtaining a parking permit for your removal van and perhaps planning your house or office move for a relatively quiet time of day. If you’re moving to London from elsewhere, it may be best to use a London van man or removal company who knows their way around London, or if not choose a van man who has a satellite navigation system, to ensure you don’t spend hours drive round London trying to locate your new house.

Choosing which area of London to move to

Many people say that when you relocate to London, you will always be a ‘Northerner’ or a ‘Southerner’, depending on which side of the Thames you are on.

North London has more tube stations and public transport and has always been considered more up-market. The majority of London’s business and corporate world is based North of the river, so when you’re in North London, there is a feeling of industry.

North London includes Archway, Hampstead and Highgate, which have more of a small town atmosphere, with several large parks and a good selection of pubs and restaurants.

North West London includes Camden, Kilburn, Notting Hill, Willesden Green and Wembley, where there is an active night life with busy markets and up market restaurants and bars. The most popular markets include Camden and Portobello Road.

West London (but still North of the river) includes Acton, Hammersmith and Shepherd’s Bush, where a large number of Aussies and Kiwis have relocated. The houses in West London are more affordable than the rest of North London.

The history of South London is that it used to be outside of the city walls, so it was once a rural location. As a result of this, South London has more parks and greenery. You’re also closer to Brighton and the seaside.

In South London you find Battersea, Brixton, Clapham and Wandsworth, where many old factories have been replaced by modern apartments. Battersea is home to the Dog’s and Cats home, the New Covent Garden Market and Battersea park, containing 83 hectares of greenery. While the whole of the London underground is crowded and busy, Clapham Junction is the busiest station in the whole of Europe, with trains transporting people to a wide range of destinations.

South West London is the location of Earl’s Court, Fulham, Putney, Wimbledon and Southfields. Earls Court in Kensington and Chelsea has a thriving social atmosphere and is home to the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, one of the country’s largest indoor arenas and a popular concert venue.

The area of London best known for its industry is perhaps the South East, with Canary Wharf, the Docklands being home to numerous businesses and huge office blocks for banks and other major industries. The relatively new Docklands Light Rail is fairly prices and offers a quick route to the center of London from the South East. Canary Wharf and the Docklands are comprised primarily of commercial enterprises, so for more of a social and historical atmosphere, we’d recommend Greenwich instead.