Moving house? Then make sure you pack the kitchen sink!

We all know how stressful moving house can be. Some people claim it is the most challenging life event they ever face, others take it in their stride.

However, attempting to answer this age-old question once-and-for-all is removal expert, Robinsons. The company has revealed that yes, moving house it is in fact pretty much the most stressful thing you can do, with it coming above getting married, having a baby, relationship break up and even bereavement.

Now we know a lot of this stress can be self-inflicted – not properly packing, trying to do the whole move yourself on a shoestring, trying to rush it through before going on holiday – the list goes on and on (and how many of these have you been guilty of?)

However, the move is not always to blame, and the research highlights something we often hear about when we’re sharing house-move horror stories – when the previous owners have stripped their house bare to extract maximum value from the sale.

Now, this apparently happens more often than you’d think. For example, the study shows 14% of people arrived at their new pad only to discover the previous owners have taken curtains and blinds, 10% took the garden plants,  8% took all carpets, 7% light bulbs, 5% light fittings and a tight 1% even took the kitchen sink!

Now clearly, all key items included in a house sale must be listed in the contract, and it’s really important you remember to do this, especially if there’s some amazing decorative bath taps that caught your eye, or a beautiful chandelier that you just love. But that said, it’s all-to-easy to forget certain items, or not pay sufficient attention to this bit, instead focussing on the new house you’re about to move into.

There are certain regions across the UK that are guiltier than others too, so watch out! When it comes to the ‘tightest’ people, those in the South East came top emerging as the most likely region to strip their house of essential items (20%), including light bulbs (24%), carpets (27%), curtains and blinds (47%), and yes, even the kitchen sink (8%).  This compares with the north (17.5%), Scotland (17%), the South West (15%) and the Midlands (13%).

Home-owners not properly packing and protecting their belongings also emerged as a stress flashpoint, with almost a third of respondents (28%) having had items broken or damaged during their move, with mirrors, tables, framed artwork, bottles of spirits or wine, and washer/dryers – not to mention the house itself – emerging as the top items.

But let’s be clear – a lot of this is scaremongering, and with the proper preparation, your move can be stress-free and even enjoyable. So that means starting as early as possible, negotiating fixtures and fittings with the seller, right through to leaving enough time to get from A to B and working with a trusted, well-respected  removal company.