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Moving house? How to pick the best removal company in London

Manny Sahmbi January 29, 2013

Updated: January 25th, 2024

Moving house can be a stressful process. With 101 things on your mind, the removal company seemed the least of your worries. You chose the cheapest removal company from the first few you saw, too tired to trawl through the endless options. After everything was packed up and ready to go, you took one last nostalgic look around the home that had brought you so many memories, when suddenly you heard a crash. You looked out the window to see the removal man giving that box you marked ‘fragile’ a kick into the back of the van that even Jonny Wilkinson would be proud of. You’re just another victim of a shoddy removal company. In this article, we discuss how to pick the best removal company.

Yes, moving can be a long and arduous process – but failing to take the time to seek out a reliable, efficient and friendly removal company can result in added stress, damaged property and much worse. But don’t worry; we’re here to help! We’ve compiled a list of the 5 most important things to take into consideration when hiring a removal company to help you move. Take no notice of the order; all are as important as one another.

Local Area Knowledge

Striking a balance between a fast job and an efficient one is the key to doing things the right way, and local knowledge will be a key factor in helping to achieve this. All of our drivers live in London and have an excellent knowledge of the areas they work in, leading to the fastest transport possible – which effectively lowers your costs!

Sat Nav systems are becoming the norm in this day and age, but technology can only help you so much. A Sat Nav won’t tell you to steer clear of the White Hart Lane area on match days, or how to avoid bumpy roads if there are fragile items being transported. In an era where technology is becoming ever more prominent, moving house is one of those occasions where there’s simply no substitute for a bit of good, old-fashioned local knowledge.

Modern, Fully Equipped Vans

Many removal companies will show up woefully unprepared. The amount of times we have heard of removal companies showing up with a man and an unprepared van never fails to shock us. In an attempt to cut costs, people looking to move will often opt for the very cheapest option and hope for the best. This is a huge risk. Why save £10 on the cost of a removal van only for them to cause hundreds of pounds worth of damage to your belongings? If you want your possessions moved safely and in the correct way, the van must be kitted out with the necessary equipment.

At Happy2Move every one of our vans comes with everything required for a safe and secure transfer. Removal blankets are a must to help ensure your furniture is not scratched or damaged. Straps and ties should be used to firmly secure heavy items. Trolleys, or sack trucks, will help carry lots of boxes over a long distance.

Experience

In any business, experience is pivotal to success. Moving house is no exception. Inexperienced, cheaper removal men can damage your furniture if they don’t know how to move it properly. Even worse, they can damage themselves by lifting incorrectly – and that’s when things can get really messy.

All of our drivers have years of experience in the industry, making for a smooth transition even when faced with awkward furniture. A good measure of experience is to check for customer testimonies. At Happy2Move we have a vast selection of these so feel free to check them out.

Hourly Charge

You will find that most removal companies charge by the hour in an attempt to make extra money. Customers are often assured that a job will not take long and then, as time ticks by, they are left with a huge, unexpected bill. If you are taking this route, be organised; have all your items boxed and ready to go well before the removal men arrive.

Alternatively, Happy2Move have a solution. We offer a fixed rate removal service for small/medium moves within London. This means our customers know exactly what they’ll pay beforehand – no hidden fees, no extra charges, even if the job takes longer than expected. Can’t argue with that!

Word of Mouth

At the end of the day, nothing is more reliable than hearing something straight from the horse’s mouth. If you want to know whether a company provides a good service, just ask their customers. Were they reliable? Did they look after the belongings? Was it a friendly service?

If you cannot find any source of previous customer experience, be wary. At Happy2Move we ensure that all of our customers have a voice via our website. We provide a transparent, honest service and we want you to know exactly what other people think of us!

We hope you have found this article helpful. For more information visit our moving hints and tips page which is packed full of useful ideas, or download our moving hints and tips checklist to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything.

Good luck with your move!

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