How to Move House When You Have a Lot of Stuff

To move house with a lot of stuff, start earlier than feels necessary, work out your real volume (not just your bedroom count), declutter from the least used areas inwards, and give your removal company a full and honest description of everything, including the loft, garage and shed. Do those four things and the move becomes a series of small jobs rather than one big panic. This guide gives you a working plan, a timeline and a realistic idea of cost for a large move in Medway and Kent.

Why a lot of stuff changes how you plan the move

Two houses with four bedrooms can be very different moves. One might be sparsely furnished with an empty loft. The other might hold twenty years of belongings, a full garage and a shed packed to the door. The number of bedrooms is only a rough guide. Volume is what drives the time on the day, the size of the crew and the cost.

Most of the hidden volume sits in the places you rarely look:

• The loft, especially if it is boarded and has been used as a dumping ground.
• The garage, including tools, bikes, garden furniture and boxes you never unpacked from the last move.
• The shed and any other outbuildings.
• Under beds, on top of wardrobes and in the back of cupboards.

There is also the human side. More belongings means more decisions, and decisions are slow. Sorting a single wardrobe can take an evening if every item has a memory attached. Multiply that across a whole house and you can see why the advice is to start earlier than you think you need to.

A timeline for a large move

This timeline assumes you know roughly when you are moving. If your date is tighter, compress it, but keep the order the same.

8 weeks out: start with the least used areas

Begin where nothing is needed day to day. That means the loft, the garage, the shed and any spare room that has become a store cupboard. Do not start with the kitchen or your wardrobe. Those are in daily use and the decisions are harder. Set aside one or two short sessions a week rather than waiting for a free weekend that never comes.

4 to 6 weeks out: get your quote and book

Once you have a rough idea of what is staying and what is going, ask for a fixed quote and book your date. This is also the time to decide whether you want a full or partial packing service and whether you need short and long term storage for anything. Quotes are valid for 14 days from the date issued and are subject to availability, so be ready to confirm once you have it. A 10% deposit secures the date.

2 weeks out: pack the non-essentials

Pack everything you will not need before the move: books, ornaments, out of season clothes, spare bedding, board games, photo albums. Label every box by the room it is going to in the new home, not the room it came from. This one habit saves a great deal of time at the other end.

The final days: essentials and access checks

Pack an essentials box for the first night: kettle, mugs, toiletries, chargers, medication, basic tools, bin bags, loo roll and a change of clothes for everyone. Empty and defrost the fridge and freezer if they are going with you. Disconnect washing machines and other appliances in good time. Walk the route from your front door to the van and check it is clear.

Declutter by room, and what to do with the rest

Work from the outside in. Start with the loft, garage, shed and spare room, then move through the rest of the house. By the time you reach the bedrooms and living areas, you will already have built the habit of making quick decisions.

Sort everything into four piles:

1. Keep: goes to the new home or into storage.
2. Sell: list it straight away and give yourself a deadline. If it has not sold by then, it moves to donate or dispose.
3. Donate: book charity collections or drop-offs early, as slots can fill up before busy periods.
4. Dispose: arrange a tip run, a skip or a council bulky waste collection well before moving day.

Give each pile a date. Without a deadline, the sell pile quietly turns into a second garage.

Check what will actually fit

Before you decide what to keep, check the new home. Measure the main rooms, the hallway, the stairs and the doorways. A dining table that suits your current house may not fit through the new front door, never mind the dining room. Furniture that will not fit is better sold or stored than moved and then left in a hallway.

Awkward areas, one by one

• Loft: take things down in small, manageable loads. Carry nothing heavy down a loft ladder. Be honest about anything that has not been touched in years.
• Garage: separate tools and garden equipment from household boxes. Drain fuel from any petrol equipment before moving day.
• Shed: large items such as lawnmowers, ladders and garden furniture all take up van space, so include them in your inventory.
• Spare room: this is often where everything lands. Clear it first, because it then becomes a useful staging area for boxes you have already packed.

For the full method of sorting and letting go, see our guide on how to declutter before a house move.

Describing a big move accurately to get a fixed quote

Our quotes are itemised and all inclusive, and they are held provided the property contents and access are as described. That makes an accurate description the most important thing you can give us. A quote based on a tidy picture of the house will not match a move that includes a full loft and a packed garage.

When you request a quote, include:

• The number of bedrooms and the rooms in use, plus the loft, garage, shed and any other outbuildings, and roughly how full each one is.
• Stairs, including a loft ladder, and whether anything is on a top floor.
• Parking at both properties and how far the van will be from the door.
• Narrow access, steep drives, tight corners or shared entrances.
• Large or heavy items such as piano-sized furniture, safes, gym equipment or heavy wardrobes.
• Anything that needs dismantling beyond standard beds and flat pack furniture.

If you are unsure how much is in a space, say so and describe it as best you can. It is far better to overestimate a little than to underestimate.

What a 4 to 5 bedroom move costs

For local moves within Medway (Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, Strood and Rainham), a 4 to 5 bedroom move starts from £900 upwards. That is a starting point, not a ceiling. Larger homes, a heavy load of loft and garage contents and any packing service all add to the total. Packing is priced per job, so it is quoted separately for your property. For a wider picture, see our guide to removal costs in Kent.

Every price includes a maxi loader Luton van and professional movers, with the crew sized to the job. It also covers loading, transport and unloading, furniture blankets and protection, dismantling and reassembly of standard beds and flat pack furniture, goods in transit insurance at full replacement value, public liability insurance and placement of items in the correct rooms. VAT is not applicable, so the price quoted is the price paid.

To secure your date, you pay a 10% deposit on booking, with the remaining 90% due on the move date. Cancellation is free and the deposit is refunded in full.

Packing a large home: do it yourself, partly or fully

There are three realistic routes, and the right one depends on your time and energy more than your budget.

• Pack it all yourself: the lowest cost, but it takes the most time. It suits people who are organised and have several weeks.
• Partial packing: you pack the easy, low risk items and hand over the fragile, kitchen and awkward ones. This is a common choice for large homes.
• Full packing: everything is packed for you with materials supplied. It suits tight timescales or anyone who simply cannot face it.

Packing services are priced per job, so the cost depends on your home and how much you want handled. Our full or partial packing service page has more detail.

If you pack yourself

• Start with rarely used rooms and work towards the kitchen and bedrooms.
• Use small, strong boxes for books and other heavy things. A large box full of books is too heavy to lift safely.
• Put heavy items at the bottom and lighter ones on top, and fill gaps with paper or soft items so nothing shifts.
• Do not overfill boxes. If the lid does not close flat, the box will not stack.
• Write the destination room and a short description on the side as well as the top.

If time is short

Hand over the jobs that take the longest and carry the most risk: glassware, crockery, pictures, mirrors, lamps and anything with an awkward shape. You can then spend your own time on the things only you can decide.

What stays out until the last day

Keep out the essentials box, bedding for the final night, cleaning supplies, important documents, keys, medication and anything you need for work or school. Keep these things together so they do not end up in a random box.

Storage for the overflow

Storage is worth considering when the new home cannot take everything straight away. Common reasons include:

• Downsizing: you are moving to a smaller place but are not ready to part with everything yet.
• Chain delays: your completion dates do not line up and you need somewhere for your belongings in between.
• Furniture that does not fit yet: pieces for a room you are about to renovate, or for a later move.

Storage is priced per week by volume, so a clear inventory matters. The more precisely you know what is going in, the more accurate the price. Our short and long term storage page explains how it works.

Make retrieval easy from the start. Number each box, keep a written or phone list of what is in each one, and note anything you will want to reach first. Put the items you are most likely to need at the front, and keep a separate list of anything of high value.

Moving day with a lot of belongings

The crew is sized to the job, and the Luton van, furniture blankets, protection and dismantling of standard beds and flat pack furniture are all included. Your part is to make the day run smoothly.

A moving day running order

1. Before the crew arrives: finish packing, strip beds that are not already stripped, set the essentials box aside and make sure the route from door to van is clear.
2. Parking: reserve space for the van at both addresses. If you need a bay suspended, check with your council in good time.
3. Walkthrough: show the crew the loft, garage, shed and any items that need special care or are staying behind.
4. Loading: the crew loads the furniture and boxes. Stay available for questions but try not to carry things alongside them.
5. Final check: go round every room, cupboard, the loft, garage and shed before the van leaves.
6. Unloading: one person at the new home directs items to rooms. Items are placed in the correct rooms, so labelled boxes and a simple floor plan taped to the door make this quick.
7. Last job: check the new home for damage, set up the beds and open the essentials box.

Goods in transit insurance at full replacement value is included in every price, along with public liability insurance. If you would like to see how our moves work across the area, read about house removals across Kent and Medway.

Frequently asked questions

How far ahead should I start preparing for a large house move?

About 8 weeks is a sensible target for a full house. Use the first weeks to declutter the loft, garage, shed and spare room, then get your quote and book 4 to 6 weeks out. If your date is closer, start with the same areas and call us early.

How much does it cost to move a 4 or 5 bedroom house in Medway?

Local 4 to 5 bedroom moves within Medway start from £900 upwards. The final price depends on the volume, access, large or heavy items and whether you add packing. Request a fixed quote with a full description of the contents for an exact figure.

Is it worth using storage if I have too much to fit in my new home?

Often, yes. Storage helps when you are downsizing, waiting on a chain or have furniture that will not fit yet. It is priced per week by volume, so it is worth deciding what really needs keeping before you book.

Should I pack myself or pay for a packing service on a big move?

It depends on your time. Packing yourself costs least but takes longest. Many people pack the easy items and hand over fragile, kitchen and awkward ones. Packing services are priced per job, so ask for a quote based on your home.

What happens if I underestimate how much I have when I get a quote?

Our quotes are held provided the contents and access are as described. If you find more than you expected, tell us as soon as you can, ideally before moving day, so we can discuss it with you rather than meet it as a surprise.

If you are planning a large move in Medway or Kent, call 01634 971005 or request a fixed quote at https://www.medwaykentremovals.co.uk/contact. We respond to every enquiry within 60 minutes, 7 days a week.