Typical cost of removal firms?

togarama

Thanks all. There is quite a wide range of prices and options and I'll be doing a bit more research.

We're moving about 57 miles, from a tiny 2 bed terraced house with access straight outside to a larger 2 bed 1-2nd floor flat where access will be less simple (park outside but have to carry everything through communal entrance and up stairs.)

LandyAndy

longtimelurker wrote: »

I would try and avoid using storage. I did this when I last moved, and it was so demoralising stacking everything into a storage locker, knowing that it was all going to have to come back out and back in a van and unpacked again in the house. Storage means 4 moves, not 2.

Not necessarily.

Our stuff was in storage for about 3 months.

The wagon had four storage containers on it. Our stuff was loaded into them. At the storage depot the containers were simply removed from the wagon and stored and when we were ready for them they were put back onto a wagon and delivered to our new address.

I see you have pianos to move. Tricky beggars if not moved by people who know what they are doing.

sandiep

If your removal is quite a distance, try removal companies in the town that you are moving to rather than from. Also, a bit of flexibility can help.

For Example, Kilmarnock removals do a big scheduled run from Kilmarnock to Newbury every week (or used to anyway), and therefore, if you lived somewhere between the two on the way back and could fit in with their schedule, they'd move you for a very very reasonable rate. I paid less than £300 to move from Didcot to Ayrshire.

Also, you're only going to get quoted anything other than card rate if you don't have a date. The cheaper prices only come when they can fit other jobs in around it to share the costs.

Just remember, that when you're talking about a removal lorry, you're talking around 8mpg, workers governed by the Road workers directive that means that they can't work more than so many hours at a go, operators license restrictions, that mean that they can't drive more than so many hours in the day, scheduled breaks etc etc. All of which means that they have a lot less flexibility than anyone operating 3.5tonne van. And it piles on the time and the cost.

And any reputable company is going to quote you a couple of hundred quid just to move the pianos down the road.

caela_2

I have been thinking what it will cost to move all our stuff back from uni since we have bought so much stuff for the new house and seeing the quotes, I think it's almost more sensible to BUY a second hand van and move it yourself! If you bought a van for around £2,000 (is that possible?) got a day or two insurance added on from an existing policy (mine lets me add people for a day for £15) and it already had tax and MOT, you could move your stuff and sell the van straight away at the other end! That's what I'm thinking of doing. Or, be truely moneysaving and start your own removal service haha and keep the van! Lol crazy ideas but crazy prices lead to crazy measures!
Or, if you're only moving a short distance, why not rent a van, like U haul or something?
I am going to try to sell most of our furniture to our landlord before we leave, as it was bought specifically for the place and really fits. Failing that, good old gumtree/ ebay and probably sell it all second hand and just buy new stuff at the other end. I have been pretty successful on ebay lately (as much as I've been slating it) and most stuff I have sold actually went for MORE than it did new! That's crazy. I started bids at 99p as well. Maybe I can shift some furniture too, but I'd rather the landlord buy it cos then I don't have to dismantel it all hehe too lazy.

Martin would be proud! :money:

caela_2

Just thought of the funniest idea in addition to my last reply- why not TEST DRIVE a van lol and move your stuff, then take the van back, "sorry, it wasn't for me, I think I'll stick with the van I got", lol then it's FREE. Just joking, of course

Morglin

I recently moved from East Sussex to Bromley (about 50 miles and about an hour's drive up the M25 and M20) and we moved the contents of a two bed flat with garden stuff to a two bed place with garden stuff to be unloaded - but we do have a lot of clutter, and we also have more than a few bits of disability equipment that also needed to be loaded on the van, including motbility scooters.

We did all the packing ourselves, and told them we would bring up the computers and our most precious ornaments ourselves (not risking those on a van!).

We got various quotes, ranging between £450 and £800 - but we chose a firm that seemed the best all round, and paid £650.

I say 'seemed' but what actually turned up, far from the uniformed guy with the apparant experience and assurances they were a large firm (which their advert also assured us), with proper lorries, belonging to the firm, were what appeared to be a group of bloody travellers in a hired lorry - the day was chaos, not one I ever want to repeat, but that's another story lol :eek::eek:

I'd very carefully labelled everything, so it was at least put into the correct rooms - but (and I still get flashbacks on this!), none of them could read (christ lol) - so stuff was just hurled everywhere, because we didn't have the speed and mobility to be able to watch them all and what they were doing.

But, anyway, that's what the cost of the quotes were.

Lin

misskool

The first thought for me when seeing what you own is 2 pianos. They are often more expensive to transport and pack due to insurance etc (for the moving companies).

They do seem a bit expensive so shop around. It should be marginally cheaper to get your own packing done.

[Deleted User]

I think we paid about £400 to move 3 miles but it was worth every single penny. The men didn`t stop working. We packed the boxes but it still took the best part of a day to move us into a new town house. Getting a professional mover in would be top of my list re minimalising stress

noh

If you want to get the removal quote lower don't move on a Friday.

jenny74

noh wrote: »

If you want to get the removal quote lower don't move on a Friday.

Why? Hoults told us it is the same price whatever day we move.