Separate a target date from a confirmed handover
Ask the project team which milestones need to be reached before you book removals or commit to accommodation. Record your preferred move date, but also discuss what would happen if the project programme changes. A construction estimate is not the same thing as a confirmed date for moving back in.
- When must the property be clear for the agreed removal work?
- Which decisions or approvals affect the proposed start?
- How will programme changes be communicated?
- What flexibility does the accommodation arrangement allow?
Create three lists before packing
Divide belongings into what you need every day, what can go into storage and what you no longer want in the new home. Furniture measurements from the keep list are useful for the design brief. Bulky hobby equipment and workshop contents are easy to overlook when planning both storage and the new garage.
- Daily use: clothes, work equipment, school items, medicines and essential documents
- Storage: furniture and seasonal items, with access needs recorded
- Decisions before moving: items to sell, donate or dispose of through appropriate services
Make the temporary home work for the household
Check the ordinary week: getting to work or school, parking, internet access, pets and visiting family. Compare accommodation options on those needs as well as the headline cost. Include removal trips, storage and any setup costs in your own project budget rather than assuming they are part of the builder's proposal.
Agree the return-home sequence
Before the end of the project, discuss what needs to be complete for handover and which documents and instructions you will receive. Confirm access arrangements for deliveries and movers with the team. Keep the move-back plan flexible until the relevant milestones are confirmed, then use the handover conversation to understand how to care for the new home.
Plan for a change in the programme
Write a preferred move-back date and, beside it, what you would do if the date changed. Check how accommodation, storage, school or work travel and removal bookings would be affected. Ask the team how programme changes will be communicated.
- Which bookings need flexible dates?
- Who needs an update when the programme changes?
- What must be confirmed before booking the return move?