Removals...

Naetha

Hiya there, we've finally got a completion date that we both agree on :j (although we haven't exchanged yet) so we need to sort removals out.

We don't have much furniture that we're intending to take with us to our new house (most of it is mismatched chipboard hand-me-downs), but we do have a few bulky items like a washing machine, 32" CRT TV etc.

What is the best way of getting the right removals for us? We're not moving very far (10 miles) and I'm convinced we could get all of our stuff in the back of a transit van. We've also got about a two week gap between buying and selling so we don't have to be all out within a day.

We're planning on moving on the 5th April (just before easter weekend), so if we wanted to hire a van for more than 1 day it would be very very expensive. Also how possible (if at all?) would it be for us to get a washing machine down 6 feet of steps and into the back of a transit van with only a small trolley?

Also (and this probably sounds daft) we have a double bed (nothing special, wooden flatback bed from Argos a year ago) that is perfectly fine and no need to leave behind. If we got removal people, would they dismantle it, pack it and re-assemble it at the other end? It wouldn't be possible to get it out of the house in one piece as its on the 3rd floor with very narrow staircases!

Any help is appreciated!

wnb

When I moved we flat packed the beds and re-assembled when we moved. The wife and I had a property each so they visited two houses to empty and I also got them to go to my mothers for some wardrobes all in all they covered about 20 miles and charged us £200 which I thought was very reasonable especially when you factor in the stress of moving house.

If you have two weeks to move and not a lot of stuff then I would do it yourself. But remember a washing machine is very heavy and if you dont have the right trolly to move it you may risk a back injury.

indiegirl_2

I've moved out of and into first floor flats before - and I shall be moving out of my current 1st floor flat in a few months' time. I invested in plenty of protective padding and a heavy duty sack trolley to move my washing machine. If you do this (whilst minding your back) make sure that you cover the trolley before sliding the appliance on - I once saw someone put green stripes down a washing machine by not covering it before putting it on the green trolley!

I rope the parents and my sister in and we all have a get together to say goodbye to the old house before lifting and shifting to the new one. This next move's the last for a while though :-D

Melissa177

When I moved recently with a friend, we hired a fairly large van to use in London for two days for £120 (inc insurance and petrol).

If you want someone to help you move your washing machine, you're looking at about £80 for a ten mile trip, I reckon.

Good luck!

Naetha

Well, we've got a quote from a man with van type enterprise for £90, which sounds very good. The only thing is (as you'd expect for that price) it doesn't include insurance. My home insurance will only cover the move if it's prepared, wrapped, packed and moved by professionals. As we've done most of the packing ourselves already, it would seem like we wouldn't be covered. Any idea where I can get cheap removals insurance that DOESN'T require "professionals" to do the packing?

Incidentally, I know who would be more careful with moving my stuff, and it certainly wouldn't be removals men!

SkintMonkey

We are moving from a two bed house to a three bed house and we have people around for quotes (well one was over the phone and I found that weird to be quoted over the phone when he hasn't even seen our stuf) and so far we've had:
£300 (quote over the phone)
£554 (that includes insurance)
£350 (includes insurance)

One more person is coming at 11am and tomorrow morning (my husband always likes to get lots of quotes for things)

We are packing the stuff ourselves and supplying our own boxes.

danm

It surprising how much stuff you actually have.

We thought we would get all our stuff in the back of a van and do it ourselves. In the end, we got the professionals in and 3/4 filed one of those large removal lorries you see.

They charged me £400, but was the best £400 i spent over the whole moving process. Whilst lifting furniture etc isn;t difficult, the speed at which these guys work is great and all your stuff is insured

Naetha

Well, we really don't need that big a van/lorry as we have very little furniture to take with us. We have no beds or wardrobes or anything like that, no sofas or tables and chairs. We just have two computer desks (both small, and we may not even take them), a coffee table, a TV and a washing machine, as well as a few boxes (15 at last count).

While I don't mind paying for a service, I dislike paying well over the odds, and at the end of the day, the difference between £90 and £390 (our second best quote) is too big. The only thing that is worth any money really is our TV, and that's not worth £300!

Sorry, and to go back to the original question, does anyone know where I can get removals insurance which will cover doing it ourselves?