Here is a gold plated home moving tip:
Research, research, and research again before hiring a removal company or considering a self-move.
There are many benefits to hiring a removal company for your home move, it is safer, less stressful, easier and more efficient, but it is not without risk.
Every single day we hear horror stories from people who have had a stressful home move or who have been scammed before a single box was moved.
The removal company never showed up on moving day. Damaged goods. Damaged property. Inflated prices on moving day.
Or people tried to move home themselves, relying on friends that never showed up, van rental companies that did not have the promised van on moving day, furniture that they could not fit through the door.
The list of things that go wrong on moving day goes on and on.
But guess what? The majority of those people could easily have avoided all the stress of their home move.
Time and again we hear of people who hire a removal company, or choose not to hire a removal company, based purely on price. Or they hired the first one they called, or that seemed like nice people.
Then things go wrong and their home move turns into a stressful, and often very expensive, nightmare.
Think this is just scaremongering? Our database of removal companies is one of the largest in the UK, with reviews ranging from 1 to 5 star on how real people rated the service provided by the removal company they hired.
We would never recommend hiring a removal company with less than a 3-star rating. Often companies with less than 3-star reviews will mean consistently poor service and generally should be avoided.
Good to know: How to complain about a Removal Company
However, no moving company is ever going to get every home move perfect every time, they are human, and we all make mistakes, and some things are just beyond anyone’s control.
But check this out. The percentage of removal companies with less than 3-star reviews for a random selection of 5 places:
London 35%, Edinburgh 23%, Cardiff 27%, Belfast 38%, Maidstone 27%
Scary huh? But taking the time to find the best removal company for your home move will prevent you from being the person leaving the next bad review. And even worse, being the one out of pocket, or with a family heirloom in a thousand pieces.
Check out the ratings of local removal companies in your area.
Do I Need a Removal Company?
In the majority of home moves, the answer is invariably, yes.
Whilst on the face of it hiring a removal company seems expensive, the value for money factor is far more valid a consideration. Moving home takes a lot of time and energy, with packing arguably being the most arduous task.
Hiring a reputable removal company allows you to focus on other everyday tasks as well as ensuring that your home contents will get the maximum protection from being professionally packed and handled at each stage of the home move.
Of the many reasons to hire a removal company the convenience, organizational skills and reduction in stress are worth the cost alone.
Even smaller home moves benefit from hiring professional removal firms. As we often hear, friends who promised to help you move pull out at the last minute, or the van hire company let you down, or a very common occurrence is that you have no idea how to fit your sofa through a doorway and need professional help.
Of course, costs will always have to be a factor in your home move but there are ways to reduce the cost of moving home. Read the guides below that will give you some cost-cutting tips.
How to Save Money Moving Home and Make a Profit
How to Negotiate with a Removal Company
You absolutely must take the time to choose a removal company carefully. You are looking for a reliable, competent removal company who offers great value for money.
And that term ‘value for money’ is crucial. If a removal company is a bit more expensive than the others, but uses better quality packing materials, or uses 3 loaders instead of 2, and you experience a totally stress-free home move, then the extra cost is worth it.
Great value removal companies are out there, so here is a 5 point plan to help you choose which removal company is right for your home move.
- Initially, you need to decide what services you need: a full-service move, help with packing, or just somebody to load and transport your household goods. You may even need storage. Once you know what services you need you can start to narrow down your search.
Essential reading to find out the different ways to move home:
Moving Home Yourself vs Hiring a Removal Company
- Get about 3 or 4 quotes from reputable removal companies so that you can determine what the average cost for your home move is going to be.
Must do: Get a quote from reputable Removal Firms
How much does it cost to hire a removal company?
- Choose a good removal company review website to help you begin your search for the best removal companies near to you. Not all review sites are equal as not all review sites take the time to filter out fake reviews. Check whether the site requires payment from the removal company to be listed, as the reviews are sometimes more biased if a company pays to be on the review site.
Check out How to Make Reviews Work for You
- Ensure that you have an in-home survey done by the removal company which will ensure your removal quote is accurate and will give the removal company the opportunity to create a moving day plan for your home move.
Good to know: What to expect when hiring a Removal Company for the First Time
- Compare the removal companies that have given you a survey to ensure that they meet all your requirements.
Useful Information: How to Compare Removal Companies
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