Posted on 22/08/08, filed under News | No Comments
In the Bricks and Mortar supplement of The Times (22/08/2008) there is an interesting article on Accidental Landlords. Basically, many people are renting out their properties either because they can’t sell or don’t want to sell at today’s reduced house prices.
From a removals point of view this is all good. We have always said, regardless of the credit crunch, people will always need to move. Everyone is focusing on the number of sales and mortgages agreed in the last 6 months but this is not a true reflection of the number of people moving. Our diary confirms the fact, as we have been solidly booked for the last 3 months and September is shaping up to be very good as well.
It is a discerning market we deal with and money is tight, so the need to provide an excellent service that exceeds all expectations is tantamount to survival in the industry.
When renting out your property the need for storage often arises. We always advise only store your sentimental, irreplaceable items to keep the cost down. However, if you are going to store, make sure you get the best storage available - dry, secure and above all flexible. You need to be absolutely sure that your goods are fully insured while in storage and free from damp or vermin. Containerised storage is the gold standard in our industry. Make a full inventory of all your items and plan for all eventualities - if you’re putting your goods into store in the summer, the ski season is only 6 months away, so keep your skis with you to avoid having to unpack and repack your entire storage unit.
Posted on 22/08/08, filed under Storage and Moving advice | No Comments
Today we are totally in shock following a comparative quote a potential customer showed us. The job in question was a larger than average 3 bedroom flat on the 2nd floor, without a lift, plus a basement full of stuff. The couple in question admitted they were hoarders.
We did a full survey and, based on volume, quoted a very fair price. A smaller company came in and quoted around £700. This lead us to wondering just how the job could be done at that price? These are the costs a fully fledged removal company should be incurring and basing their price on:
Staff wages - We don’t pay the minimum wage because, of course the old adage, you pay peanuts, you get monkeys, is very true. Our staff are well remunerated for the work they do and never feel the need to string a job out, help themselves to little extras etc and of course they have pride in the work they do because they feel valued. We also provide our staff with smart uniforms, safety boots, and rain gear.
Insurance - legally we are obliged to have public liability insurance, goods in transit insurance, health and safety insurance, fleet insurance, employers liability insurance - these are all enormous but vital costs for the protection of our staff and our customers
Vehicles - everyone knows the cost of rising diesel but there is also the general upkeep of the vans, to ensure that breakdowns don’t occur thus inconveniencing everyone. All our vehicles are smart, clean and new and conform to the goverment vehicle emmissions programme.
Time - a huge factor involved in the cost of removals is the time taken. Our quotes allow for the time to wrap and protect each and every piece of furniture plus the time taken to pack the van safely and securely for transit. Yes, you can load a luton van in an hour if you literally just lob everything on as is, but what state will it arrive in at the other end? Mirrors and pictures are all bubble wrapped in export bubble and the corners protected with blue foam corners. Sofas and armchairs are covered in custom made protective covers. Mattresses are covered in plastic. Plasma TV screens are now transported in a specialist protective bag with cushioning and hardboard. Very often furniture needs to be dismantled and reassembled in order to get it in and out of the property without causing damage to the walls - this of course takes time - we all know how long it takes when we’ve made an Ikea purchase! Our men arrive with electric drills and toolkits and the speed with which they do this is amazing but it does take time.
Pricing exclusions - our experience of fixed price jobs is that no extras are taken into account. If you read the small print, there may be many extra charges added to your final bill. Examples of these are dismantling, packing, materials, and overtime. We try to offer a very transparent pricing structure which allows for flexibility on the day as no one can be precisely predict how the job will go. There are often delays or unforseen circumstances or alternativley the client may have done so much preperation and packing that the job is completed in much less time than predicted. Our final bill is calculated on the actual time taken that way if you want a bit of extra packing on the day, or an additional pick up en route, it’s no problem.
In summary, beware of the man offering to do the job cheaply, he has to be taking short cuts that will impact on your removal experience. Our customer base is full of people who have come to us following a bad removal and are happy to pay that little bit more for peace of mind and a stress free move.
Posted on 14/08/08, filed under News | No Comments
Recently we were employed by a leading estate agency on behalf of one of their landlords to carry out a very special removal job in Knightsbridge. The property yielded a weekly rent of £5000 and had some water damage. In order to carry out the repairs, the entire apartment needed to be packed up and stored for delivery some 12 weeks later.
An interior designer had decorated and furnished the apartment according to principles of Feng Shui. Our staff photographed the entire flat and it’s contents, right down to how the cutlery drawer was filled. They measured the distances apart of every piece of furniture right through to the placement of the mirrors and cushions. Every piece was inventoried, recorded and married up to it’s photo in order for us to put the property back to it’s original state on the re-delivery.
We made use of the very best storage we offer to all our clients, ensuring that the contents were all secure, dry and totally protected against any damage. We filled two 20ft containers which were than lifted by gantry crane, ensuring no movement, into a temperature controlled warehouse.
The pack and load and the return unload and unpack took two days each side, with a crew of 8 men on each day.
The job has now been completed and we are very proud of the work we have done and can now add it to our list of experiences and capablities.
