Things to consider when moving house

What should be included when you're moving house?

What questions should I ask a removal company?

Use your common sense: Vehicles that are in great condition, being company branded whilst being driven by a smartly dressed, competent estimator who reassures you and eases your worries are all good signs to have. Having an expert to talk to who is open about their reputation and references are all great things to have in a removal company. You wouldn't hire a shifty looking individual to work on your gas boiler, so don't skimp on the removal company who’s going to be driving off with your house hold possessions and valuables.

How much should I pay?

If you only have a few rooms of items to move, you actually may be considering hiring a van for as little as £200 or using a small 'man and van' type firm and applying some elbow grease to save those extra pounds. Small removals firms may be happy for a ‘cash no questions asked’ sort of deal, but it's worth considering that all of your possessions still hold the possibility of being lost or damaged.

Once you actually add up the value of everything in your house, it may surprise you how much your possessions could be worth combined - most contents insurance policies use figures around £30,000 - £50,000.

Moving house should be as care free as possible

How much do removal companies charge?

There's a lot to consider when thinking why a good removal company will ask to visit your property to ensure their price is accurate. Prices can range depending on how big your property is, so expect prices roughly from around £500 for a small 2 bed house and up to a sizeable several thousand for large houses and complicated long distance moves that will cover a considerable few miles.

When evaluating what removal companies to use, beware of buying on price alone. The lower you pay does not necessarily mean that you will achieve the best level of value for money. What matters most is a successful result.

What days of the week should I avoid moving home?

Understandably, many movers will try to move over the weekend in order to minimise your time off work. This also means it's a premium time for moving prices to increase with the growing demand. If you can move in the mid-week then you'll get more time and keener prices.

How can I properly prepare for the move?

If you have a floor plan available, make a key for the rooms that will indicate what goes where. Removers often provide stickers or colour coding to help with this, so take advantage and be sure to get an idea of what’s going to go where in order to prepare for the move.

If you've opted for the removal team to pack for you, help them out by getting organised before they arrive - the faster your team can pack up, the quicker you can be on the way.

For more on moving home, please visit our website. [ Home Counties Shipping ]

Removal tips when moving home

Whether you're moving home and need UK household removals help, embarking on a European removal or are shipping worldwide, here are some some important tips that can help you save time and reduce stress during your house removal:

• Make labels for your packaging so that they can remind you at the time of unpacking as to what the boxes contain. Otherwise you will have to check out all the boxes which may be time consuming.  See NKA Removals shop for a packaging quote with packing supplies.
• Make out a list to help you to record what’s in each box or container. Make your own system but keep it simple and ensure that it will allow you to easily identify where everything is placed.
• Always ensure that you do not overfill your boxes and cartons, remember that they have to be lifted. The NKA Removals Team is fully trained for all these aspects. So it is better for you to consider them to be men and not supermen. Remember that boxes which are overfilled may break as they are designed to contain a specific amount of material and weight.
• Make sure that you have enough packing material. It is essential that you have plenty of paper, bubble wrap, cartons and containers. You will also need lots of string and adhesive tape.
• Place all your delicate decoration items in a single place. Be sure to wrap them separately and place in paper balls so that they don’t crash with each other. Don’t forget to mark them as “fragile”.
• Your ornaments, glassware and other delicate items should first be wrapped in kitchen roll before using newspaper. The containers holding these items should be clearly marked as “fragile”.
• Start packing little bit in advance, as this will not feel hectic at the end of the procedure. Keep only essential items aside until the last day or two.
• Boxes are preferred to bags for small items. Bags are easily torn and difficult to stack.
• Where ever possible use your suitcases and other luggage to pack some of your things.
• Remember to keep important documents aside. This will obviously include any documents related to the house sale and your removal or any other official usage that you may need urgently.
• Ensure that any paint or other liquids are packed in leak-proof containers. Pack in plastic bags before placing in boxes to minimize the effect of any spillages.
• Remember to defrost your fridge and freezer at-least a couple of days before your move. It is always better to run the contents of these down over the last couple of weeks before you move.
• Kitchen and other appliances such as fridges, freezers or washing machines that contain water should be drained and allowed to dry before removal otherwise they will spoil the other things placed with them.
• Most beds require to be dismantled before they can be moved. Consider this and plan accordingly.
• Self assembly furniture does not usually move well. It is better if you can make arrangements to have this dismantled before your move. You should also arrange for someone to reassemble it at your new home.
• You should ensure that you have read your utility meters before leaving. You should also have made the appropriate arrangements with the utility and telephone companies for transfer of your services.
• Keep all your essential items together in a suitable box for the day of the move. These will include things like your credit cards, keys, wallets and mobile phones.
• Clear any obstruction to allow free movement to your property.

You can see that your removal becomes efficient, with less loop holes, target oriented and very cost effective. Remember that NKA are removal experts, working in all over the UK for years with a professional approach, ensuring that your Removal is done without any fuss.

Feel free to contact NKA REMOVALS at any time if you need further advice or information about anything related to the move.  We have office in the South East of England, covering the home counties: 

Removals Amersham 01494 410078
Removals Ascot 01344 204230
Removals Aylesbury 01296 32081
Removals Bracknell 01344 204783
Removals Henley-on-Thames 01491 577212
Removals High Wycombe 01494 441744
Removals Maidenhead 01628 789282
Removals Newbury 01635 881145
Removals Reading 01189 475315
Removals Slough 01753 201925
Removals Thame 01844 390018
Removals Wallingford 01491 520072.  

What questions should you ask a removal company?

Be sure to get what you want from your removal company

We’ve been asked a range of questions over the years, from the obvious to the somewhat unusual. So, in this concept, we were wondering what questions you should be asking your removal company, regardless of which one you choose. Here’s a list of questions that we thought up between ourselves!

The ‘Pre-Move’ Survey

It’s a good idea to get a full grasp on the job at hand. Ask your removal company to send a surveyor round to your home in order to confirm the true volume of your possessions. Remember that hiding items from the surveyor will only result in an inaccurate estimate for the removal process, so discussing the true volume of the move and your requirements can help you get a grasp on the move. It’s unusual for a removal company to charge you for this process, but it can change depending on the business.

Be sure to ask the company if they can provide a packing service, as this will be an important requirement come moving day. They’ll need to dedicate a considerable amount of time to the packing process, so be sure to tell them of your needs straight away. You can include the cost incurred from this in your quote, but be aware of the cost.

To finish of this process, ask for a written quote so you have proof of the quote if needed.

Ask about the staff members

There’s nothing wrong in asking the experience and skills that the members of staff have. Remember that these will be the people who are in charge of the safety of your valuables, so it’s good to get a grasp on who they are. Are they trained? If they are, who by? All of the questions are important for peace of mind and safety policies.

Also, further questions to ask are: Will the movers be casual, contracted or full time employees? Casual workers are more than often less inclined to worry for your possessions or the responsibility the job has.

What about insurance?

Ask the removal company if you can view the details of their insurance policy. It’s good to check that it’s in date and covers any damages that can be incurred through the moving process. Remember that there are some items which won’t be covered by their insurance policies, so you may need to cover some items yourself. A number of household insurance policies actually don’t cover household times when they’re in transit, so remember this when choosing your insurance policy.

Also, ask if you can see the VOSA number of the removal company. Given that the removal process needs to operate a goods vehicle that sits above a certain weight, you’ll need to be sure that they currently hold a license issued by the Traffic Commissioners.

The details of the move

Remember to get a landline phone number and a full physical address for the business (you shouldn’t accept a PO Box as proof of legitimacy). Non-legitimate removal firms will only operate from a mobile phone, so be sure to avoid these.

Ask how the company would like to receive payment. Again, non-legitimate firms will ask for cash-in-hand payment, will reputable removal companies will have no problem taking cheques or credit cards.

Their previous feedback

Finally, it’s good to remember that you can check out their customer feedback online, as a number of websites exist which will hold reviews for millions of businesses worldwide. Looking at just how they operate and treat their past customers will give you a good general idea of whether or not you wish to deal with them.

Again, it’s important that you employ the services of a removal company that you feel generally comfortable with. Skimping on price could lead to the damage and loss of your personal possessions, so remember that cost doesn’t reflect overall performance.

Did you like our tips? What would you add to this list?

For more removal tips, advice and prices, please visit NKA Removals website.