HELPFUL ideas for moving house safely with young children have been compiled by a leading homebuilder.

Steve Jackson, sales director at David Wilson Homes North West, told the Gazette: "It’s likely to be a stressful time, but just a few checks before and after your move will give you and your child peace of mind and make sure your move is a happy one." He explained: "We’ve decided to put together the following top tips to help you and your children have a safer, accident-free move."

- Install safety gates

If you have a child under two, it is recommended that you install stair gates even before the child enters the house. This may sound drastic, said Steve, but youngsters may be very excited and keen to explore, and parents will be busy with the move and may be easily distracted from supervising them as closely as they would normally.

- Make things familiar

Keep some familiarity and routine by making your child’s bedroom the priority when moving, so they have a cosy environment they recognise in their new home.

- Keep furniture at a safe distance

Toddlers love to climb so, on moving day, keep furniture away from windows until you are sure where you want it to be positioned. Once you do settle on a final location, it is advisable to secure heavy cabinets and tables in place.

- Explore the garden

Take a walk around to check if your youngsters might be able to find their way into neighbouring gardens or out onto the street, and secure the area if necessary. Babies and young children can drown in as little as 5cm of water, so install safety measures as soon as possible if your garden has a pond or water butt.

- Get used to your surroundings

If you’ve moved to a new area or even just a new street, it is likely the roads as well as the volume and speed of traffic will be unfamiliar. Practising the new school run makes good sense, even with older children.

For more about David Wilson Homes’ developments across Lancashire, visit www.dwh.co.uk, or call 0844-811-3366 from 8am-9pm Monday to Friday, and 8am-8pm Saturday to Sunday.