Man With a Van | Man and Van | Man and Van London http://www.manwithavaninlondon.com Man With a Van & Man and Van Tue, 08 May 2012 10:33:12 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Man With a Van | Man and Van | Man and Van London http://www.manwithavaninlondon.com/man-with-a-van/ http://www.manwithavaninlondon.com/man-with-a-van/#comments Tue, 30 Aug 2011 09:18:58 +0000 manwithavaninlondon http://www.manwithavaninlondon.com/?p=332


YOUR GUIDE TO ORGANISING A SUCCESSFUL MOVE

For many people, moving to a new residence can be a stressful and daunting task, particularly if it is their first move. Planning is key to a successful, stress-free move. Those who throw everything into heavy duty black plastic sacks the night before they are due leave are almost guaranteed to suffer a nervous breakdown and a lot of problems!

However, it is possible to lower the stress and trauma down to almost nothing if you plan ahead and allow yourself plenty of time. Below is a guide to help you along as you plan your move.

1. A QUANTITY OF QUOTATIONS

It is best to get a quotation from a Man with a Van company normally between four to six weeks before your move. Of course, we feel we offer the very highest level of service at the most competitive Removal Prices, and we would be only to happy to help you move to your new home. However, in addition to our very reasonable quote, you should get at least four or five different Quotation from other Man and Van companies. Make sure that all the Man with a Van companies you look at offer the same level of service, only then can you make a fair comparison. Be wary of the ultra-cheap option – there’s always a reason for a drastically low quote – are you really getting the same professional service? Ask for all quotes to be put in writing so you know exactly what the price covers and how much it will cost.

It is important that you ensure that the Man with a Van companies in which you are interested all have Goods-In-Transit Insurance, and also ascertain that the limit the insurance provides adequately covers your belongings. If at any time you think that something is not quite right, then either rectify the point immediately with your chosen Man and Van company – or take your business elsewhere. A trustworthy Man and Van company will want to develop a good working relationship with you, and will always have time to answer any questions, worries, or niggles, they will give you plenty of advice about the specifics of your move. You need to know and feel that you are in good hands.

What to look for when choosing a Man with a Van company:

  • Start looking for a Man and Van company 4 – 6 weeks before your move
  • Get at least 4 quotes
  • Get all quotes in writing
  • Compare quotes and remember the cheapest is not always the best option
  • Make sure the Man with a Van company has Goods-In-Transit Insurance
  • Hire a van big enough to accommodate all your possessions including any garden items

2. ARRANGING THE DATE

Often, people who are moving are part of a “chain”, that is, you are waiting for someone to sell their property, but they are waiting for someone else to sell their property and so on and so on. The longer this chain is, the more difficult it is to fix firm dates. Due to this a Tentative Completion Date is agreed by the solicitors and all parties work towards that date. When everything is finally in place then contracts can be exchanged, which usually means a moving date can be confirmed. We would advise that the moving date be agreed and signed with your Man and Van company no less than seven days prior to your move. Keep in touch with your Man with a Van company – if the date changes for any reason be sure to let them know as soon as possible so that new or alternate arrangements can be made.

Things to remember when arranging the date:

  • Arrange a Tentative Completion Date as soon as possible
  • Agree to a moving date not less than 7 days before you need to move
  • Keep in touch with your Man van London company throughout the process of getting a date
  • If the date falls through inform you Man with a Van company as soon as possible
  • Have the number of an alternate Man and Van company just in case dates do change and your chosen company cannot accommodate you

3. THE PACKING

The commodity you require most when you are planning your move is time. Give yourself as long as possible so that you can to get through your move in small steps and avoid the terror that is last minute packing. Starting two to three months before your move have a thorough sort out of your house- you’ll be amazed at the curios you have amassed over the years. Don’t forget to make use of your local freecycle, charity shops and recycling centre for those items you no longer want to keep. If you have large, bulky items of furniture that you cannot sell or give away then you could either think about hiring a skip or contact your local council to see if they offer a Removal Services.

Packing your belongings can actually take much longer than you would think, and take our word for it even a small studio flat can contain a mountain of possessions. As an example, have a look in any one of your kitchen cabinets and see just how much is in that one small space – a typical kitchen can require anything from twenty to thirty medium sized cartons!

But don’t despair! A reputable Man with a Van company, such as ourselves, will offer a comprehensive Packaging service to take away all the stress that can result from a badly-planned pack. We will meet with you well in advance of your move to assess your belongings and draw up a moving plan, then just let us pack everything for you – hassle free.

If you do want to go it alone and experience the adventure that is packing for yourself, then please see our Packing Tips guide designed to help you pack yourself with the minimum of fuss.

Points to remember when preparing to pack:

  • Start to organise well in advance of your move
  • Decide what you want to take with you and what you no longer need
  • Take advantage of car boot sales, eBay, Freecycle, charity shops and recycling centres for your unwanted items
  • Hire a skip to clear items past their prime
  • Contact your local Council about removal services
  • Let your Man with a Van company do the packing for you

4. A CHANGE OF ADDRESS

When you finally have a date for moving there are a lot of organisations to inform of your change of address. Utility companies will need to organise final meter readings and bills, something you should keep a note of yourself along with the date of when you supplied your notification to move. The Post Office needs to be informed so that any mail sent to your old address can be re-directed. Subscriptions to Satellite services, newspapers, magazine or milk deliveries also need to be cancelled. Finally, don’t forget to also let your friends and family know when and to where you are moving!

Organisations to inform about your change of address:

  • Gas Company
  • Electricity Company
  • Water Company
  • Telephone Company
  • Satellite TV Provider
  • Cable TV Provider
  • Internet Broadband Provider
  • Post Office for mail redirection
  • Bank
  • Building society
  • Credit Card Companies
  • Insurance Companies
  • Inland Revenue
  • Local Authorities
  • DVLA
  • Your place of work
  • Children’s Schools
  • Doctor, Dentist, Optician, Vet
  • Any regular delivery services such as the milkman, newspaper or groceries

5. EVEN THE BEST LAID PLANS…

The world isn’t a perfect place and not everything goes to plan, there are some things that neither you nor your removal team can control, but working together you can come up with a solution to any problem.

Here are some issues that you need to let your Man and Van team know about in advance:

  • Always let the team know if they can park directly outside your new home or if some walking is required. If the Man and Van team have to struggle with your possessions a great distance from their vehicle without prior knowledge then it is possible that you could incur an extra fee .
  • The removal vehicle is not allowed to block the street so please let your team know about any parking issues. The Man with a Van team has to be able to park their vehicle at both your old house and new home, try to ensure that you do all you can to reserve and keep a space for the vehicle at both locations.
  • Let the Man and Van team know if you are moving to a location that may have access problems, such as a tenth-floor flat where the lift is out of order!
  • Always seek the advice of your Man with a Van team if you feel you are having any problems with your move, such as needing additional boxes, how to pack certain items, emergency last minute packing – anything at all pertaining to the move that is troubling you.
  • If you have broken or fragile furniture, weak or damaged stairways, broken or missing floorboards, or any other potential hazards, please let the Man and Van team know in advance so that they can work safely and carefully, protecting themselves and your possessions from any accidents such hazards may cause.

Today’s modern, urban living can be full of stress, and one of the major contributors to this is moving house.
We hope that by providing you with our services we can take all the worry out of your move, leaving you to relax and enjoy your new home.
Our main job is to look after our customers – why not let us look after you.
Should you have any queries or questions, or require information on any of the points mentioned above, we would be very happy to help in any way we can.

 

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