Guide
Moving house in Bermuda
The old place, the day itself, and the new place — who does each job, roughly when to book them, and where to find them.
It's a checklist, not advice. Anything about your lease, deposit or utility account is between you, your landlord and the utility — this page just tells you who to call for the physical work.
Before — at the place you're leaving
Most of this can be booked two or three weeks out. Movers and cleaners fill up around month-end, when most leases turn over — if your date is the 30th or the 1st, book first and worry about boxes later.
Book the movers
Get more than one quote, and give each the same information: how many rooms, what floor, whether there's a lift or a hill, and anything awkward — a piano, a fridge that won't fit through the door it came in through. Ask what's included; some price the truck and two people, some price the job. If you're only moving a flat's worth, a handyman with a van is sometimes the right answer.
Fix what the inspection will find
Nail holes, scuffed walls, a door that never closed properly, the dripping tap you got used to. It's usually cheaper to have a painter or handyman do a morning's work than to have it come out of the deposit at the landlord's price. Do it before the cleaners come, not after.
Redirect and cancel
Post, subscriptions, deliveries, and — the one people forget — telling BELCO and your internet provider the date you're leaving so you aren't billed for the next tenant. This is you, not a tradesperson; do it the week before.
The day
One job for a tradesperson, everything else is boxes. If the movers are good, your job is to stand at the new place and say which room.
Change the locks at the new place
Do this the day you get the keys, before the first night. You don't know how many copies the last tenant, their cleaner and their ex still have. A locksmith can rekey most doors in under an hour, and it's the cheapest peace of mind on this page.
After — the new place, and closing out the old one
The first fortnight. Some of these you'll only need if the place has been empty a while; the deep clean of the old place you'll need regardless.
Deep clean the old place
After the last box is out and before the landlord's inspection. Oven, inside the fridge, the tops of the cupboards, grout. Tell the cleaner it's an end-of-tenancy clean — that's a different job from a weekly clean and they'll price and staff it differently.
AC, appliances and the water tank
If the new place has been empty, have the AC serviced before you rely on it — a unit that's sat through a Bermuda summer without running is a unit full of mould. Check the appliances that came with the place actually work. And ask when the tank was last cleaned; if nobody knows, that's a plumber's job and it's overdue.
Pests
An empty house in Bermuda is a house with roaches and probably ants. One treatment before your furniture goes in is easier than trying to get them out from behind it later. Termites are a separate conversation — if you're buying rather than renting, that's a survey question.
Wiring, sockets and the small stuff
Not enough sockets, an outdoor light that doesn't work, a ceiling fan you'd like in the bedroom, the TV on the wall, shelves up. An electrician for anything with wires; a handyman for the rest. Batch it — one visit for six small jobs is cheaper than six visits.
Internet, TV and the home office
If the house needs cabling, a network cupboard sorting or Wi-Fi that reaches the back bedroom through Bermuda stone walls, that's an IT services job — the internet provider will get you to the door, not through the house.
Outside
A yard that's been let go for a few months takes a landscaper an afternoon and you a month. Get the first cut and clear done professionally, then decide whether you're keeping them on.
Moving at month-end and everyone's booked?
Post the job once — movers, cleaners, whichever trade — with your date and parish, and businesses who can do it can come to you. Free, no account needed.