Expert’s Q&A: How to make a long-distance move more effectively
Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the housing market has been put on hold and moving house is currently not recommended. However, this time at home is the perfect opportunity to plan your long-distance move in advance and avoid any unnecessary surprises along the way.
We spoke to an expert - Stephen Muller from A to B Removals in Derby. Stephen has over 30 years’ experience in moving people into their new homes. He and his team help people from all over the country to move from one place to another smoothly and hassle-free. He shared with us some interesting insights into his job and some useful tips on how to prepare for a long-distance move.
1. How do you pack items effectively when planning a long-distance move?
Only take with you what you need so you don’t pack unnecessary things. Don’t overfill or underfill boxes and label them clearly so you know what’s inside as well as its end destination.
2. How do you tape boxes correctly so they don’t get damaged during transit?
Use quality packing material such as wrapping paper and packing tape. You can purchase these items from various removal companies or online. If you don’t feel confident packing yourself, you can hire removal companies to do the packing for you. That way you ensure the packing is done professionally, using high-quality products to avoid any damage during transit.
3. What is the best way of packing to make life easier for the removal companies?
Always make sure the boxes are flat, sealed and levelled to avoid the risk of spillage or damage. Don’t overfill them with heavy items - if you can lift them, the removal men will be able to. If you are moving glass or china make sure you wrap them into packing material and use smaller boxes to avoid any movements during the transit.
4. Why is it better to use a removal company such as yours, opposed to renting a van for a move?
Using professional removing crew will ensure your packing is done properly, with quality packing material. Removers also have all the equipment on the vehicle to transfer the goods efficiently, such as blanket wraps or sofa and mattress covers. Booking a removal company will give you one less thing to worry about during an already stressful time.
5. How does insurance work when moving to a different country?
The bigger removal companies who offer moves abroad will offer marine insurance if all your goods go into a shipping container. They will also conduct shipping inventories beforehand for the insurance purposes as well to ensure there aren’t any prohibited items in the boxes. However, if you do your own packing you will need to provide the full detailed inventory for the shipping company.
6. What is usually covered under insurance when using removal services?
For a long-distance move in the UK, the maximum value and amount of the entire goods that are to be removed have to be declared beforehand for the insurance to be valid. Once this is in place, the insurance will cover all goods in transit. The insurance will cover the repair of any damaged items or its replacement if it’s beyond repair.
7. When looking for insurance, what questions should we ask removal companies?
There are three main questions you should always ask:
· Do you have goods and transit insurance?
· If yes, what is included in the cover?
· Do you have a cancellation insurance policy?
8. Can you walk us through an initial quote?
All quotes are free of charge under no obligation. Firstly, we go out and visit the property to assess what there is to move and discuss all of the options available to the client. We can disassemble furniture for them as well as do full or part packing, it depends on what the client wishes for us to do. During the quote, we can look at potential dates and times of the move.
9. What are the benefits of using local removal services such as yours, opposed to bigger known companies?
I offer a personal service to each customer, I’ve been doing it for over 30 years and I’ve got quite a lot of experience. I always use men who are trusted and experienced as well. We also have all of the correct insurance in place which will give you peace of mind when using our services.
10. Is there anything which you are not able to move?
Yes, there are certain restrictions when it comes to using removal services. Things we are not able to move are:
Dangerous goods, anything flammable, toxic, corrosive, explosive, for example, firearms
Certain cleaning products
Valuable items such as jewellery, money, stamps collections, documents, and passports
Additionally, if the items are being shipped abroad, an inventory should be taken of what’s inside the boxes. For local moves, the inventory is not necessary but clear labelling should be applied.
11. If someone doesn’t want to move all items at once, do you offer storage services?
Yes, we have storage containers in Derby. There is no time limit in place. If someone is decorating their rooms and looking for short term storage, that is absolutely fine, we can store anything from a couple of weeks to years. I had someone store their things for 13 years which is the longest I ever came across. However, in my opinion, if you store things for that long, you probably don’t need them anymore and you should consider getting rid of them.
12. What are your top tips for someone who is planning a long-distance move?
Start early and plan ahead
Don’t take anything you don’t need
Get at least 3 quotes from professional and trusted removal services
Keep on tops of the legal side of things in regard to documentation and dates
If you are looking for removal services, contact A to B Removals for more information on how they can help you with your move.