Homes are full of our possessions and treasures and it can be a wrench to leave them behind when we move. Often we look forward to the new start but dread the effort and expense of refitting to our own taste.

So the trend for free-standing units - even in the kitchen - plus furniture and even fireplaces with get-up-and-go appeal could be the answer.

More and more people are opting for individual pieces of furniture that mix and match rather than the uniformity of fitted ranges. They've realised they're perfect for giving a home an instant makeover and there is the obvious advantage of being able to take them when they move.

Kerryn Harper, acting editor of Your Home magazine, says: "There is a new trend towards increasingly flexible furnishings, either units that are free standing or on wheels.

"It's well suited to a modern lifestyle because it gives versatility, and can transform a room quickly. Also rooms are often multi-functional, with lounges doubling as offices or dining rooms."

Now take a look at what is available that suits life on the move.

In the kitchen, beech separates from Marks & Spencer's Moveable Feast range fit the bill. The modular design gives a relaxed, informal feel which is very 'in' for today's interiors. Once installed the sink and oven units are strictly speaking fitted but the rest of the pieces can be rearranged to your heart's content.

A double console, with two drawers and double cupboard, is £699 while a glass-fronted tall storage unit costs £599. Alternatively, add to an existing range with an easily portable butcher's block (£269), or a single open console cupboard (£299).

Bathroom furniture can also set sail and move with you if you opt for ranges from Ikea. The Asnen range in light blue includes a high cabinet with frosted front (£110) and a washstand (£80) teamed with an Orrevik washbasin (£99). A four drawer unit is £90.

Or consider the Stenskar range with tempered glass doors in beech foil frames. The high cabinet is £140, the drawer unit £90. (Ikea 020 8208 5600).

The lounge can benefit from the get-up-and-go approach. Get a glow with a new fireplace with log effect, that can be easily moved from room to room or to a new home. It's perfect for those who have longed for having that focal point in a room but have no chimney or suitable outside flue.

The smokeless fireplace, which won an award from Your Home this year, is by AKM Designs in Wimbledon Park, London. It is delivered fully assembled so you can have a real fire burning in minutes. It uses cans lasting up to three hours which don't produce smoke, soot or ashes. The fires range from £595 to £1,134 in wood effect or lime and sandstone. (020 8946 9536).

The cost of fitted shelves and units can break the bank. Consider a free standing storage unit that could also be used as a room divider. Ocean mail order (0870 2426 283) has Atlas room storage, which is available in a choice of maple, or cherry. It has space for books, CDs and display shelves, as well as a separate TV trolley/coffee table which slides in and out. It is £1,495.

Next Home has a contemporary Oslo range, which features narrow shelves in maple veneer (£129), complemented by a CD cupboard with metal handles (£49.99). Its stacking cubes cost either £24.99 open or £34.99 if fitted with a door, (0845 600 7000). Also, consider the Magna bookcases on wheels from Habitat or moveable units from Aero (020 7351 0511).

You can even take your floor with you when you move house if you choose laminate wood flooring by Floormaster from B&Q. It interlocks and can be taken up and refitted. The 900 Loc is £23.61 for a 2.15 square metre pack, 1600 Loc is £28.61 for a 1.91 square metre pack. The latter suits heavy traffic areas and is more water resistant for kitchens and bathrooms.

B &Q's Royale deck tiles for the patio cost £5.98 each and can also be removed and relaid (0800 444 840).

If you dream of pastures new but want to keep the same bedroom atmosphere, consider free-standing ranges from MFI such as Loire or Harvard. The store's Soho range, in a pale wood finish, is for fitted or free standing use.

Buying two pieces of furniture discounts the price so a glass double-door wardrobe costs £203 instead of £370, if bought with another item such as a bedside chest which is £82, or £150 if bought singly (0800 192 192).

Trevor Kent, former president of the National Association of Estate Agents, highlights the emergence of "the serial movers", who are snapping up moveable pieces. "Although the average period between moves is around seven years there is now a young generation of people who move almost every year.

"They are upwardly mobile and see the potential of doing houses up, then selling for a profit and moving up-market. There are great advantages to them in reducing their expenses by buying furniture that they take with them."

But he has one word of warning: "It is vital that sellers make it absolutely clear to buyers what furniture and fittings are remaining, and which are not.

"People buy a lifestyle as much as property and those apparently fitted items and furnishings add to the atmosphere. It leads to unpleasant-ness and even legal action if fittings are removed without permission."