When moving house, one of the most important things to consider is finding a good removal company. Most people will do an internet search for ‘removals near me’ or something similar and while this will give you a list of local companies, it’s important to know how to find the best one.
Today, we’ll be covering all aspects of hiring a removal company, from the factors that affect the cost to asking the right questions and ways to save money. We will start by looking at the main factors that affect the cost of a removal company.
How much does a removal company cost?
When it comes to the cost of hiring a removal company, there are three main factors that are taken into account –
- The size of your house – The size of your house will have a big effect on how much you pay for your move. The bigger the house, the more rooms there are, which means more boxes to move.
- The distance to your new house – The distance that needs to be covered to get to your new property is another big factor. Local moves are usually those considered 50 miles or less. Above this and the price will start increasing significantly.
- The number of movers required – The number of movers needed will increase the hourly cost too. Generally the bigger your house, the more movers are required. You might need multiple movers if you require additional services, such as dismantling or packing, too.
What other factors impact cost?
In addition to the size of your property and the distance that needs to be covered, there are some other factors that can significantly impact costs. These include –
- Packing services – Packing services have become an increasingly popular additional service that movers provide. ly.
- Dismantling and reassembling – If you have large pieces of furniture that need to be dismantled before they can be transported, then you have the option to get this as an additional service. You can also opt to have them reassembled on the other end.
- Special items – Special items are usually those that are very large or heavy; or extremely valuable. Not only can these items be very difficult to move but in the case of expensive items, the movers might not have adequate insurance to cover them.
- Notice given – How far you book in advance can affect cost quite a bit too. Of course, it’s not possible to book a removal company before you know when completion day is but you should absolutely book as early as you can to avoid overpaying.
- Time of year – The time of year can affect what you pay as well. Summer moves generally cost more than at other times of the year. The same applies for certain holidays, such as the week leading up to and following Christmas.
What questions should I ask when hiring a removal company?
To be able to discern if a removal company is right for you, it’s important to know which questions to ask. Below are some of the most important ones –
- How long have you been in business? – This is an important question to ask since it gives you a good idea of how much experience they have. Whether it’s a solo mover or a company, it’s always important to know that who you’re hiring has plenty of experience moving different types of items and dealing with the complications that can arise.
- Are you insured? – Knowing whether or not the removal company is fully insured for transporting all kinds of items is important too. Any good removal company will have goods in transit insurance, which means your items will be covered for risks such as theft, damage and loss. You should also enquire if they have insurance for speciality items, such as expensive jewellery or pieces of art.
- What is your availability? – One of the first and most important questions you should ask when contacting a removal company for the first time is when they’re available. Provided you give enough notice when you know your completion day, availability shouldn’t be an issue.
- Do you offer packing services? – If you don’t want to pack your items yourself and instead have a removal company do it for you, then it’s important to find out which ones offer this service. The majority of removal companies offer packing services but not all do, so it’s important to check beforehand.
- Do you do long distance moves? – If your new property is a long way from your current one, then you’ll need to find a removal company that does long distance moves. The distance travelled is one of the biggest things that affect cost along with the size of your house, so you can expect to pay more for a long distance move.
What is the best way to find movers near me?
- Google search – A Google search is the most obvious way to find movers near you. Searching for ‘movers near me’ or removals companies near me’ will give you a list of local removal companies to choose from. It’s important to know what criteria is most important to you when selecting one, whether it’s availability, additional services etc.
- Recommendations from friends and family – The alternative to searching for a removal company yourself, is to get recommendations from friends, family or work colleagues. Personal recommendations are invaluable since you know the person you get it from will have had a positive experience with the company and therefore it’s likely you will too.
Are there any ways to lower the cost when hiring a moving company?
Moving is an expensive enough affair as it is, so any steps you can take to save money during the process will help. Below are some ideas to lower the cost.
- Get quotes from more than one company – There are many sites that allow you to do this now and it’s one of the best ways to ensure you don’t overspend.
- Pack and dismantle items yourself – Although you can pay your removal company to pack your items for you, you can save a lot of money by doing it yourself. The same goes for dismantling large pieces of furniture that you want to take with you.
- Book well in advance – You should book a removal company as soon as possible. If you wait until the last second to book them, there’s every chance it’ll cost you more.
- Cut down on packing costs – Packing costs can soon add up, especially when you need to box every item you want to bring with you to your new home. Keeping the costs down on packing materials as much as you can definitely help you to save overall.
Summary
After reading through the content above, you should now have a much better idea of how to go about finding the best removal company near you. If you follow the tips laid out above, then you shouldn’t have any problems finding a great removal company, which will make your moving day that much less stressful.