Removal Guides & Tips

Once you have made an initial enquiry, our friendly staff will organise an experienced estimator to visit your home to discuss with you, the exact requirements of your removal. This will allow him to assess the access to your property as well as any furniture which he feels needs to be dismantled eg. wardrobes etc. This will give you a chance to ask him any questions or advise him on any special requirements you need eg. packing or storage.

When you are looking for an estimate BE HONEST. This will allow us to give you a more accurate quotation, allocate the right sized van and enough men to do the move if they know exactly what the removal entails. If you already know that the wardrobes and beds had to be taken into the house through the bedroom window or that you have altered the stairs since the furniture was taken up, TELL US and we will be happy to bring along tools, ladders, extra men etc.

The most common missed item can be outside plants, these actually take up the most room in the removal van, as you are unable to stack anything on top of them.

Also remember that the amount of furniture and belongings you say are moving will dictate the size of the removal lorry allocated to your move.

You wouldn't want a lorry arriving that is too small!!!!

 

Choosing your removal company can be daunting but don't be swayed purely by price, instead pick a remover that suits your circumstance and your requirements.

Items removal companies cannot move;

• Tins of paint
• Gas canisters such as BBQ canister
• Anything Flammable
• Anything that is likely to cause damage to other items being moved
• Garden Rubbish
• Excessively soiled or dirty items

Things to do, 1 day before the moving.

• Packing. Finish the packing today, apart from a few essentials in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Dismantle & Disconnect. Unless pre arranged with us, you will be expected to dismantle any self-assembly furniture that cannot be moved out in one. Take down curtains and any fixtures you are intending to take with you. Make sure you have disconnected the washing machine and fitted the transit brackets to secure the drum. Defrosted the fridge / freezer.
• Outside items. Anything outside that you can move, try and put either inside the garage or in a dry place.
• Parking. If you have difficulty parking outside your house, it could be a good idea to park your own car or cars outside so that your removal van will be able to park outside. Remember the van needs more room than its own length to manoeuvre.
• Mobile phone. Make sure that your mobile phone is fully charged up for tomorrow, you are probably going to need it.

Moving Day. Part 1: loading the removal van

• Children. Drop the children off or organise a corner of the lounge with some of their toys and a few treats.
• Strip the beds. Put the linen into a box that is clearly marked or bin liners.
• The van arrives. The team leader/foreman will introduce themselves and their crew. Show the team leader around the house and tell them exactly what is to go and what isn't.
• The kettle. Most important, moving house is very thirsty work for everyone involved. Keep the kettle boiling and the biscuits flowing.
• Check everywhere. Once the van is loaded, take a walk around with the team leader to ensure that all the items to be moved have been placed on the van. This is your responsibility to make sure nothing is left behind.
• Wave goodbye. Make sure the men have your mobile number in case they get lost. Now read all the relevant meters and load up your cars/car. Have a last good look around for anything you might have forgotten. Check that all the windows and doors are locked when you leave.

Moving Day. Part 2: unloading

• Your new house. Open up and have a look around. Inform your team leader of which rooms are going to be which.
• Direct traffic. Have someone stand at the main entrance that the removal men are using and direct them to the appropriate rooms. Remember all the furniture and boxes are yours so don't expect the removal men to know where you would like things to go.
• Check the van. When the van is empty, have a look inside so you know there isn't anything left. If you can't find an item at least you know that it must be in the house somewhere.

Storage Tips

• You can store just about anything as long as it's not illegal, dangerous, perishable, inflammable, precious or alive.
• Make a list of what you intend to store, or fill in our online contents list.
• Calculate the value of what you have to store and arrange insurance cover.
• Label all boxes clearly to help when retrieving goods from your unit and unpacking. Allow large and heavy items to form the base of the storage room with lighter items at the top.
• Use chest of drawers and wardrobes to store boxes and paper work giving you extra room. Position items that you will need frequent access to at the front of the unit.
• Cover all furniture with dustsheets or blankets (available from us to hire) and remember to wrap table and chair legs to avoid scratching.
• Store heavy items in smaller boxes to make for easy lifting.
• Make sure that fridges and freezers are fully defrosted to prevent water damage and where possible leave the doors open to allow ventilation.
• Clean and dry all garden furniture before storing and make sure that your lawnmower is drained of petrol.

Packing Advice

Use uniform boxes

It is best to stick to using a couple of size boxes, three at most.

Correct size boxes

Use the correct box for the correct contents. There are different size boxes for a reason. It is important not to make boxes too heavy. Books, records and other heavier items should be packed into smaller boxes. Large boxes should be used predominantly for large kitchenware, soft furnishings and lighter bulkier items. Please use common sense.

Everything that can go in a box, in a box

It is a good idea to pack everything you possibly can into boxes. This sounds obvious but it is amazing what people forget to pack. Lamp shades, VCR’s and music equipment. Basically if it is small enough to put in a box, pack it.

Do not stack boxes over the fold line of the flaps

If boxes are over loaded, it makes it difficult to close the top of the box to make a flat surface. This hinders stacking and is more likely to lead to damage.

Seal all boxes with tape

Every box should be sealed at the top and bottom with a couple of strips of parcel tape along the central length of the box. Please do not be tempted to fold each flap on top of the one before it in a criss-cross fashion. Boxes can collapse this way.

Label all your boxes

Label each and every box ideally with a marker pen.

Use original boxes

If you still have the original box for a product, then it is often recommended to use it, especially if for a TV where you have the original polystyrene protection specifically designed for it. Where you do not have original product packing boxes, this does not matter at all. Televisions and the like can still be professionally moved and protected by us.

PLEASE DO NOT:

• Label boxes with a number and nothing else. Do not be tempted to label boxes with merely a number that is linked to a written list or inventory with numbers against contents.
• Pack opened tins of paint. We are not insured for any damage caused by paint spillage from tins of paint.
• Use fruit boxes
• Use wine boxes (other than for wine)
• Miscellaneous sized boxes from a supermarket
• Boxes that are at old or damp

OTHER SPECIFIC PACKING ADVICE

• Minimise the items that you leave unpacked
• Chinaware: Please wrap all china and glassware individually in paper/bubblewrap and use extra paper around the edges of the boxes. With plates it is better to place them in the box on their side (i.e. vertically) as opposed to flat. Packing plates flat can result in the bottom plate cracking under the weight of the others.
• Small Pictures: As with plates, please pack these in paper and place vertically. Leave larger pictures and mirrors for us to deal with.
• Books: Please pack books flat (i.e. horizontally) as opposed to on their spines.
• Pot plants: With small plants, if you can fit them in a box, please do so.

Where possible everything should be disassembled prior to a move. If we are packing for you, bear in mind that we will want to dismantle as much as we can on the packing day.

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