Flat and small moves in Hemel Hempstead, Watford and West Herts

What counts as a small move?

A studio, a one or two bedroom flat, a house share where only your own room is moving, or a parent's belongings going into a smaller home. The volume is modest, often one van load, but small moves have their own difficulties, and flats in particular can take longer to move than a house with twice the furniture.

Why is a flat harder to move than it looks?

Every item has to travel from the front door of the flat to the van, and that route may include a communal hallway, a lift that fits a fridge but not a sofa, two or three flights of stairs with a tight turn at each landing, and a door entry system that locks behind the crew every time they step outside. A ground-floor flat with its own door is easy. A top-floor flat in a converted Victorian house in Watford, with a narrow staircase and a half landing, is not.

When you describe the move, say which floor you are on at both ends, whether there is a lift and how big it is, and how far the van can park from the door. Those three things decide how many people the firm sends and how long the job takes, far more than the number of boxes.

What about the lift and the shared areas?

In a managed block, read your lease or ask the managing agent before moving day. Some blocks ask you to book the lift or tell the concierge, some need the lift walls protected with padding, and many have rules on when moves can happen and where vans can wait. A door held open with a wedge, a fire door propped with a box and a van parked across the bin store all cause complaints, and the firm will want to know the rules in advance so they can plan around them.

Where the building has a loading bay or a service entrance, say so. Where it has neither and the only space is a residents' car park with a height barrier, the firm needs to know that too, because a lorry will not clear it and the job may need a smaller van.

Where does the van park?

Many of the newer blocks around Watford town centre, Watford Junction and the canal at Apsley and Berkhamsted sit on streets with permit parking or short-stay bays. A van parked for two hours in a bay meant for twenty minutes risks a penalty, and a van blocking a lane risks being moved on. Ask the firm whether a bay suspension or a dispensation from the council is sensible, and look at the arrival end with the same care, since a street of Victorian terraces with cars nose to tail can be harder than a flat with a lift.

Do I need a lorry for a one-bedroom flat?

Usually not. Many small moves go in a large van, and firms that do them often send a crew of two. It is still worth having the firm see or video-survey what you have, because a small flat with a king-size bed, a three-seater sofa and a full set of kitchen cupboards can fill a van faster than you expect. If the sofa only came in through the window when it was delivered, say so.

Moving out of a rented flat?

Think about the inventory and the deposit. Photograph each room once it is empty and cleaned, note the meter readings, and leave the keys the way the tenancy agreement says. If your landlord expects the flat professionally cleaned, that is a separate arrangement from the removal. Where a move is happening because a tenancy is ending at short notice, say so in the enquiry, though we cannot promise that any firm will be able to help on a particular date.

Can I move some things myself and have the firm take the rest?

Yes, and plenty of people do. Clothes, books and kitchen boxes can go in a car over a few evenings, leaving the firm to deal with the furniture, the fridge and the washing machine. Tell the firm what will be left for them, so the price reflects the actual job rather than the flat as it looks at the survey.

What if I am moving into a shared house or a room?

The same questions apply in reverse. Your room may be at the top of the house, the shared hallway may be full of bikes, and the other tenants may not want the front door propped open for an hour. Warn them, and tell the firm how many flights and what the hall is like. A single room's belongings often go in a van with space to spare, which is worth saying so the firm does not send more than the job needs.

What should the enquiry say?

• the floor and the lift situation at each address
• how far from the door a van can stop, and whether parking is restricted
• the large items: bed, sofa, wardrobe, white goods, a desk or a bike
• roughly how many boxes, if you are packing yourself
• the date, and whether it is fixed by a tenancy or a completion

If you agree, one removals firm working in your postcode, if there is one, hears about it and gets in touch with you to arrange the details.