Twentieth century · Post-1990
New-build and estate moves in Hampshire
Hampshire has some of the largest modern housing developments in the south, particularly around Basingstoke, Andover and Whiteley. They are easy houses to move out of and, surprisingly often, awkward estates to move out of.
The inside of a new-build is the simple half. The estate road and the management company are the other one.
What an estate move involves
Less to move than the floor area suggests
Modern houses come with fitted wardrobes, fitted kitchens and built-in storage, so the movable volume is frequently well below what the square footage implies. That is good news and it is one of the few cases where a quote surprises people pleasantly.
What it does mean is that estimating by bedroom count overstates these houses badly. We measure rather than assume.
The third storey
A great many newer Hampshire houses are three storeys, with the top floor reached by a narrower flight and a tighter turn than the one below it. A double bed frame and a wardrobe frequently have to be dismantled to get off that floor.
It is entirely routine when it is known in advance and it adds real time when it is not, so it is worth mentioning at enquiry.
Estate roads and parking courts
Modern estates are laid out for cars, not for lorries. Roads are narrower than they look, bends are tight, parking courts are entered through a gap with a bollard, and there is frequently nowhere to turn a large vehicle at all.
Where that is the case we either use a smaller vehicle or shuttle. Either way it needs establishing at survey, because reversing a loaded lorry out of a cul-de-sac is nobody's idea of a good morning.
Management companies
Newer developments often have a management company with rules about where vehicles may stand and for how long, and occasionally about which days moves may happen at all.
Ask them before you book a date. It is a five-minute conversation that occasionally changes the whole plan, and it is much better had early.
New-build and estate moves
Questions about new-build and estate moves
01 Will a lorry fit down our estate road?
Often yes, sometimes not, and the turning space at the end matters as much as the width. We check at survey and use a smaller vehicle or shuttle where needed.
02 Do I need permission from the management company?
Frequently. Ask them what the rules are on vehicle standing and move days as soon as you have a date — it occasionally changes the plan.
03 Is a three-storey house harder?
It adds time and usually some dismantling on the top floor. Known in advance it is routine; discovered on the day it costs a couple of hours.
04 Will you mark the new paintwork?
Not if we have protected the route, which we do as standard. New finishes mark more easily than people expect, so runners and jamb covers go down even on a short carry.
05 We have fitted wardrobes — does that reduce the quote?
It reduces the volume, and the quote is built from volume. It is one of the reasons we measure rather than estimating from the number of bedrooms.
Tell us when the house was built
That, the two addresses, and what the approach looks like. Three answers and we can tell you something useful; anything less and we would be guessing.