Van wouldn't hold all my stuff, buyers getting angry... help!

Exodi

I think you need to spend less time making excuses for yourself, and more time getting your stuff out of their house!!!

While other posters are drawing conclusions that you may collect your stuff today - you post doesn't seem to suggest this? Are you??

I really don't think you've grasped the gravity of the situation. I think it's all too easy to do the hypothetical 'if it was me, I'd have no issues with it' but in reality, most people would be absolutely spitting feathers.

I'd wager that a lot of buyers would have just dumped your stuff on the pavement on completion day - you are beyond taking the mick. All of the excuses in your last post are nothing to do with the buyer.

Mark_Michalowski said:

this whole moving business has completely overwhelmed me.

Mark_Michalowski said:

The removal firm never mentioned anything about packing the van the day before

Mark_Michalowski said:

assumed that with four movers and a mahoosive van that it would all fit

Mark_Michalowski said:

I'm a single man, 60 years old, with a chest infection and a tiny car, doing it all on my own

Mark_Michalowski said:

if I'd been in their position, I'd have understood that sometimes things don't go to plan

Mark_Michalowski said:

I'd have been happy to put their stuff in the garage for them to collect when they got the chance over the next couple of weeks

Mark_Michalowski said:

they're not actually moving into the house until they've had some work done anyway

Mark_Michalowski said:

I just wish they'd been a bit more understanding as I'd like to think I would have been

TheJP

Section62 said:

TheJP said:

I don't think many offer this service at all unless you are moving a long distance, its just extra cost and liability for the removals.

The last three (local) moves I've helped people with the removers (different companies) all wanted to start the packing the day before and take a load away with them overnight.

They said it works out more efficient for them as they don't have vans sitting round doing nothing for such long periods of time during the day and drivers can be used more efficiently.  The loaded van was kept in a locked depot overnight, and they preferred not to take anything which was particularly valuable in that load (e.g. no electronics).

I had the complete opposite, every local removals said they worked on a day by day, loading a lorry meant it wasn't available for a job the day before. This way it was easier to mitigate any delays in completion time which ours was 1.5 hours late.

Gavin83

If you really wish to placate the buyers then offer to pay them £100 a day for every day your stuff is still there, including the backlog to completion day. That'll likely help them to relax and focus your mind somewhat.

While mistakes happen I think your handling of this since the incident has been poor. Our vendor left a number of items behind but they did at least arrange for them to be removed the next day. At the moment you've essentially just fobbed them off when you could have easily hired a van or a man with a van by now. I suggest you make this your priority and have it resolved before anything to do with your new house and then give your buyers something in the way of an apology.

Rambosmum

Wow!

We had this issue - removals van wasn't large enough. 

What did I do? Left the removals guys as soon as it was obvious it wouldn't fit and went ot the nearest van hire place and hired a van. Paid the removals guys a bit cash in hand to help me load it and MOVED MY STUFF OUT!

I cannot believe you left stuff in there for more than a few hours!

babyblade41

When getting quotes for removals tell them what you want rather than what they  offer.

I get all non essentials removed  a good 3 or 4 days before completion & just very essential stuff on the day  

I have the non essential stuff put in storage for a week  & essential stuffed moved in the next day.

I always have a grocery order booked for the evening  of the completion so apart from clean underwear , drugs and the essential bottle of wine  then this way it takes all the stress out of everything.

I also arrange a professional cleaning company to come in around 10.00 & give the place a good clean whilst I wait somewhere else , for completion to take  place 

theoretica

It sounds as though you are experiencing the very unpleasant situation where you thought you had things organised, but they unravelled.  It is nasty being responsible for what you feel is someone else's mess up. But it remains you were responsible for having the house empty, and not just for hiring people to empty the house.

TheJP

babyblade41 said:

When getting quotes for removals tell them what you want rather than what they  offer.

I get all non essentials removed  a good 3 or 4 days before completion & just very essential stuff on the day  

I have the non essential stuff put in storage for a week  & essential stuffed moved in the next day.

I always have a grocery order booked for the evening  of the completion so apart from clean underwear , drugs and the essential bottle of wine  then this way it takes all the stress out of everything.

I also arrange a professional cleaning company to come in around 10.00 & give the place a good clean whilst I wait somewhere else , for completion to take  place 

That's great and all but not realistic for many.

cashless_wonder

Our removals guys underestimated the size of the van, they had another on standby just in case. A quick phone call to the office & it was dispatched, the drop off driver became part of the packing crew & we were sorted

HobgoblinBT

I am a bit late to this thread, but I recommend Anyvan.com, a man with a van aggregator service.  I have no connection to them, other than as a satisfied repeat customer.

Section62

TheJP said:

Section62 said:

TheJP said:

I don't think many offer this service at all unless you are moving a long distance, its just extra cost and liability for the removals.

The last three (local) moves I've helped people with the removers (different companies) all wanted to start the packing the day before and take a load away with them overnight.

They said it works out more efficient for them as they don't have vans sitting round doing nothing for such long periods of time during the day and drivers can be used more efficiently.  The loaded van was kept in a locked depot overnight, and they preferred not to take anything which was particularly valuable in that load (e.g. no electronics).

I had the complete opposite, every local removals said they worked on a day by day, loading a lorry meant it wasn't available for a job the day before. This way it was easier to mitigate any delays in completion time which ours was 1.5 hours late.

Yes, that's the kind of traditional approach I was expecting - but they got round the BiB because the van only arrived to load (what had already been packed) after completing the previous job (around 3pm).  There were still people unpacking stuff and assembling furniture etc on that previous job, but they didn't need the van to stick around while they did it.  The traditional approach would have meant the van sitting idle as soon as it has been emptied.

Likewise, if there was a delay in completion time on the previous job it would just mean the loading for the next one starting later, or being left to the following morning.  In effect they were always trying to work a quarter to a third of a day ahead of themselves... which seemed to work fine so long as the distances involved were short.

Being interested in transport and logistics I found the organisational thing fascinating... lots of enthusiasm from the workers too, they clearly liked and enjoyed what they were doing, always on the go with very little clock/phone watching taking place. It was a joy to see compared to some experiences in the past.