A removal survey is an opportunity to make the job visible before the supplier commits to a price. Prepare an inventory and walk through every area that contains belongings. Include items stored elsewhere, outdoor furniture and anything you intend to buy or sell before the move.
Show the difficult details
- Narrow doors, stair turns, lift dimensions and booking requirements.
- Parking restrictions, long carries, steps and uneven surfaces.
- Heavy, valuable, fragile or unusually shaped items.
- Furniture needing dismantling or specialist equipment.
- Packing work, storage and additional collection or delivery stops.
For a video survey, use good lighting and show the full route rather than only the furniture. If access cannot be assessed reliably on video, ask what further information or visit is needed. Be clear about uncertain quantities instead of excluding them silently.
After the survey, check the written inventory and assumptions against your own notes. Ask which changes would affect the quote and how to report them. Retain the agreed version and update the company before collection if the load or access changes; the survey is only useful when it describes the job that actually takes place.
Put it into practice
Use the home and moving inventory to organise your own figures or next steps. Keep its assumptions alongside your plan.