Moving home is one of the biggest upheavals there is in life. Finding the right home is a very individual process, and what works for one person may not for someone else. For example the things you might need if you have a family are very different to the things you need as an elderly person, and we haven’t even got to the emotional level yet.
The web is fast becoming the number one place to look for a new home. The added advantage of being able to see multiple photos, a map of the area and detailed floor plans at the click of the mouse makes preparing your short list easy work. However, don’t discard everything, there might be some outsiders that end up being ideal.
When you make bookings to see the homes ask upfront about the chain involved and any known issues which may later show on a survey. Basically, save yourself some time but cutting out the bad deals.
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There is no doubt that you can save a lot of money by using man and van hire, but you first have to make sure that it is the right thing for you.
You need to think about just how much stuff you have and what size van you need. If you live in a big house and are a big family then removals are probably going to be your best option. However if you live alone in a flat then it doesn’t really make sense to hire a massive lorry.
The same goes for office moves, man with a van hire can make great sense here if it is a small to medium office and leave your employees free to keep running the business while someone else takes care of the move.
Contact your local man and van hire company and ask for a quote, ask what they can and can’t do and then compare it to a removals company. You might be very surprised at what you can save.
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1. Try to group items, for example it is good to put all of your fragile items together so that the ‘man’ knows what is there and can plan the best way to keep them safe when loading the van.
2. Make sure that there are no loose boxes. Use packing tape to keep them closed.
3. Strengthen the bottom of boxes with tape if they are not that strong. There is nothing worse than picking up a box and all of your precious contents ending up on the floor.
4. Try to avoid using plastic bags or bin bags. They don’t tend to survive a move that well. Maybe you could borrow some extra suitcases?
5. Make sure that you have cleared all access as best you can. Move bins and bikes etc out of the way. Continue reading »
When you need man and van hire you will likely have many other things going on in your mind.
It is worth taking the time to write yourself a check list to remind you of things when you are talking to them on the phone.
We have put together these 10 items as a starting point for you. It certainly isn’t a full list and it maybe that your specific need means a specific list. However, it is a starting point for you.
1. What area do you cover?
2. Do you charge extra for weekend / evening work and if so how much?
3. What can you do to help protect fragile items?
4. How much deposit do you need?
5. What does your insurance cover?
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Man and van hire gives you a real alternative to other, more expensive or more official forms of removal company.
They can act as a one stop shop for anything you need help with. Most will not only help you with things like furniture removal, but will even have prices for things such as dumping rubbish and office clearance.
Some will be a single freelance owner/driver while others form larger groups of companies or co-operatives.
The main advantage in using this kind or service is that there are no hard and fast rules. Many larger courier or removal firms will have a fixed set of working practices and will not move very far from them. Man and van hire generally takes the opposite view of no job is too small and a good job creates more work via word of mouth.
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