The cost of moving house can become very expensive and so the cheapest way is actually to do it yourself. If you are moving close by this could literally mean filling up your car to the brim and making 10-15 trips. If you are moving further a field then you could rent a van and take it all over (hopefully in one trip). If you happen to be moving internationally then it is pretty impossible to do everything (or even anything) yourself so it’s always best to get in a professional international removals company to avoid unnecessary stress and hassle.
I am currently deciding which the best option for me is. My next door neighbour is in the process of preparing the house to move out. She has had several garage sales which have been a success enabling her to get rid of a vast amount of items. This is a process she goes through every 2-3 years due to her husband’s job being relocated, and she still has too many items. They plan on renting a van and taking everything to their new home. I am tempted to do the same as my neighbour due to the vast amount of money she will be saving, however, I don’t have two years worth of clutter in my house I have twenty plus children- and they have a lot of things.
By Mark Turnauckas (Contact)
Luckily I have some of my items, mainly sentimental ones, in self- storage units so I won’t have to worry about them in the near future if we find a house nearby. To be honest even if we move quite far away I might keep my items in self-storage as the company I use now (storing.com) have a five year fixed rate so I probably won’t get the same rate anywhere else.
So do it yourself or use a removal company?
I think it has to depend on your situation. For a family with many items, if you are able to afford it I think it would be ideal to use a removal company due to the hassle and hard work moving actually is. However, if you are one or two people and you want to save some cash you could do it yourself. Now it will be tiring but hopefully you will not have too many items and you will be able to save money so you will then be able to treat yourself to something nice once you have moved into your new home.
Doing it yourself- choosing the right van
It is very important that you choose the right type of van. This will enable you to not only do the job at hand in the best possible way but also you will avoid having to pay unnecessary expenses.
You should make sure that you pick the ideal size van as if you pick one which is too big then you will have to pay a higher price and could also mean the chance of more items breaking. However, if you select one which is too small then you would have to do multiple trips and if you are moving far this will mount up to a large cost in fuel.
When looking to rent a van the measurement will be given in cubic metres but it would also be beneficial for you to know the length and height of the van, so you may not have to dismantle the bookshelf for example, it would be able to go straight in the van.
There are six main types vans which are available for rent:
1. Small Combo Vans: these are suitable for small item removals such as the ford transit or Vauxhall Combo
2. Short wheel Base: they are good for carry loads which are too heavy and bulky for smaller vans such as chairs and bookshelves. An example would be a Ford Transit connect
3. Medium Wheel Base: They are wider than the above example meaning it would be good for transporting large future such as a sofa. An example is the Renault Traffic
4. Long wheel Base: this is the traditional van which can carry up to 1500 kg
5. Extra Long wheel: is able to carry longer items than the one mentioned above such as carpet.
6. Luton Box Van: is the most ideal when moving a full house.
So you should pick the one which best suites you to be able to make the move as quick and easy as possible.
Picking a removal company!
We have all heard these horror stories with removal companies how things get lost and broken and that is definitely not the reason why we plan on paying such a hefty sum of money for their service. You want to ensure you have selected a company which you can count on and the best way is through word of mouth as sometimes you just can’t trust the reviews (which I read recently on an article by the BBC).
In addition you should also see if they are a reputable company. If they are they will be approved by the British Association of Removers (BAR). They have a Code of Practice so a company that is BAR approved will work to these high standards.
You should get quotes for multiple removal companies and see what each one offers as some add an additional expense if you want them to pack up all your items. Also I know it may be tempting to go for the cheapest one but sometimes they may not handle your items with care and caution so it might be worth paying a little more to have peace of mind.
If you have valuable and fragile items it may affect the choice of removal company you select. For example your selection of art work may need specialist attention in the sense of packing it and moving. Now there are two options if you are in such a situation. You could firstly use the specialist removers for everything in the house, which would evidently be very expensive. The second option could be to use two removal companies one for everyday items and one for the specialist. This of course would still increase your expense as you would have to pay for two vans and two lots of removers, but could be cheaper than only using the specialist. Therefore you should work out which the best deal in your situation would be before proceeding.