A few simple steps before moving day can save time and money on your man and van booking. Here’s exactly how to prepare your London home.
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How to Prepare Your Home Before Your Man and Van Arrives

Most man and van bookings are priced by the hour, which means how ready your home is on the day has a direct effect on your final cost. A bit of preparation the night before can shave real time — and money — off the job. Here’s what actually makes a difference.

Have Everything Boxed and Ready Before the Van Arrives

The single biggest time-saver is simple: everything should be packed, boxed and ready to carry before your crew arrives, not still being sorted while they wait. Loose items, half-packed drawers and last-minute decisions about what’s coming all add time to a job that’s charged by the hour.

Clear a Path from Your Door to the Van

Take a few minutes to walk the route your crew will be carrying items along — hallways, stairwells, and the path to wherever the van is parked. Move anything that could be a trip hazard or slow the process down, including shoes by the door, rugs that could bunch up, and bins left in doorways.

Disassemble What You Can in Advance

If you’re comfortable doing so, taking apart items like bed frames, flat-pack wardrobes or shelving units before your crew arrives saves them having to do it on-site — which is time you’re paying for. If you’d rather leave it to the professionals, that’s completely fine too, just let your removal team know in advance so they come prepared with the right tools.

Sort Out Parking Before Moving Day

In London particularly, parking is one of the most common causes of delay on moving day. If you’re in a controlled parking zone, check whether you need a permit or suspension arranged in advance, and let your removal company know about any restrictions at your address so they can plan for it rather than discovering it on arrival.

Protect Floors and Doorways if You’re Concerned About Damage

If you’re moving out of a rental property or simply want extra peace of mind, laying down an old sheet or cardboard along high-traffic routes (particularly around doorframes and stair corners) is a simple way to protect surfaces during a move.

Keep Essentials Separate From the Rest of Your Move

Pack a small bag with anything you’ll need immediately — phone charger, medication, a change of clothes, keys for your new address — and keep it with you rather than loading it onto the van. It’s a small step that avoids having to dig through boxes at the end of a long day.

Let Your Crew Know About Anything Unusual in Advance

If you have particularly heavy items, awkward staircases, restricted access, or anything fragile that needs special handling, flagging this before moving day (rather than on it) means your crew can turn up properly prepared, with the right equipment and enough time allowed for the job.

Quick Pre-Move Checklist

– [ ] Everything boxed and ready to carry
– [ ] Pathways to the van cleared of obstacles
– [ ] Furniture disassembled where possible (or flagged for the crew to handle)
– [ ] Parking sorted at both addresses
– [ ] Floors and doorways protected, if needed
– [ ] Essentials bag packed and kept separate
– [ ] Any unusual access issues or heavy items flagged in advance

Final Thoughts

None of this preparation takes very long, but it makes a genuine difference to how smoothly — and how quickly — your move goes. A well-prepared home means your crew can focus entirely on the move itself, rather than working around last-minute packing or unexpected obstacles, which is usually the difference between a job that runs on time and one that runs over.