Man and Van in Cassiobury

A large Cassiobury house is not hard to reach, it is just a lot of house. Two full flights, a return landing and a loft room at the top means the same wardrobe goes further than it would anywhere else in town, and the front path can add another twenty metres before you even start. We size the crew to the number of rooms rather than the postcode, which is why we ask how many bedrooms are actually being emptied.

The period pieces in these houses tend to be the heavy ones: solid wardrobes, a piano, a dresser that was assembled in the room it stands in. We wrap and blanket them, and where something has to come apart to clear a turn we do that properly rather than forcing it.

Most of these houses have off-street parking, which makes the day considerably easier than a move in the centre. The catch is the mature trees the area is known for: several of the drives have a low canopy over the entrance, and a Luton that fits the gateposts will not always fit under the branches. We ask about the approach so we bring a van that can actually get in.

Where the drive is a no-go we stand on the road, which is wide enough here to do without blocking anyone. Either way you will know which it is before the morning.