Islington is Georgian London at its most intact, and moving a house in N1 is as much about respecting listed architecture as it is about lifting furniture. The townhouses of Barnsbury and Canonbury — around Thornhill Road, Cloudesley Square, Canonbury Square and the terraces off Liverpool Road — are tall, elegant and often four or five storeys over a basement, with narrow original staircases, half-landings and delicate cornicing that we take real care not to catch. Many are Grade II listed and sit within conservation areas, and a good number have been divided into upper and lower maisonettes, which adds shared entrances and communal stairs to the mix. We measure the difficult turns in advance, protect banisters and door frames, and bring the crew size a tall Georgian house genuinely needs.

Parking is the hardest part of any Islington move. The borough runs some of the strictest controlled zones in London, Upper Street is a red route where stopping is prohibited for much of the day, and the narrow Georgian streets have permit-only bays that fill by breakfast. We book a bay suspension wherever a property allows it — often essential rather than optional here — and where one can't be arranged we know the meter bays and quieter turnings around Barnsbury and Canonbury that give a realistic loading window. Camden Passage and the antiques streets off Upper Street add pedestrian congestion we plan around.

Transport keeps N1 in constant demand. Angel on the Northern line, Highbury & Islington on the Victoria line and Overground, and Essex Road station all sit within the area, so chains move fast and properties turn over quickly. The catch is that convenience means competition for moving dates, so we recommend booking early. Whether it is a listed townhouse on a Barnsbury square or a maisonette off Essex Road, we bring the care, the parking planning and the crew that a period Islington move demands.