How to Choose a Removal Company
When it comes to moving home, it’s useful to hire the help of a reliable removals company. They will help to take the stress out of your moving day and will handle all the finer details of the house move so you don’t have to.
Before choosing a removal company, there are several things you should discuss such as insurance coverage. Whether they provide extra services such as specialist packing and storage facilities is also important to note.
In this guide, we discuss everything you should consider before making your final decision.
Hiring a Removal Company VS Doing it Yourself
Hiring a professional removal company is recommended rather than doing it yourself. They will take the stress out of the move, and it’s one less thing you will have to worry about.
Removal teams are experts in their field and will carry out the job quickly and efficiently. You can rely on the moving team to move your fragile items safely, taking great care of your goods when loading and unloading.
Removal companies will carry out all the heavy lifting for you. As they are fully insured, this helps to further protect your goods during transit.
Moving house yourself can be tiring and stressful. You will need to hire and load the van yourself. Your goods won’t be covered if anything is damaged, and it can be a long process on top of packing and finalising the details of your new home.
It’s recommended to book a removal company at least 4-6 weeks in advance to ensure they have availability for your move.
How Much Does a Removal Company Cost?
£806 is the average house removal cost for a 3-bedroom home. The exact price will fluctuate based on factors such as the number of goods, distance travelled and ease of access.
If you need extra services such as packing and furniture dismantling, this will come at an extra cost. Packing services will cost around £250.
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Tips for Choosing the Best Removals Company
Here are some aspects to consider when choosing a removals company:
1. Customer Service
A company should always be approachable and friendly. After all, you want to be happy with the level of care provided. The team should be attentive and answer any queries or concerns you may have.
If they are too pushy in their initial phone call and try to provide you with a hard sell, this can be off-putting. You should always choose a removals company that will listen to your needs.
Every Compare My Move partner will contact customers within 48 hours. They will discuss quotes and the services you need. They will also provide you with an opportunity to ask questions.
2. Additional Services
The majority of removal companies can tailor their services to best suit your needs. The most popular additional services include packing, white glove delivery and storage. A company can also provide you with high-quality packing materials for an additional charge.
It’s important to make them aware of anything that may make your move more difficult. This can include flights of stairs, narrow streets and parking restrictions. These situations can impact their service, so they must be informed in advance.
3. Check Their Insurance
A trusted removal company should have both Goods in Transit and Public Liability insurance. This is important because it helps to protect your goods during removals and transit.
If you’re moving internationally, international removals insurance is vital. Many international removal companies will have cargo or shipping insurance too. The company should be willing to show you physical proof of their insurance coverage.
4. Check Their Accreditations
A removal company's accreditations emphasise how trustworthy they are. Notable accreditations to look out for include:
These organisations are independent and have high standards and expectations that need to be met. By choosing an accredited company, you will likely receive a higher quality service.
5. Complaints Procedure
While you will always expect to receive a high-quality service, there may be discrepancies or issues that need to be acknowledged.
Before choosing a removals company, check what type of procedure they have in place.
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6. Delay Charges
Unless already agreed, the majority of removal companies will charge a waiting fee if they are subject to delays on your moving day.
Delays are common on the day of completion, especially if you're in a chain. Ask the company what their delay charges are and how they are calculated. Having a clear idea of these charges beforehand will help you to avoid any unexpected charges when the move has been completed.
7. Compare Quotes
When selecting a removals company, it’s important to compare several different quotes before making a final decision. This will help you to find the best company for your needs. For example, if you have a set budget or additional requirements.
Having several quotes to consider provides you with a clear idea of what you should expect to pay. It's always important to speak to each company to have a better understanding of the cost breakdown, and their charges.
8. Cancellation Policy
Each company will have its own cancellation policy. While some are more flexible, others will charge a cancellation fee.
While you may have planned your moving or completion day, situations can change unexpectedly. It’s useful to know if there are any penalties you may face if you cancel the service.
9. Check Company Reviews
Checking customer reviews is a great way of having a better idea of whether a company follows through with the service they have promised.
Independent reviews are useful because they provide honest and reliable feedback on the services. They aren’t biased and provide first-hand experiences of what a company is like to work with.
10. Complete a Home Survey
Good removal companies will arrange a visit to your current home before the scheduled move. They can then gauge how many items you have, and the difficulty of the moving process.
If the removal company cannot visit the property, many will offer a video survey as an alternative.
The home survey they carry out will help to provide an accurate quote for their services. A home survey prevents removal firms from adding extra charges or unexpected fees on your moving day.
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How to Brief a Removal Company?
When organising a removals service, you should provide the removals company with as much information as possible. This allows them to plan the move in advance, taking into consideration any additional requirements you may have.
Here are some useful things you should include in your brief:
- The accurate volume of items - When you have a pre-move survey carried out, the removalists can determine how many items need to be moved.
- Let them know of any access issues to the property - If there are stairs or awkward turnings to consider when moving, you need to be transparent about this. It will prepare the moving team beforehand.
- Let them know of any parking timing restrictions -This will help to prevent any fines from occurring. The removals company may not be aware of any issues in the area so it’s up to the mover to make them aware of this.
- Let them know any fragile or specific items to be carefully packed - Removalists are careful when handling goods. However, it’s important to be clear about what boxes contain fragile items. This allows them to take extra care to prevent any damage to high-value items.
- Clear instructions for unpacking in the new property - A removal company needs to know where you would like your boxes to be placed when unloaded. While some people will have them placed in one room, other movers may want them to be dispersed into the correct rooms. Providing them with a floor plan can help.
A good removal company will consider your requests. They will then provide feedback on whether they can tailor their services to meet your removal needs.
Compare My Move Can Help You to Choose a Removals Company
Here at Compare My Move, we can help to connect you with the best trusted and verified removal partners in your local area. Each partner we work with has passed our strict verification process. They consistently meet the high standards we have set.
Fill out our online removals form to be contacted by up to 6 professional moving companies in your local area. They will provide you with a removals quote based on your specific needs.
