Advice on moving house in the UK

Booking your removal...

Before booking, read your quotation and service specification carefully, to satisfy yourself that the services you want are included.  Always telephone first to confirm the date is available, before sending your deposit.

 

Firm Bookings – If you have a definite date, please fill in your acceptance form and forward this together with your deposit.  Your quotation will advise you of the exact amount.  If your move is being paid for by a third party, an official order or letter from the organisation, will be required.  Until this is received, your booking will be treated as provisional.  Note – company letters must not be signed by a beneficiary and must clearly commit the company to pay all charges including postponement charges.
Provisional bookings – If you have a likely date, but are not committed to it, your booking can be pencilled in.  It must be possible to contact you or you may find that your provisional booking could be lost to someone making a firm booking.  Cartons can be delivered if you are provisionally booked, however, we will require a deposit on delivery.

 

Busy periods – Fridays are traditionally busy days and if you can avoid moving on a Friday, it is helpful to us.  Note – work can be conducted on a Saturday at no extra charge.  The end of the month is again, a very busy period, as are school holidays and the period immediately before Christmas.  If you cannot avoid moving on one of these peak times, please make sure that you give us plenty of notice.  Sundays and bank holidays will attract an extra charge.

 

Packing & Preparing...

You should have confirmed your actual moving date by now and can thus finalise your removal booking.  Now is the time to start packing up china and small items if you have decided to do so yourself.  Make sure that you have enough boxes and packing materials, it is very easy to under estimate the number of bits and pieces that come out of cupboards and drawers.  Do a little each day starting with the leased used items.

 

Preparing other items:

 

Books and records – these are deceptively heavy, half sized cartons may be available for these.  As an alternative, half fill the larger cartons and put lighter things on top.  Pack books spine down.

 

Chest of drawers – These can be left filled with linen and clothes, but ensure that heavy, fragile and valuable items are emptied.  Drawers in divan beds should be emptied.

 

Lampshades – These should be removed and packed separately.  You can leave normal light bulbs in your property for the new occupants if you wish, but only a philanthropist would leave long life/low energy bulbs (at £12.00-£15.00 each!).

 

Fridges and Freezers – These should be emptied and defrosted.  Contents may be left in freezers provided that they are bagged and the journey is short.  The bags will be taken out immediately prior to being moved to be replaced when the freezer is in position in the van.

 

Cookers – These should be cleaned thoroughly, as grease can lead to a nasty accident, (see notes below re:  disconnection).  Pack any loose fittings and shelves separately, for microwaves remember to remove the glass turntable also.

 

Washing machines – These should be disconnected the contents emptied.  Remember to fit the transit bar if you still have it.  Whilst we move thousands of machines without this bar in place, and have had no problems, it should be noted that the fitting of this bar is part of the manufacturer’s warranty

 

Sheds and greenhouses – These should be dismantled in advance.  Wrap the glass individually and tape into a manageable bundle.  Please note that we will not carry fuel canisters or calor gas bottles, whether empty or full. 

 

Garden tools – These should be cleaned as it will be going in the same van as your furniture.  Note – we normally load these last to keep them as far away from the household items as possible. 

 

Swings and slides – These will have to be dismantled in advance.  Squirt penetrating oil onto the nuts and bolts a few days before you intend dismantling them.

 

Plants – Pack 5 or 6 smaller plants into a carton, with some packing material in between them to stop them falling over, seal the box with the flaps up to give extra protection.  Leave larger plants for us to deal with.  Whilst we will take great care of your plants, they are not covered by our insurance.  In winter, and on longer journeys, frost can be a problem for the more delicate plants.  Garden plants and shrubs can be taken, but make sure that the roots are well bagged up to avoid loose soil in the back of the van.

 

Pets – These are your responsibility and should be kept clear of our work.  Dogs, for example, may think that the removal men are stealing your furniture!  Fish tanks should be drained to the gravel and the fish taken in your car in sealable bucket, half filled with water.  Consult your local stockist for exotic species. 

 

Children – Children are always excited by the idea of moving, and you may want them to be present, but please make sure that they are well supervised, and stay off the van.

 

Items not to be moved – These should be clearly marked with stickers.  This is particularly important where storage is involved.

 

DIY wardrobe dismantling – Dismantling should only be carried out where absolutely necessary.  The old style wardrobes divide in the middle, so all the pieces that cross the joint will have to be removed.  Modern wardrobes dismantle into panels, great care must be taken with these sections as chipboard is very easily damaged.  Start by removing the back, then if possible lay the wardrobe on its back.  Tape any loose fittings to the relevant sections.

 

Wardrobe cartons – These are provided on the day for the hanging contents of your wardrobes.  Please make sure all the hangers are the same way round, as this makes transferring them into the cartons easier.  All other small effects in the wardrobes should be placed into boxes.

 

Your removal day...

Before your removal can commence, the van must be placed as near as possible to your property.  If you live in a narrow, restricted or busy street, we may have to contact the local Police to place no waiting cones for us.  If your house is at the end of a long drive, with over hanging branches, consider a bit of pruning.  Removal vans are tall – up to 13ft6” high – and very expensive to replace.  Think about access at the other end.  Note – if we have quot4ed for delivery to an address with good access, and the van cannot get close to the property, we have the right to make an additional charge.

 

The Removal Crew – Our crews are friendly and helpful people who are trained porters with considerable experience.  They will be delighted to hear good advice, but you will not need to stand over them to ensure they are careful.  They will not mind if you want to help out with the smaller items, but please remember that they are ultimately responsible for the safe delivery of your possessions.  Moving furniture is heavy work requiring continuous mental and physical effort, so the odd tea-break goes down well and gives the crew a chance to meet you.

 

Loading The Van – The normal order of loading is:  upholstered items first, then the bedroom furniture and other large items, lounge and kitchen effects, boxes, carpets, and finally kitchen equipment and garden things. 

 

Final Checks...

Before the crew leaves, please make sure that everything going to your new house has been loaded.  Check fitted wardrobes, lofts, airing cupboards, kitchen cupboards, garages and sheds.  It is ultimately your responsibility to ensure that everything is taken.  Turn off water, gas and electric at mains.  In winter, drain the water tanks if the property is likely to be empty for some time.  Finally, lock up securely when you leave.  Deliver any keys to the estate agents.

 

Overnight delivery – Advise the foreman roughly as to what time you will be at your new property.  An overnight contact number, as well as directions or a rough map of how to find the new property would be useful.

 

Delivering your goods – It is important that someone is on hand when the van arrives so that the crew can be told where to put each item, as it is unloaded.  Additionally, we will need someone to sign to confirm delivery.  Your furniture will be placed where you want it, providing that it is reasonably possible to do so.  Note – we may not be able to get large wardrobes or pianos up the attic stairways.  We must have prior notice if a piano has to be taken up or down a flight of stairs, so that sufficient men are asked to do the job.  Labelling boxes clearly also saves time.  It is a good idea to have a room set out for boxes which will not be unpacked straight away, to avoid cluttering any main rooms.  Protection will be provided for carpets already fitted, especially on rainy days or where building site mud is a problem.  Safety dictates that this cannot be done on stair carpets.  Any furniture dismantled by us, will also be re-erected by us.  On completion, the remaining blankets will be folded and the back of the van swept out.  Whilst our crew are doing this, check that everything is where you want it, and assure yourself that the van is empty.

 

Unpacking – This is not normally included unless otherwise specified in our quotation.  If you want to get as many boxes emptied as possible on the day, advise the crew, as the van is being loaded so that the boxes can be last on, and first off.  Arrange to have a few friends or relatives on hand, as an “unpacking squad”.

 

Paying the bill – Whilst we reserve the right to ask for prior payment, you will be presented with the bill on completion of the work.  Unless you have arranged otherwise, you may pay our foreman in cash, bankers draft or building society cheque.  PERSONAL CHEQUES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED UNLESS 7 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF THE MOVE.  You will be required to sign a receipt for your goods, to confirm that you have read the contract conditions and agree that the bill has been calculated.