REMOVALS PREPARATION
Brewing Facilities!
Ok, probably not the most important of preparation tasks for you, but for the removal men, priceless! When on a long job, our thirsty removals staff could do with a quick cuppa to give them that boost of energy to carry on with the work. It's suprising how many customers say they will offer us a brew but they've packed the kettle! Hence the reason I thought it important to add this on now and at the top too just in case you don't get chance to read the entire contents of this page! :)
Do you have enough boxes?
First and foremost, when moving home, ensure you have enough boxes! I know it's tempting to stick everything in bags but please steer clear of this as this is a nightmare to stack the van correctly and you will find that the majority of the contents will have spilled out during transit!
We all know that moving home (or even a few items from place to place) can be very stressful. You can reduce your stress levels by preparing your move in enough time and ensure that items, where possible, are placed in boxes
Boxed items are far easier to move and a great deal easier to stack once on the van, which in turn will guarantee that all available space is used as efficiently as possible
If your items aren't in boxes, they become hard to stack and take up more room in the van, leaving less space for your other belongings and the possibility of an extra trip meaning more money you have to spend! To save money get boxes, lots of boxes!
Where to get your boxes
There are a selection of companies where you can buy dedicated removal packs including boxes, bubble wrap, tape etc. The best place Van Man Hire can recommend is Teacrate Packaging who can supply you with all the items needed to make your move as stress free and smooth as possible. Check out their website for a list of discount moving packs
Packing the boxes
Make sure that any breakables such as cups, plates, vases etc are wrapped in something protective such as bubble wrap or simply stuffed with newspaper to protect them from knocking against one another and chipping or breaking along the way. The last thing you need is to be happy you've saved money on one less van trip, only to find out your Royal Doulton is in smithereens!
Also make sure that boxes aren't overloaded. If you use plastic containers with lids, make sure that the contents are on a level and not poking up over the sides so that the lid can be closed securely. Remember to place heavier items such as books in the smaller boxes and light items in the larger boxes
If you're not looking forward to the daunting task of packing and unpacking, let Van Man Hire help, we offer a dedicated Packing and Unpacking Service taylored to suit your needs and budget
Mirrors, Glass and other delicates
From time to time we will get jobs where a large mirror, glass framed picture, mirrored wardrobe, glass top from a table and so on will need to be transported. It's VERY important that you make sure these items are safely wrapped up in protective bubble wrap. The more the better!
If you don't do this, because of the nature of the job, items will move around slightly in the van, (especially in Sheffield where you can't go down a stretch of road without hitting a dozen pot holes!) so this will increase the risk of these items chipping, cracking and sometimes smashing entirely.
Please remember that it is your duty to ensure that any fragile items such as the above are properly protected and if you haven't taken care of this then you only have yourself to blame if anything gets damaged in transit! Of course, you can always shout at the van man if you have booked in a packing service prior to your removal service, but if this service has been booked then it's highly unlikely that anything will be damaged due to our expert staff appropriately packing and protecting everything!
Moving from a flat?
When moving from a flat, particularly one that isn't on the ground floor!, it will save a lot of time if most of your belongings are brought down ready to be loaded in the van. Sometimes this isn't always practical, especially if a hand is needed with lifting any heavy goods, however if feasible, try to get as many items down the lift and into the main hallway as possible, so as soon as the van turns up they can be loaded on and away you go
We highly recommend that you book in a 2 or a 3 man removal service for any move involving flats, with or without lifts, as they have been known to take an entire day and we're not exaggerating when we say it's taken us as much as 15 hours for a flat and apartment move. This time would have been halved had more removal staff been booked and inevitably would have save the customer some money!
Furniture
If you have any furniture, units, etc that can be dismantled then please do so before the removal van arrives. This will save you vast amounts of time on your final bill after the job. We are happy to dismantle your items and even put them back up again for you in your new home but please remember that this isn't a quick job and your final bill can be almost double that of what it could have been if you had done this before hand
Large items
Say for example, you decide to buy a settee from a place on the internet. Always, make sure you find out what size the settee is and measure your door. The last thing you need is for your new settee to arrive only to find out that you can't fit it in the house. Also make sure that it can easily be moved into the room you want it in, i.e. it will go around corners, porches, etc. (this may sound like an obvious detail but you'd be surprised how many jobs we've had in the past where this has occurred and the sofa has been left outside! Hence the reason to mention it here)
The same thing goes for large cupboards, wardrobes, desks and so on. If it's possible to dismantle them, this needs to be done before the van arrives so they are ready to load on
Extra helping hands
We get a lot of quotes for just 1 man and van work when we are told extra hands are available at the pickup and destination to assist us with the lifting. This is absolutely fine but please make sure that if it is a big move, or indeed a move that requires large and bulky items to be maneouvered successfully around tight corners, that the person on hand for the help is strong and knows what they are doing.
We've had situations in the past where inexperience people giving a hand have been more of a hinder than help and the van hasn't been stacked correctly so the items have been damaged and not only that, it has taken a lot longer than what it would of done had a 2 or 3 man removal service been booked where our young strong and fit removals professionals have the experience to get the job done in as little time as possible. Remember, sometimes you actually save money by booking more than 1 person due to the wealth of experience our removal staff possess.
Part house moves
If only certain items are being moved from a house, make sure that everything that needs to be moved is ready and someone is around to supervise the loading of the van (again, we've had confusion in the past where someone has ordered the removal of items in a garage, only to find that some items where taken that should have stayed. It is the responsibility of the person moving to ensure that the correct items are loaded / left behind)
Protect floors
It might be an idea to get old sheets or plenty of newspaper/cardboard and place it on the floors of your house during a move. It isn't practicle for the removal men to take their shoes off during a job and if the weather outside isn't particularly nice (and lets face it, when do we ever have nice weather anymore?!), then you are going to get a lot of wet and dirt trailing into your house, especially if you've got a cream carpet! Not only will your carpets be protected from dirt, they will be safe from any sharp edges and splinters from large items being transported into your house from catching and snagging the carpets or scratching any flooring and tiled surfaces.
