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JP08
Posts: 851 Forumite
Well, our potential Move is, well, moving along.
And we've started to think about the practicalities of moving. Never having paid someone else to do the move in the past and never having moved a longish distance before (it will be 200 miles or so), the question of picking removals firms for quotes - and yes, we'll be using their packing service - has now arisen.
Is it better to select a firm from the area where you're moving from, or from where you're moving to? Or for long distance moves, just stick to the national big boys ?
And does the location of either house make a lot of difference ? Eg the one we're possibly moving to is pretty deep in the Dales, although not up some stupid cart track thank [Insert deity/deities of your choise].
And we've started to think about the practicalities of moving. Never having paid someone else to do the move in the past and never having moved a longish distance before (it will be 200 miles or so), the question of picking removals firms for quotes - and yes, we'll be using their packing service - has now arisen.
Is it better to select a firm from the area where you're moving from, or from where you're moving to? Or for long distance moves, just stick to the national big boys ?
And does the location of either house make a lot of difference ? Eg the one we're possibly moving to is pretty deep in the Dales, although not up some stupid cart track thank [Insert deity/deities of your choise].
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Comments
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Local, so they can survey your house easily beforehand, and have local contacts for replacing broken lorries, fingers and promises.
Get several quotes, use some that are BAR registered, possibly try one of the larger chains, but I haven't found them universally better.
Offer a printed photo of street view of destination, and map, so delivery can be priced.
Find out who does the packing.... In house is usually better... I mean, their own staff... Obviously better if packed in your own house!0 -
... and have local contacts for replacing broken lorries, fingers and promises.
Excellent point, thanks.
I guess my concern was about the nature of the destination - and whether a local firm from Cambridgeshire would be aware of what they were letting themselves in for in traversing up hill and down, errr, dale the Dales in a damn great removal lorry (or two).0 -
Get quotes from a couple of local companies (local to where you are currently living) and a couple of national companies - sometimes the nationals can be cheaper because they can do a return load from your destination. Always go for BAR registration.
There's is nothing to be gained from using a company that is local to where you are moving to.No longer a spouse, or trailing, but MSE won't allow me to change my username...0 -
Do you expect everything to be done in one day, or packing the day before the move?
-> If one day, then perhaps go local to destination (so they’re not in a rush to get back)
-> If two days, then definitely go local to current house as they have to travel there twice (only one journey from the destination).0 -
Local.
You want them to arrive on your doorstep to load up at the crack of dawn.
You don't care what time of night they get back home once it's all over.
So make the "unimportant" leg of the journey the one where you won't be hanging around waiting for them.0 -
Local as they will most likely pack the day before. Just make sure you explain about the new property and if they seem hesitant about it, trust your instincts and try a different firm.0
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There is ONE advantage to using a firm local to your destination. If you find yourself in that rare but distressing scenario where you turn up and find you can't move in, e.g. because the seller thought she had another few days (remember that thread?), it'll be easier to handle - the firm may be able to store your stuff and re-deliver it shortly. I don't consider that to trump everyone else's excellent arguments the other way, though
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I feel your pain!
Ive had 5 quotes 3 local and 2 national companies. Im moving 220 miles away, my prospective moving day is a Monday!!
3 of the 5 want to come and pack on the Friday, load on the Monday and deliver on the Tuesday.
1 of them want to pack Sunday, load Monday and deliver Tuesday
1 wants to come Friday, pack and load and deliver Monday (this is the cheapest quote too) but will involve us hawking our bodies to a hotel for 3 nights and the added headache of not getting key release on time and needing another day anyway.
For no other reason Im thinking of going with a smaller local company because I like them, their surveyor is their loader also and they have a decent reputation.
When I asked for a quote for where I was moving to, they suggested it would be impossible to accurately quoteand because its a Monday they would have to travel the day before which would increase costs significantly.
I can drive a 7.5 ton van and Im seriously considering it and working off a storage box at a local company making a few trips.
Id be interested in your quote prices and what you decide to do.0 -
Local to you. It allows for extra vans/blokes to be dispatched from HQ if their surveyor has underestimated how much stuff you have (this happened to a friend of mine). Wasted time -an hour whilst they sent out a second van and another driver. If they're 200 miles away, that's probably half a day minimum sat around waiting. Plus, everyone else's reasons above are excellent.0
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