Five things to do before contacting a removals company when moving house

Moving house is one of the most exciting yet stressful things we can go through in our lives, from finding the perfect place to call home, to dealing with solicitors, and signing contracts. One thing you do not need to stress about is the actual moving when you work with a decent removals company. Before contacting any removal companies, there are a few things to do first.

Purging

Moving house is a great time to assess your possessions to see exactly what you want to move, and what you want to get rid of. A few months before your move, go through each room of your house, and systematically decide what you want to bring, what needs to be thrown away, and what can be given to a charity shop. Doing this will enable you to cut down on packing time, and even the cost of the move. The great thing about donating to charity is that your possessions that you no longer need or love can find a new home, and a lot of charities like British heart foundation will come and collect from your house so you don’t need the stress of finding the time to take it to them. If you can take your goods to a shop there are a wealth of local charity shops to choose from.

Planning

Prepare a list of everything that needs to be packed and the timescale needed to do this. Consider when you need to have boxes by, and how long it will take you to pack. Most removals companies will also want to send a surveyor to your house to see exactly what needs moving, so be prepared to have some dates and times in mind when you will be available for this.

Research

Have a look at removal companies in your local area and also companies in the area you are moving to. Decide what is important for you in terms of the company you use; if you are price conscious, look for the companies who advertise that they are cheap (but bear in mind there will be a reason they are cheap), if you are environmentally conscious, look for companies who pride themselves on their eco friendly removals, if you are socially conscious, look for companies who pay the living wage and/or give to charity. Knowing what you want before researching makes it a lot easier to narrow down your search parameters.

Know your dates

No removals company will expect everyone to know the exact date of the move when they are looking for quotes, however, having a rough idea of the week or even the month you are looking to move will help narrow your search. You do not want to settle on a company only to find that they can’t do the date you want.

Read reviews

Get a good idea about what other people have to say about the company. Do not just read reviews they put on their website as they will pick and choose the best; have a look on Google reviews, Yell.com, Facebook, and a host of other unbiased sources.