Using a London house removal company or a reliable man and van service can really help reduce that stress. And in many cases it can cost you less than renting your own van and paying for petrol. Here are the top 5 reasons to use a removal company for your next London house move.
1. It doesn’t have to cost as much as you think
Sure, hiring a removal company can sound expensive. But to hire a mover to take you across London with the normal amount of stuff you’d have in a shared house or a small flat can easily cost less than £200 – and that’s with packing included.
To rent your own small van, on other hand, will set you back around £60 (including VAT) if you get a good deal. To buy enough sturdy packing boxes for all your stuff can easily cost another £40 – £50. And then there’s the cost of fuel on top. Plus paying the congestion charge of £11.50. That could be around £140 before you’ve even started. And you’ve still got to do all the work yourself.
TIP: To get the best deal from removal companies, move on Monday to Wednesday and ask for a discount. This is the slowest time for removals, so you’ll almost always get a deal.
2. You don’t have to do the driving
The major drawback of hiring a van to drive through London is that you have to drive a van through London. If you’re like most London dwellers, it’s probably been a while since you drove.
Now you’ve got to negotiate some of the most clogged roads in the Western world, drive around blind corners and through narrow streets, and park an unfamiliar vehicle. All without getting a scratch on your hired van. The slightest dent, and you’ll lose your deposit – another £100 – £200, depending on where you hired it from. Is it really worth the risk?
3. You don’t have to worry about parking
So here’s another thing about London: it’s impossible to find a parking space. With a removal company, that becomes their problem. In fact, a good one that’s local to where you’re moving will even know what the parking restrictions are and the best places they can park near to your new address. They’ll factor that in to the price they quote you. And then you can sit back and let them deal with it.
You, on the other hand. Well, you’ll need a sat nav even to find the place, won’t you? So what are the odds of you being able to park anywhere even close to your new address?
TIP: When looking for a removal company, give them the address you’re moving to and ask if they know what the parking restrictions are like in that area. A good company will either know or be able to find out for you.
4. You save time
Average time for you to pack up a van, drive it through London, and unpack at your new place? 6 – 8 hours.
Average time for a removal company to do a small house move? 3 – 4 hours.
And that four hours includes them packing your belongings into boxes first. Whereas how long is that going to take you? One whole miserable weekend?
5. You can get a great deal on storage – or on disposal
Sometimes, we gather so much stuff that we just don’t know what to do with it. Moving can be a great time to de-clutter. Or it could simply be that your new place is smaller than your old place and you’ve just got too much stuff.
But don’t worry. Rather than spend ages trying to sell your unwanted stuff – or give it away – a good removal company can deal with it for you. Many of them offer better rates on storage than the big national chains. And if you can’t face paying anything for storage and you really want to dispose of it, most removal firms will be happy to do that for you too. One less thing for you to worry about.
TIP: Ask your removal company about storage options early on. Whatever price they quote you, ask if it’s their best price. Again, they’ll usually do a deal.
These London house removals tips have been brought to you by www.buzzmove.com, a removals comparison site that aims to cut the stress of moving house.
