Removal Company Worked ‘Like Machines’ to Save Last-Minute Move

An in-house lawyer living away from loved ones in Reading, Annabelle had decided it was time for a change. Life had changed for everyone during the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns, but the event also provided many with the opportunity to pause and reflect. “I'm originally from Oxfordshire so all my family are here and with lockdown being predominantly home-based...I [wanted to move] further out.”

After committing to the move, Annabelle took some time to find the perfect location as well as the perfect home. With house prices greatly affected by the pandemic, it took some added patience until Annabelle was finally able to cater to her personal budget.“Even in Witney, which was the place I was originally looking at, they were ridiculously overpriced,” she explained. “I just happened to look a little bit further out in Brize Norton and I kind of bought this particular house very much based on the plot that it was on. Price-wise, you know, it was such a good price, despite being 3 or 4 miles from where I initially wanted to be.”

When asked what initially attracted her to the property, Annabelle stated, “My old house was a 2 and a half bedroom end of terrace, whereas this is a 4-bedroom detached [new-build house]...It's at the end of a private driveway. There's just one other building in the back of my garden, but otherwise, I just look out onto fields and parks. So it was the location and position of the plot that made me buy it, really.” The new-build property had amazing views and lots of green space making it an ideal home with plenty of room to breathe. The buying process took time to get through but it wasn’t too long until Annabelle finally had her completion date set for March 2021.

However, what was supposed to be an exciting time, soon turned into chaos as Annabelle was immediately let down by her first removal company. “I had to book someone through [Compare My Move] because the original company that I had booked let me down. I had booked them for packing and moving. I was moving on Wednesday and on Monday I called them just to confirm everything. They said, “Oh no, you didn't fill out the forms” - they didn't actually send any forms for me to fill out,” she told us. “I had no reason to believe that things weren't okay. So I had to put in a request on the Monday to move on the Wednesday!” This one clerical error almost delayed the entire moving process. Annabelle was, understandably, upset and started to panic when trying to re-organise her plans. “Thankfully, I've got a really good sister-in-law who came and helped me pack.”

Whilst her family members were available to help pack up her home, Annabelle was still at a loss on how to find another removal company...and fast! “Obviously, reviews are quite important, so I tend to use comparison sites for a few things...I found [Compare My Move] on Google,” she recalled. “I hadn't used the site before...I hadn't used a removal company before, actually. I was still trying to get an idea of prices and it's just easy to go to a one-stop-shop to get a better idea.”

By completing our simple online form, Annabelle was soon provided with a number of local firms to choose from. “I managed to get someone! Someone got back to me within 5 or 10 minutes on [Compare My Move]. A couple of them did, actually. A couple got back to me really quickly. One person, they weren't able to do the Wednesday, but they were offering me other alternatives. And then one came through and they were actually able to help.”

Due to the tight deadline, Annabelle was initially worried about how much this last-minute planning would add to the final cost. However, she was pleasantly surprised. “It wasn't too badly priced, given that it was 48 hours prior to the move - it could have been much more costly.”

The company she decided to work with was EJ Moves, a reliable removal firm who have been partnered with Compare My Move since 2016. During their time within the network, EJ Moves have gained a superb 5-star rating from our users with many glowing reviews on their partner profile. They operate across the East and South East of England and have the vital knowledge and experience required to provide a seamless, bespoke and efficient removal plan no matter what the requirements.

When asked whether the partner profile and customer feedback affected her decision, Annabelle replied, “Yeah, definitely. Because the thing is, yes I've only got 48 hours, but I don't want to give it to a bad company that breaks all my stuff...They had really good reviews. So, yeah, that was very important. Your whole life is going off in a lorry without you!”

With a lot of organising and a bit of quick thinking, EJ Moves were soon able to swoop in and save the day. “I mean, communication-wise, [EJ Moves were] just amazing,” Annabelle explained. “They really, really were great, I couldn’t fault them. The guys that did the removal were just like machines, they came in and got it done…”

Despite the added complications, Annabelle was finally able to move into her new, tranquil home. “I'm just surrounded by meadows really...I'd rather hear red kites than my neighbour’s children coming through my walls,” she joked. It was the perfect location that resulted from a rather imperfect moving process. But with the help of Compare My Move and the expert team at EJ Moves, Annabelle was finally home.

Looking to move house in the near future? Join the many happy movers Compare My Move has helped over the years by completing our easy online form today. Whether you’re comparing conveyancers, property surveyors or, like Annabelle, you require a last-minute removals team, we can match you with the best in the business. Every partner is verified by us and reviewed by you when entering our network.