When you are about to move home or office there is not only a lot to think about and organise, there is also a lot of money to pay out as well!
One of the most common things that gets left until the last minute or skipped altogether is the removal van and crew. With so many other things going on it can easily be overlooked until it's too late and all the money has been spent on solicitors, estate agents, surveys, builders and decorators and new carpets and curtains, etc.
For most people, the actual physical moving day is the last thing on your mind until you start getting firm completion dates and the whole thing becomes very real. Unfortunately this is then too late.
With just a few days or weeks before the property becomes yours, there is not much time to get moving companies in to survey your property for the removal, let alone save up or budget for the costs. This can then turn into a costly exercise, not only in monetary terms but in managing for your move as well.
What usually happens in this situation, once you have found out the charges from the removal companies, is that you either realise that you can't afford to hire professionals or they are fully booked when you want to move. You then usually either decide to, or are forced into the situation where you do the move yourself, i.e. DIY.
What you should in fact do is get the moving costs at the start of the process, at the same time as getting the estate agency fees and solicitors costs, so that you have plenty of time to make sure that you can afford everything. This will usually be a good couple of months before anything major happens in the chain and allows you to then plan and organise properly.
This will also allow you to be prepared when things do get underway and you are given just a few days to organise everything. Removal Companies tend to be fairly understanding if they quoted for your move some time ago and you don't have a date for exchange and completion yet. But if you don't contact them until it's too late and your completion date is only a few days away, your move is likely to go wrong and will probably cost you more money.
This is because they probably have a lot of other work on so they are not relying on your booking to fill their diary, and also because it is harder for them to organise things at short notice.
Booking a Removal Company is not like booking a Taxi! There is a lot to think about, including how many staff are required, what size van do you need, does the parking suspension need to be booked, can they fit the packing in or are you doing it yourself. If you are packing yourself, is there time to get the boxes to you, etc, etc.
To plan a move from start to finish actually takes a few weeks. You need a Sales Estimator to visit your property and most companies have an appointment booking time of 1-2 weeks. Once the Surveyor has been to see what you have to move, it can be a week later before you receive the quotation. If you are moving overseas, this could even take a couple of weeks because they may have to request delivery rates from their agents at destination who might be on a different time zone.
And you are just one customer; they will have a lot more clients demanding their time and attention as well.
So then it all comes down to money. Can I afford this? We can save such and such if we did it ourselves. It's easy enough, right???
My advice on whether you should do a DIY move is based on several different factors.
Firstly consider how much you have to move. Anymore than a transit van load and you are looking at a lot of hard work. Don't forget that the professionals do this everyday, so what seems like hard work to you, may not be a problem for them.
Secondly, consider the access and layout of the properties you are moving from and to. Some larger items of furniture may not be easy to manoeuvre through doors and up stairs. Professional removal men may struggle themselves, but they have the experience and knowledge to get something out of a tight spot when needed.
Unless you have a very small amount of items to pack and move, always get two or three different removal companies to quote for your move. If you decide to do it yourself after that, then good luck. What will only take a removal company a day to pack, move and deliver will take you at least two to three times longer if not more.
Even if you do decide to DIY it, usually removal companies give a free quotation and advice, so you can always see how much hard work they think it is before deciding to hire a van and do it yourself.
Speak to your home insurers to see if they will insure your household contents during your move. Professional removal companies offer insurance or liability cover in case anything gets broken, damaged or stolen. Check that your insurers will insure against damage if you are moving everything yourself. Most Insurance companies will only insure your effects during a move if they are being packed and transferred by a Professional Mover.
If you do decide to move yourself, Be prepared! Make sure you have enough boxes, paper and tape for packing and plenty of friends willing to help. Your household contents can be deceiving in size. Never leave packing to the last minute. If you do, you run the risk of damages because you rushed to get it all finished in time, and this could easily have been avoided.
Make sure the van that you hire will take the full contents of your property. If you need to go back and collect the last items on your moving day, you could face costly penalties for delaying the buyers from moving into your old house.
Most removal companies have "waiting time" clauses. This means that if you no longer own the property from say 12 noon on the completion day, but you are still moving out at 2 or 3 pm, you could get charged for the delay if they are still sitting there waiting for you to vacate the property!
Always consider and way up your options before entertaining a DIY move. Although the bottom line on a removal quote may look steep, you may find that it saves you a lot of time and hassle later. Consider how much time and effort it actually costs you personally to do the move.
Sometimes you may be able to get the removal company to lower their price. This will depend on how busy they are and how complicated your move is. However, if you are moving during school holidays, at Christmas or at the end of the month, then don't expect a large discount, if at all. This is the busiest time for moving and if possible should be avoided if you want a successful relocation.
Always choose a removal company that is a member of the British Association of Removers or the Guild of Removers and Storers. Trade Associations are there to help. So if you find that you have a problem with the company that you have used, speak to them. They can offer you advice and may be able to take control of the situation if it gets out of hand, as they both offer an independent arbitration service.
Lastly, go with your gut feeling. If you really like the services offered by a particular removal company, but they are too expensive, talk to them! They are only human and they may be able to help by either reducing the cost slightly or by suggesting that you de-clutter which will reduce the amount to be moved.
If you think that moving everything yourself will be too much work, then it probably is! Trust your instincts. Don't forget that if you are not used to a lot of physical work, moving yourself will NOT be easy. Therefore be careful not to hurt yourself, and/or strain a muscle. Even the best removal men hurt themselves sometimes, even though they have built up their stamina to withstand the ongoing physical strain of carrying your boxes and furniture all day.
About the Author:
Jane Finch is an Independent Relocation Consultant with over 15 years experience within the moving industry. She has worked for both small family run removal companies and large multi-national shipping firms coordinating both inbound and outbound international shipments. Jane Finch now runs her own company, Moving etc?, offering services to both the public and the staff within the removal industry, reducing the stress of moving home.
Jane recommends professional UK removal companies on her website movingetc.co.uk movingetc.co.uk who are regulated by a recognised Industry Trade Association. This means they have set rules and regulations that they need to abide by, including having to provide fair and written quotations and contracts, using trained staff and offering adequate cover in case things go wrong.
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