If you are moving house you need to choose the right furniture removers – whatever your situation. Choosing the wrong company can lose you money and belongings as well as turning a stressful day into a complete nightmare. You should never underestimate the amount of effort required, both physically and mentally, when moving all of your accumulated possessions to a new home. Whether it’s fragile family heirlooms, huge pieces of furniture or ten thousand individual cardboard boxes, hiring a removals company is a must – especially if you are operating to a strict deadline.
Here are the things that you should consider when choosing a removals company:
Van Sizes With Removal Companies
What would you say if you hired a removals company for your huge move and they turned up with a tiny van? Good luck having to do five tripsin just one day! Alternatively, imagine an enormous articulated lorry turning up and getting stuck in the tiny country lane that leads to your new cottage? Always ask the removals company what size and type of lorries they have before hiring them.
These are the various lorry sizes that are usually offered:
- Seven and a half ton lorry. This is type of vehicle tends to be the largest that a removal company will offer and is thus perfect for large properties (or crazy hoarders).
- Three and a half ton van. This type of vehicle is suitable for flats or relatively small houses.
- LWB vans. This stands for ‘long wheel base’ and are usually jumbo Transits or jumbo Sprinter size. This is ideal for small amounts of furniture and small families.
- MWB vans. This stands for ‘medium wheel base’ and are usually Ford Transit or Mercedes Sprinter size. These are best for small moves.
Packing
The majority of removal companies offer a packing service but if you are relying on it you should definitely check. Some also may offer it but not include it in their quoted price, so be careful! Larger companies are more likely to offer it as standard while smaller businesses like ‘man and a van’ ones won’t. If they do offer this service and you have some fragile possessions you should also make sure they make special provisions for this.
Extra Equipment
Moving home is more than just a bunch of guys chucking your belongings in a big vehicle and driving off; there are a number of things that they do that need extra equipment. If a company is professional they should be prepared for a wide range of different challenges and have the necessary equipment with them to make sure your moving day runs smoothly.
Do they have materials to wrap large pieces of furniture in so that they don’t get scratched? Do they sport an up-to-date Sat Nav system to get to your new property or will they be using an unwieldy map? Do they provide covers for mattresses so they don’t get ripped or dusty?
Removal Quotes
This is understandably a vital consideration for most people. Moving house is expensive enough -get the best deal that you can. You have to judge the price quoted against the quality of the service charged which means that you should do a lot of research on what they offer and their reputation. You should also never be afraid to negotiate when judging which company to choose. Make a list of your moving house quotes give you and don’t be scared to ask for a lower price or tell them how much other companies charge you. You can also save money by arranging to move house on dates or days that are less busy. Peak times such as weekends or school holidays are usually a bit pricier as demand can be quite high. Try to get a moving day that is a normal weekday and see if you can get an even better price.
Affiliations And Accreditations
If you do some research on your local movers you’ll find a large range of differently sized businesses ready to offer you their removal services. Local newspapers will be littered with odd job people who may be exactly who you are looking for. You are not guaranteed good service with unaccredited removal companies however. Are their removal people properly trained? Does the company abide by the standards of conduct that you expect? If you are looking for a safe pair of hands and don’t want another thing to worry about go with a business with accreditation. Ones to look out for are the National Guild of Removers and Storers (NGRS), the British Association of Removers (BAR) or the Removals Industry Ombudsman Scheme. Any businessmen that boasts accreditation by these organisations are bound by the bodies’ strict codes of practice and offer excellent protection to ensure that you get a standard of service that is both efficient and professional.
Positive Reviews
In addition to researching removal companies’ accreditations, you should also do your homework on investigating their reviews. This is especially important if you plan on using a small company or a ‘man with a van’. The best places to use are websites such as Trustpilot or specialist sites like Removal Reviews.
Staff
Having friendly, efficient and well trained staff can turn a trying day moving house to a streamlined breeze. Training is often key to this experience so using accredited businesses is important. Equally important is whether or not the removal company’s staff is directly employed or not. An employee will almost certainly offer better experience and training when compared to just a worker. Do your research!
Insurance With Removal Quotes
Your belongings aren’t just things – they can have enormous monetary value or uge sentimental worth. Whether it’s an urn of your father’s ashes, Eric Clapton’s ‘Brownie’ strat or a Faberge Egg rescued from the 1917 communist takeover of Russia, you’ll be highly annoyed if one of your possessions is damaged during a move.
No matter how good or qualified the removal company that you choose is, these things unfortunately happen from time to time. Any decent company will have an insurance policy to compensate you monetarily if the worse happens, as well saving you from having a heart attack everytime removal people pick something up. Insurance claims are intricate however with many different provisions to take note of. Look out for how much money their coverage extends to, how much cover they provide, and the reputation of the insurance company itself.
You may want to supplement this amount for special objects that the original cover doesn’t extend to. Ask the removal company details of their existing insurance and check your current standard house insurance to see if it covers household objects in transit.
Storage Facilities
Moving house is a deceptively complicated task; this is why the best companies offer storage facilities for larger jobs. Always ask if they have storage capabilities incase the move has to be done over more than one day or you suffer any unforeseen issues. If you think you may struggle with your plethora of belongings, try to downsize prior to the big move or hire a skip.
The Best Company For House Removals
When choosing a removal company you need to choose one that is both experienced and reputable – go with Arrowpak International. We are an international removals business with nearly forty years experience and a track record of satisfied customers across the world.
We operate to the strictest standards of operations, both by the highest bodies codes of practice and our own. Moving home is stressful enough – with Arrowpak International you’ll be moved in and feeling at home before you know it.
Each member of Arrowpak is highly trained and just as eager as you to help you take the next step in your journey. We specialise in dealing with precious or fragile goods – your belongings aren’t just objects, they are part of who you are and deserve to be treated as such.
Why not get in contact with us today for a quote? Give us a call on on 01842 812165 or email us via sales@arrowpak.co.uk.
Do removal companies supply packing boxes?
Ask your removal firm if they supply packing boxes, and how many boxes they will bring in advance. Some will sell you sets of packing boxes; some will be able to provide them as part of the move (always ask for double-walled boxes as these are stronger). Get plenty of tape and arm yourself with a small cutter to open the boxes at the other end. Many firms also have special book boxes or wine racks.
