Moving home is costly enough without removals increasing the strain on your bank account.
But do expensive home moves have to be a fact of life, or can cheap removal companies get you the best value for your money?
Now, we all know just how stressful moving house can be. Even after you find your new home, the slog will have only just begun! You've got to move an entire home from A to B, so a cheap removal company is essential, but as you're facing a mountain of a task, you may be left wondering where to begin.
Firstly, there will be the issue of listing and packing up all your belongings - not just the furniture you want to take with you but also your clothing and home accessories. You will likely end up finding that you have a great deal more stuff in your home than you ever realised!
Next will come having to change over your service providers; ensuring that you have reliable suppliers for energy, water, gas and broadband will be essential, as will signing up for council tax in your new locale. And don't forget to alert those of your change of address.
Then, of course, we come to the moving day itself! Having to book time off work, help your family to adjust to the idea of moving and figuring out how to keep your pets safe can all add to the stress of getting from point A to point B.
Not only can all of this be a chore to organise, but it can also be surprisingly expensive. You may have heard that you can save money by moving yourself; after all, hiring a professional removal company can sometimes seem like a costly fee, and you might even think, 'how hard can it be to get organised?' Surely you can do it yourself, right?
Unfortunately, it is not quite this simple. Booking a removal company can actually save you money, not to mention time, energy and a bucket-load of stress!
That being said, not all removal companies offer the same level of quality and reliability, to say nothing of a fair price. It is important to know exactly what to look for in a removal company, not only so that you avoid wasting money but also so that your moving day can go off without a hitch. Let’s look at what you need to take into account to find a top-quality (and cheap) removal company.
It is a common misconception that you can save money on a moving day by handling everything yourself and not hiring a professional removal company. Unfortunately, this is usually false.
In all likelihood, you will not be able to fit all your belongings into a standard car, meaning you'll need to hire a bigger vehicle. Not only will this be expensive (and you have the correct licence to drive it), but you will also need to buy insurance for your journey.
You might think you can get around this by having friends lend their vehicles - and help out. However, be mindful that you won't have insurance if your belongings get damaged - or your friends get hurt!
Equally, consider how much your time is worth. A professional removal company, like AnyVan, will expertly pack your belongings to ensure they're safe for the move. Doing so yourself could end up exhausting you before the big move, which can be doubly disastrous if you're working the next day.
When hiring a professional removal company, there are a few steps that you need to take to make sure that you get a fair and competitive price. Remember, the old chestnut of getting what you pay for definitely applies here, so ensure you are happy with the level of service you are paying for!
This is a pretty useful rule for moving in general: always organise everything well in advance if you want to avoid last-minute stress!
This is particularly important when hiring a removal company. It is common for removal companies’ schedules to fill up quickly, especially during the summer and on popular days of the week, like Friday and Saturday. In a worst-case scenario, you could struggle to find a removal company with a slot open, or if they do have one available, you may be charged last-minute booking fees.
It is a good idea to start looking for a removal company as soon as you have a fixed moving date. Ideally, you will have several weeks, or even months, to find and book your ideal removal company. This is especially important if you are moving abroad, in which case you will have a great deal more to organise anyway!
When letting your removal company know how much you need to take with you on your journey, you'll need to be honest and accurate in terms of ‘total area’ and weight. A rough estimate won’t do you any favours when your removal company turns up with a too-small van and could mean you're left with an expensive bill to pay to move the excess items. So much for a cheap removal!
Go through your home and list what you want to take with you. You should take particular care to measure your furniture. Doing so allows you to give your removal company a clear idea of the total collective area of your belongings which, in turn, ensures they can provide a large enough removal vehicle and the right amount of workers to get things shifted ASAP. Ideally, you will also be able to let your removal company know the weight of your belongings.
It is also important to let them know about any speciality items you might have. This could include any fragile or valuable antiques or particularly heavy items like pianos.
Even with the best removal companies and the greatest will in the world, a lot can go wrong on a moving day. You will want a firm that can offer adequate insurance to cover the value of your items in transit as well as at your properties if accidents occur. That way, both you and your chosen removal company will be able to recover any costs without issue.
Crucially, you should remember that removal companies must take out ‘public liability insurance’ for their staff. This will cover any accidental injuries or damage to your home. It is also important to ensure that they provide ‘goods in transit insurance’ equal to or greater than the value of your belongings.
Remember, going with an uninsured van man to save money could jeopardise your move - or make a cheap removal job immensely more expensive!
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