Moving home can be both stressful and expensive. Not only do you have to worry about the paperwork and the expense of acquiring your new home, you have to deal with the actual process of moving, including boxing everything up, loading it into a removal van, and then getting everything out at the other side. It can be tempting to try to handle this job yourself in an attempt to save money, but that will just add to the stress you feel on the big day. Letting the professionals handle the removals process makes sense from a practical and a financial point of view, in most cases, at least.
When to Hire a Removal Company
If you are moving from a small home to a bigger one, or even relocating your family for work, you will probably have a lot of stuff to move. This poses two problems. Firstly, some of that stuff is probably fragile, so you will be worried about making sure it gets to your new home safely. Secondly, some of that stuff is probably heavy. Do you really want to have to carry that huge chair down from the study and load it onto a van? Why not let someone who is good at moving stuff do that for you?
Some people are wary of using removal firms because they don’t want to entrust their precious possessions to someone else, even for a little while. This concern is understandable, but if you choose a respectable removal firm it is unwarranted. The British Association of Removers (BAR) has a code of conduct which all its members must follow. This code of conduct lays out many things which removers must follow, including:
- The use of licensed vehicles
- Protection for your deposit
- Their obligations to you as a mover
- How any disputes or issues must be handled if things go wrong
As long as you choose a removal service that is a member of the BAR, you can be confident that your possessions will be packed safely (if you choose to use the moving firm’s packing service), loaded properly and securely, and transported promptly. This frees you up to focus on other things, such as keeping your children occupied, saying goodbye to your friends, or just relaxing on the day of the move.
When to Move DIY Style
If you’re moving out of a small apartment and don’t have a lot of stuff to take with you, then it makes sense to move it yourself. You can save a lot of money by boxing up everything you own and renting a reputable “man with a van”. If you don’t have a lot of items to move, of if those items are not especially fragile, and then you will not have any trouble handling the move yourself. This is especially true if you are moving into your first home and taking only small items such as books, DVDs or electronics. Since you don’t have any furniture or appliances to move, you don’t have to worry about heavy lifting, or protecting precious items that are easily damaged.
Moving is never easy, but you can make it less stressful. Think about how much you have to move, and be realistic about how much time it will take. If it’s too much for you and a friend to do in an hour or two, consider leaving it to the professionals.
This article has been written by Philippa L. Philippa is a DIY enthusiat and believes that if a job needs doing then DIY tasks are the answer. Minimsing outsourced help is the cheapest and the less laziest option! Philippa often sources her ideas from the Bingham site.