THE PITFALLS OF A POORLY PLANNED HOME MOVE

The Pitfalls of a Poorly Planned Home Move and Possible Remedies

Moving from one home to another is a serious and important event that needs proper planning. This process is so demanding that failure to adequately plan for it could end up resulting into huge losses and severe stress. So in order to achieve a stress free and a financial viable move; planning and preparation are key concepts that must be carefully taken into consideration. Before moving a home you will need to contact all the relevant parties and experts in order to ensure that everything goes smoothly on the day.

What are the looming mine fields of a poorly planned move?

A poorly planned move is a disaster in-waiting when no serious thought or consideration has gone into planning it. Some of the problems that you are likely to face include:

Smaller than anticipated vehicle

It is the worst tragedy that can befall you on your moving day; this eventuality would usually result from you failing to allow the movers to complete a site survey in order determine the necessary vehicle size or vehicle quantities to successfully complete your move on the day. Failure to also detail a list of inventory and all items to be moved can also have a detrimental effect when it comes to the moving day. If all these critical factors are overlooked and not taken into consideration then your home move is more than likely going to end up being disastrous. A smaller van will mean more trips thus drastically increasing your move duration and stretching your budget; all this adds up to more stress and anxiety on your moving day

Fines/Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)

Having poor access to your home will lead to frustrated movers since belonging (some which may be heavy) have to be carried a greater than anticipated distance, with the repercussions of this being an extended moving period and adding more cost to your move. One of the most overlooked factor when it comes to moving your home efficiently is parking availability and ensuring that the movers are able to park as close as possible to your home. If permits are required for parking; the customer has to be prepared for this and make all the necessary arrangements. Failure to plan for this will once again end up being a costly affair to the customer since they will be liable for any penalty charge notices received by the movers.

Breakages & losses

Failure to adequately wrap/package or label your items could lead to disappearances or breakages. Although removal companies in the main offer a reasonable level of insurance cover it may also be wise to take out additional cover for expensive, irreplaceable or items of great sentimental value. This is not a common occurrence with many reputable removal companies; it can be with cheap removal companies, so please beware.

Extra costs

Additional costs may be added by moving companies if you fail to plan your move well; far too often customers take things for granted and fail to make the necessary provisions for the following:

Furniture dismantling and reassembling services
Packing services
Additional packaging materials
Unpacking services
Disposal of packaging materials
All the above are often overlooked and in some cases not even taken into consideration by some customers as we have encountered in the past.

Failure to take all the above in account equates to extended move duration and unwanted additional costs.

Discovering that some items cannot be moved

Removal companies will not move items such as; washing machines, fridges & freezers, electric or gas cookers that you have failed to prepare for transit.

This is because washing machines firstly need to be unplumbed and left to drain so that no water leaks in the removal vehicle and thus spoil customer belongings.

Fridges and freezers need to be emptied and left to thaw over a period of time to also ensure that no water leaks occur from the thawing ice (assuming this task has not already be performed) whilst they are in transit.

In order to move both electric and gas cookers they must be fully disconnected prior to the removal teams’ arrival. A registered Corgi gas engineer is required to disconnect gas cookers and a qualified electrician is required to disconnect electric cookers. Under no circumstances can a removal company disconnect either of these two appliances for the customer since this would be illegal and could lead to heavy fines or possible imprisonment.

Removals team arriving late

We all understand the anxiety and stress that comes with preparing for a home move; but you should never let this cloud your judgment when it comes to planning for your move. Failing to agree on a suitable time for the movers to arrive can have a domino effect on your move.

The vast majority of moves involve chains of buyers and sellers, there’s normally a stipulation relating to the time the property in question must be vacated. Failure to vacate the property at a specified time may incur a financial penalty.

So if you’ve booked the removal team to arrive at an inappropriate time; this will mean that it takes longer to load all your belongings into the vehicle and thus running over your stipulated time to vacate the property.

Failure to make the kettle easily accessible

Just as the old saying goes “an army marches on its’ stomach”, the same can be said for a removal team when it comes to a hot beverage such as tea or coffee. This is why it is imperative that you pack a kettle, mugs and all the necessities within easy reach so that an empowering brew can be made for the removal team to keep them going.

Failure to check your insurance coverage

One of the most fundamental things that you need to check when booking with a removal company is the level of insurance coverage that you get with your move. Failure to do this may leave you insufficiently covered for any breakages or damages to your property that may occur during your move. If you feel that the coverage provided is insufficient for the value of your goods it may be wise to opt for additional coverage from a third party insurer to ensure you’re not left in a lurch and ultimately out off pocket.

What can you do to ensure your move goes to plan on the day?

Allow the removal company to conduct a survey of your move to determine the scale of your move and the possible vehicle sizes required to complete your move effortlessly. Remember to also provide them with a full inventory list of all the items to be moved.
If you live in an area that requires a parking permit, then it is crucial that you obtain all the necessary parking permits and reserve a parking spot for the movers on the day. If your address in located on a busy main road or there are severe parking restrictions it would be advisable to contact your local council to obtain a dispensation for your move. Failure to make all the necessary arrangements with lead to stress, anxiety and possibly unwanted fines or PCN’s
Inform the removal company of all the items of furniture that may need dismantling and reassembling and let them inform you of any additional cost for such a service (if any). This will also enable them to bring all the necessary tools and equipment if some items are a little more complex than usual.
Remember to label all your boxes, inspect them as they are placed into the vehicle, and counter check them on arrival to ascertain if they are intact. To be safe, know the moving team so that passersby may not steal any of your belongings.
Empty and clean all items in readiness for your move; dirty and grimy items are not pleasant for anyone to move and may incur the wrath of the moving team.
Confirm the date and time of your move with the company you have assigned to complete your move. Request a written confirmation of this and also ensure that you factor traffic and possibly the weather on the day. Ensure that the moving cost will start when they arrive if you have not chosen a set price.
Pack readily required items like the kettle, toiletries, and clothes in overnight bags; so that they are easily accessible to you after a long arduous day of moving.
Most importantly, make sure the insurance coverage that the removal company is providing is sufficient for you. If you feel that additional coverage is necessary then it would be advisable to obtain this from a third party insurer
One final bit of advice is to make sure that you seek as much guidance, assistance and knowledge when planning your home move to ensure that it goes as smoothly as possible on the day. Above all else avoid being stingy and opting for cheap removal companies; this will end up costing you more on the day.