Essential Tools for Moving Day

If you have hired a good removal company to move you then they will bring all the tools and equipment that they need to disassemble and reassemble the furniture you are moving, but there is still the need for you to be prepared with your own moving day tool kit.

Imagine that you arrive at your new home on moving day to find that all the light bulbs have been removed or that the radiators are blocked and need bleeding.

It is late in the day, it is starting to get cold and dark, you are tired, hungry, stressed and now you have to search through a dozen different boxes to find the right tools or to find some new light bulbs.

Therefore it makes sense to pack a bag of tools and spares that you might need quick and easy access to on moving day.

Call me paranoid if you want, but I have experienced arriving in a new home where there were no light bulbs, and when I moved into my last home, even where all the light fittings had been removed.

Therefore, I always pack a bag of tools and spares, and on more than one occasion it has saved the day.

Packing a basic moving day tool kit with a few key items to make temporary, but essential, repairs on moving day requires a little forethought and planning but is certainly worth considering having handy.

Read on to discover our suggestions for tools and equipment that it pays to have handy on moving day.

What Tools Do You Need When Moving Home?

These tools will help you do most of the essential or emergency repairs that you may need to do on moving day.

#1 Box cutter

Makes opening boxes and cutting tape so much easier. Keep a few spare blades or make sure it has a new blade fitted.

#2 Packing tape

You can guarantee that a box or two will need taping back up on moving day.

#3 Gaffer tape

Essential item for repairing and patching anything from ripped clothes to a broken handle.

#4 Zip Ties

From temporary repairs to fences to securing a gate to pet-proof your garden, zip ties have a million and one uses so keep a selection of sizes in your moving day tool kit.

#5 Selection of screws and nails

It is worth having a small selection of various-sized screws and nails in a Ziploc bag just in case.

#6 WD40

From a rusted shut padlock to a screw that you cannot undo, WD40 is handy for loosening or lubricating.

#7 Screwdrivers

For reassembling furniture you may need a selection of flathead and Phillips screwdrivers.

#8 Cordless screwdriver with various heads

Not really essential but makes reassembling furniture faster and easier. Be sure to fully charge the screwdriver before moving day.

#9 Pliers

Multiple uses.

#10 Adjustable Spanner

An adjustable spanner means that you don’t need a whole range of sizes, just one tool will get the most urgent jobs done.

#11 Hammer

#12 Allen Keys

Most furniture is reassembled with Allen bolts so have a full set of Allen keys in your toolbox.

#14 Radiator Key

Bleeding a radiator takes a couple of minutes and if you are moving in the colder months is essential to have it with you on moving day.

#15 Light bulbs

It is worth having a selection of light bulbs so that you have light in the essential rooms should the bulbs be blown or have been removed.

It is worth bearing in mind that often bulbs in lamps get damaged during the move so having spares for those is a good idea.

#16 Fuses

A selection of plug fuses and main fuses is handy just in case.

#17 Padlocks

Useful for securing gates and outbuildings. It is always worth changing padlocks as soon as you move in as you never know who has keys to the old locks.

#18 Torch

A couple of torches are useful in case there is a power cut or you need to go outside in the dark.

#19 Headlamp

A head torch is really useful if you need your hands free to work on something.

#20 Batteries

Have a selection of different battery sizes, you should change the batteries in the smoke alarms and security PIRs as soon as possible after moving in.

#21 Extension Leads

Useful for plugging in night lamps in kids’ bedrooms if the sockets are in the wrong place or you find that a socket does not work in a room.

 #22 Multi-tool

A multi-tool like a Leatherman is really handy to keep on your belt on moving day. The type with the pliers is particularly useful for small jobs.

#22 Home Moving Binder

Hopefully, you will have asked the previous householders to complete a home moving binder for you or you will have compiled a folder with all the essential information about your new home that you may need.

Some of the essential things you would want to know are:

• Where the fuse box is
• Where the water mains stop cock is located
• Where the gas valve shutoff is
• How to operate the heating system
• What the security alarm code is and how to change it
• How to operate the boiler
• Keys and what they belong to

You may also like to read: How to Create a Home Moving Binder. You can save yourself any potential problems on moving day by creating a home moving binder. This will contain all the essential information you need about your new home, guarantees, and operating instructions for appliances and heating.

#23 Door wedges

If you arrive late in your new home you may not have time to change the main door locks so take a few door wedges with you.

They are light, quick, and easy to use and will give you peace of mind on your first night in your new home.

These are also useful for keeping doors open as you unload your boxes into your new home.

A broom handle or length of wood laid along the bottom of a sliding patio door will be enough to secure it temporarily.

#24 First Aid Kit

Keep a first aid kit on hand, it is easy to injure yourself when you are tired and stressed.

You may also like to read: Must Know Simple First Aid. It is easy to get injured when you are tired, stressed, and rushing around on moving day. It is therefore essential to know a few of the basics of first aid and in this guide, we look at how to treat the most common injuries that occur within the home.

Essential Tools to Make Moving Furniture Easy

There are many pieces of moving equipment available to make moving heavy and large pieces of furniture easier and safer.

Most of this furniture moving equipment is available to hire at a tool-hire shop or things like furniture sliders can be bought on Amazon.

#1 Furniture Lifter

A furniture lifter will help you move heavy objects such as furniture and large plant pots. Slip the lifter under the item then slip sliders under each corner.

This device relieves any strain on your back and the plastic sliders prevent damage to floor surfaces.

They can easily be bought online or hired.

#2 Hand Carts

Also known as a sack barrow, these help you move heavy items easily. You can even get ones that are designed to go up and down steps.

#4 Furniture Dolly

A furniture dolly is a four-wheeled flatbed platform that you load the piece of furniture onto making moving heavy objects easy.

#5 Lifting Straps

Lifting straps fit under the item you are trying to move and require two people to use.

The straps fit around your body relieving the strain on your back and making lifting heavy and awkward items so much easier.

#6 Furniture Sliders

Furniture sliders fit under each corner or the legs of the piece of furniture you are trying to move.

They reduce the friction between the item and the floor making sliding the item easy without causing any damage to the floor surface.

You can also keep the furniture sliders in place permanently so that when you want to clean behind a piece of furniture you can easily slide it out of the way.

You can also use furniture sliders under large plant pots so that you can easily move them to a warmer place in the winter.

#7 Rope or Straps

Good strong ropes or straps for securing furniture in place when you load it onto the van.

#8 PPE

Strong gloves with a good grip and strong shoes with a non-slip sole are essential to help protect yourself from any injury.

You may also like to read: How to Move Heavy and Large Furniture. Learn how to create a floor plan, measure furniture, different safe lifting techniques, and how to use furniture moving equipment in this essential guide for people moving home by themselves.

Essentials to Have in Your Car on Moving Day

When moving long-distance especially, it is wise to get your car serviced a few weeks before moving day.

There is then time to get any repairs done before you move home and you will have done all you can to ensure that your car will get you to your destination.

Breaking down on moving day would be a disaster.

Even having serviced your car, if you are travelling by car to your new home it is worth keeping a few essential tools in your boot in case of emergency.

If you are loading your car with items to take to your new home be sure to keep your car emergency kit in an easily accessible place.

Suggestions for your emergency car kit:

#1 Headtorch

#2 First Aid Kit

#3 Hi-Viz jackets (one for each person in the car)

#4 Warning triangle

#5 Spare light bulbs for each light on the vehicle

#6 A selection of spare fuses

#7 Oil

#8 Water

#9 Washer bottle fluid

#10 Food and drink

#11 Blankets

#12 Snow shovel

#13 De-Icer

#14 Warm hats and gloves

#15 Waterproof coats

#16 Battery power pack – Jump starter kit/tyre pump

#17 Tow-rope

#18 Powerpack for mobile phone

#19 Charging cables for mobile phones

#20 Basic car tool kit

#21 Jack and tools for changing a wheel

#22 Puncture repair foam

You may also like to read: How to Move Home by Car. In this guide, not only will you discover more about preparing your car for moving day, but it includes how to pack a car for moving as well as fun games you can play whilst you travel to your new home.

Moving Day Essentials Box

The tools and equipment we have suggested above are in addition to your moving day survival kit or moving day essentials box that you should have.

A moving day essentials box contains all the essential personal items you may need on moving day.

This could be anything from medication to a favourite toy, food, and drink to spare clothing.

High-value jewellery and irreplaceable documents should also travel with you and not in the removal van.

Many people choose to have an essential moving day box for each member of the family.

Remember to keep this bag or box with you as it should travel with you to the new home and not be loaded into the removal van.

You may also like to read: How to Create a Moving Day Essential Box. In this guide, we offer you suggestions of the type of items you might think about packing in your moving day survival kit.

There are plenty of things that can go wrong on moving day, and there is nearly always something that throws you a curveball.

But with a little pre-planning, you can turn a potential problem into a mere inconvenience.

Think about each aspect of your home move, what is likely to go wrong, and what could be a problem when you arrive at your new home, then devise a plan or have the tools and equipment to hand to resolve that problem.

You may also like to read: Things That Could Go Wrong on Moving Day and How to Avoid Them. There is nearly always something that goes wrong on moving day. Here we look at the most common problems on moving day and what you can do to avoid them happening to you.

Hiring a good removal company with years of experience means that there will not be a problem they have not encountered before and they will know what to do in such circumstances.

But moving home for most people is a rare event so you should think carefully about when you arrive for the first night in your new home.

As long as you have light, warmth, food, somewhere to sleep, and a way to get clean, any other problem can be dealt with after a good night’s rest.

If moving in the colder months of the year be especially mindful of things like fuel for open fires or for oil heating systems.

It is especially important that you know how such systems work.

Many years ago I moved into a very rural property, miles from anywhere, on the mendips.

I had never had an oil-fired heating system before and despite asking for instructions, nobody mentioned to me that you have to pump the gauge on an oil tank to get an accurate fuel level reading.

It was only when the oil ran out in the middle of a huge snowstorm a couple of days later that I discovered that piece of vital information.

It was five days before the tanker could get to me to make a delivery. With no backup heating, it was a very cold first few days in that cottage.

Lesson learned.

So be prepared, plan for any and every eventuality, and all will be well.

Good luck with your home move.