Whether you’re moving house or you need a property to be cleared, furniture movers can help. There are plenty of furniture moving companies throughout the UK, so you should have no problem finding a good one in your local area.
When hiring a furniture moving company, it’s important to know what services they offer as well as the factors that affect cost and how to hire the right company. As well as covering these things, we’ll also be answering some of the most common questions people have at the end of this article.
Two men unpacking a sofa
Services furniture movers offer
Although furniture movers are most commonly known for doing house moves, they also provide a range of other services. Below are some of the most common services that furniture movers offer.
- House removals – House removals are one of the main services that furniture movers offer. A professional furniture removal company will be able to help you with any kind of move, whether you have a 1 bedroom house or flat; or a large 4-5 bedroom house.
- Office removals – Office removals are something furniture movers will usually be able to help with too. There’s usually more to take into account with an office move, since office equipment can be very expensive and accessibility can sometimes be an issue, especially for offices in tall buildings.
- Clearance services – A lot of furniture removers will also provide clearance services. This might be because you have a shed or garage full of junk you never use but is too much to get rid of yourself; or there might be a house that’s been abandoned or the occupant recently passed away.
- Piano moving services – Pianos are considered specialty items and need to be moved with great care and expertise. A lot of them are very expensive, so they need to be moved by people with experience to avoid damage.
- Packing – Although many people pack themselves when they’re moving home, an increasing number of people prefer to have their removal company do it for them. Most furniture removal companies will offer packing services at an additional cost.
- Packing materials – In addition to offering packing services, most companies will also be able to provide the packing materials themselves. This can help you save money since the company is able to bring them without any additional delivery costs.
- Cleaning – Not all furniture removal companies will offer cleaning services but some do. Often they’ll be done by a third party, whether it’s another company or individual.
- Additional/handyman services – This includes things like packing, furniture assembly, mounting TVs, painting, wallpapering etc. Not only furniture removal companies will offer this range of additional services but plenty do.
How much will I pay for furniture removal?
The main things that will affect cost when you’re hiring a company for moving furniture are –
– Amount of furniture to be moved
As you’d expect, the total amount of furniture that needs to be moved will have a big impact on cost. The more furniture there is to be moved, means more staff and time required to move it, so you can expect this to be reflected in the quote you receive.
– Amount of staff required
The amount of movers needed for a job will depend not just on the total amount of items to be moved but also whether any additional services such as packing or dismantling are required. The hourly rate will usually increase quite a bit if more movers are needed.
– Size of van
The size of the van needed will affect how you pay too. For large 5 bedroom houses or large offices, it’s likely that a very large van will be needed and this will cost more than if you only needed a small van.
– Time of year
The time of year you book a furniture removal company will also come into play. The peak times for people moving are usually in spring and summer. Because of this, these are considered peak times of the year when furniture movers are most busy.
If you can arrange your move to be outside these months, then you should be able to save a good amount of money.
Hiring the best furniture removal company
Whether you’re moving home or need a furniture removal company for other types of services, you want to be sure you hire the best people. Below we look at some of the biggest things to take into consideration.
- Number of services offered – Some furniture removal companies will offer a wide variety of services, including packing, cleaning, dismantling etc. However, others will be more barebones and only offer basic removals. You should think about what it is you require and choose accordingly.
- Hourly rates – It makes sense to try and find a company that offers affordable hourly rates but this shouldn’t be your only consideration. Getting quotes from multiple companies will allow you to assess everything and choose the one that’s best overall.
- Professionalism – You can assess the professionalism of companies in multiple ways – from the way their website looks to the services they offer and how they are when you contact them.
- Experience – Knowing how much experience a company has in doing removals is useful to know too. A company that’s been in operation for a long time will have likely tackled all kinds of jobs and be able to transport more difficult items, such as a piano or very large pieces of furniture.
- Range of vans available – A lot of companies will allow you to select the size of van you require.
- Insurance – It’s important to know what type of insurance a furniture removal company has. Most will have goods in transit at a minimum, which will protect your possessions from loss, theft or damage. If you have high-ticket items that you need to move, such as a very valuable piece of art or jewellery, then you should check beforehand to make sure such items are covered.
Furniture movers FAQs
- How do I find furniture removal near me?
You can easily find furniture removal companies in your local area online by doing a simple Google search. Getting quotes is very quick and easy and a great way to make sure you don’t overspend.
You can also look in the classified section of local newspapers or seek out recommendations from friends and family.
- Are there any ways to save money when hiring furniture movers?
- Get quotes from several companies – Probably the best way to make sure you get a good deal when hiring a furniture removal company is to get multiple quotes. Getting quotes is now easier than ever and it will give you the ability to make an informed decision.
- Pack items yourself – Furniture movers will also move your boxed items when moving house as well as furniture. This being the case, you can save quite a bit of money if you choose to pack items yourself rather than paying them to do it.
- Book in advance – Booking the company in advance is another way to save money. If you’re able to book at least a few weeks in advance, then you should pay quite a bit less than if you try to book at the last minute.
- Book during off-peak times – As mentioned earlier, there are peak times of the year when most people choose to move, so if you want to save money, try to arrange your move for the off-peak season.
- Make your property accessible – Making your property as accessible as possible will help to avoid any unexpected charges on the moving day. If the movers have to park their van a distance from your home, then it will make it harder to load the furniture and other items and you may have to pay extra charges for this.
- What should be the first consideration when hiring a furniture removal company?
The first step is to get in touch and ask for a quote. Often the company will send somebody round to survey the property, so they can see how many items need to be moved, what size of van would be needed etc. They’ll then provide you with a quote.
- Do I need to do anything to prepare?
The biggest thing you need to do to prepare for a furniture removal company visiting is to make sure any items they’re removing are securely packaged and that your property is easily accessible.