Our experience has shown us that moving home for many can be a stressful and challenging experience. At Mobile Storage Services we try to help by guiding people, using our experience to ensure your move is as trouble free as possible. The reality of a house move is that there is upheaval but by following a few simple steps you can minimise the impact of moving home. Spending time sourcing a good removals company is time well spent.
Not knowing your dimensions
We have rarely come across a situation where those moving home relocate to a home of exactly the same dimensions with the same sized rooms. Measure your furniture and when closing the sale take a measuring tape with you and make sure your precious piece of furniture will firstly fit in the door and then make sure it can be located in the room you have earmarked for it. I would say at a conservative guess that we find ourselves bringing back furniture to our storage facility at least once a week (every week !!!!) because it would not fit into the new property. The single biggest obstacle is generally the staircase. Large pieces of furniture which can come down the stairs of one home may not have the same access at your new home so pay careful attention to bannisters etc. Our removals team can bring items back to our facility for safe keeping but that does lead to extra expense and hassle for our clients and obviously also leaves a room without its belongings.
Hoarding costs money
Ask yourself this question when moving home. Although we are a storage company and would be delighted to store your unwanted belongings and charge you for the privilege we are here to help and we do see a lot of this type of activity. You are moving home for a reason so take the time to analyse what you are taking and why. If you don’t need it sell it or give it away. You will save yourself money and hassle by making a judgement call early in the process. At Mobile Storage Services we have witnessed both types of client and those who have made the effort save themselves a lot of money. When a removals company arrives to price a job and the client is saying that’s not going, that’s not going it is music to their ears as it makes the job easier for them and that should be reflected in their price. If it is not, look for another provider.
Not allowing enough time
Most people plan their move to happen at the very last minute. I do appreciate you will want to stay in your home until the last day possible but if there is an opportunity to stay with relatives, take the offer and do so. It will leave things a lot less taxing on you the following day when you are set to hand over the keys. We almost always find items of furniture etc. which prove troublesome and may need to be dismantled at the last minute. This takes time and adds to stress levels. Also please remember that no matter how clean you keep your home; when moving items of furniture which have been in position for a long time you will discover debris and a build-up of dust behind them. Our experience of house closures is that it will be timed at either 12 noon or 2.00pm for no other reason other than to tie in with solicitors workloads so that does not leave a lot of time to get things done. Try and leave yourself as much time as possible and be aware of this issue as it tends to cause the most stress to those moving home.
Incorrect packaging
There is a common misconception when it comes to boxes. Most people want to purchase larger boxes in the false assumption of saving money and time. Although we sell all sizes of box, in our experience it is best to purchase medium boxes for your move. Packing your belongings into larger boxes results in crushing of belongings at the bottom of the box and having to remove too much to get to what you want urgently when your belongings are unloaded. Also when packing a larger box the natural thing to do is get as much into it as possible therefore leaving it a two person lift. The other thing to remember is the bigger the box the less flexibility you have when loading. Smaller boxes result in more flexibility when it comes to loading. They are generally lighter and can be stored in free space unlike larger boxes and now for the good news – “guess what - they work out cheaper” !!!!!
See our range of storage boxes for moving >>
A lack of price transparency
Do your homework. Never settle for the first moving company you find unless they come recommended. It’s always best to get at least 3 quotations and make sure they are all quoting for the same service. A lot of companies will use the “grab” to gain the business but do not spell out exactly what is covered in their quote. Ideally if you can; ask for a fixed price within reason. In other words unless the job takes a lot longer than anticipated they should be able to give you a price that they can stand over. Avoid a simple model of price per hour because you will end up paying a lot more than you think in our experience. Try where possible to ensure all movers visit your home to give you a quote. Apart from being difficult to give a price over the phone you can also use the meeting as a means of engaging with the company and evaluate their professionalism and responsiveness. At Mobile Storage Services we don’t claim to be the cheapest in the market. We are competitive on price but our key offering is “value for money”. When it comes to removals there are a lot of people moving home who have an unpleasant experience. You have enough to be worrying about so use a professional removals company when moving home – it makes sense.
