Removal companies

dirtmother

Hoping to be exchanged by the end of Wednesday with completion next week - but herein lies the catch 22. We need to know we can get removers but can't secure removers until we know we've exchanged.

Have had surveys and quotations from about 7 companies and haven't found one that feels like 'the one' - and it is probably going to boil down to who is available. When we tried earlier in this tedious process most of them were fully booked. It's impossible to compare them - they all offer different levels of insurance, some are a single handwritten sheet, others are a great fat pack of glossy photos and terms and conditions, some have deposits on packing boxes, big differences in cancellation policies and, of course, a spread of prices. All except one were personal recommendations (plus Pickfords as a national company) The most recommended (and most heavily booked) don't actually give off a great vibe (refused to survey initially because they were booked for the dates at the time, even though those weren't our definite dates, missed an appointment, didn't email the quotation as they'd said they would, unusually low liability insurance and want us to itemise everything)

We're away from home now weekdays because the move has slipped so far and not on a landline. We're going for a full pack service and it will be a two day move in itself due to distance. We've always moved ourselves before but it isn't feasible this time and needs more than 'man with van' type operation. The vendors have already moved out.

Any suggestions?

dirtmother

Sorry, should have added that move needs to be asap as we are in holiday cottage accommodation and racking up costs all the time, so we don't want to delay completion.

Running_Horse

dirtmother wrote: »

haven't found one that feels like 'the one'

Any suggestions?

You're choosing a removal company, not another house.

They are used to dealing with last minute hitches and provisional dates.

dirtmother

You would think, wouldn't you?

That's what I mean about none of them feeling like 'the one'!

tek-monkey

Bit confused, if you're in a holiday cottage isn't all your stuff packed already?

Bufger

dirtmother wrote: »

You would think, wouldn't you?

That's what I mean about none of them feeling like 'the one'!

You can apply the same logic to relationships as you can to removal firms: In reality there never is 'the one'. Just pick the next one that comes along when you need them.

dirtmother

I managed fine choosing surveyors, estate agents, legal services. It's not like I have to fall in love with them but you do have to feel 'this will do'. Yes, it is definitely going to boil down to who is available but what order to phone them?

No, we haven't packed anything. We are paying for a full packing service precisely because we can't afford a long gap between exchange and completion. We're out of the house (in the week) and in a holiday cottage because the children needed to start their new schools and it was too far for a daily commute - so we just have the bare minimum with us. No landline.

DVardysShadow

There is no catch 22. Just get the earliest possible completion and then book the removal

Put them all in order of preference according to whatever criteria and try them in turn for anything for the period after completion. Go with the earliest or the first which offers a date which you are happy with

As you are in a holiday cottage, you are not really under pressure to move on the day - certainly compared to anyone in the middle of a chain. Although the holiday cottage costs, at this stage you should take advantage of the flexibility it offers.

dirtmother

Well indeed, *what* criteria? (Obviously some might be personal to me, but as has been pointed out, it's not exactly a long term relationship!) And as I understand it you have to give vacant possession *on* completion not after?!

Given the relative lack of removal company discussions on the site can I therefore assume they are all much of a muchness apart from price and things don't usually go wrong with this stage or do all the different insurance levels etc actually mean something? That's really what I was hoping to get opinions on.

The suggestion that who they use is important is helpful as several of the companies who quoted said they don't use any casual staff.

I'm not anticipating having much choice but I do have to decide in what order to work through the list.