To Dismantle or not dismantle? that is the question

Both the home and the office contain items of furniture that have been assemble in situ.   London removals often have, desks, beds, sofas, bookcases, twin cupboards, wardrobes, tables, cots and ouotside toys and garden furniture, even sheds.  All took time to build (more than you remember) and are usually accompained by assembly instruction. However when it comes to your move, the instruciton have disappeared  (not that you understood them in the 1st place) and these items all have to be dismantled unless they are being left behind. They also need to be reassembled in your new home or office unless they are to be put into storage. 

It is recommended that these items are dismantled prior to the move day where ever possible, although with moving home this is not always possible as you are likely to need to use the furniture up until the actual move day.   Amber Moves usually dismantles on the packing day. Taking apart these items is a skilled job and requires the proper tools. (Do you know were you put that allen key?)  If you want this service, make sure it is included in your removal cost.  Many removal firms hide this cost as an extra and it does not appear in the estimate.  The more items of furniture that you have to be disassembled and put back together on the house move  or Office move the longer the job will take.  Again it is important that the time is considered and usually a fitter is required as part of the removal team , particularly in the office move environment where desks with partitioning and computer trunking systems can take upto an hour per desk to dismantle and reassemble. 

Wardrobes are the most complicated and time  consuming items to deal with in the home move.  Old style wardrobes divide in the middle, so all the pieces crossing the join have to be removed.  Modern wardrobes dismantle into panels and although termed ‘flat pack’ the chipboard is very easily damaged and needs extra care and attention when taking apart in preparation for reassembly,  all the component parts also need to be wrapped and protected particulary the frontages and any glass pieces, usually a super bubble wrap with edging is required.

So to answer the question  ‘ do I need a dismantling service ?’ the answer is yes if the furniture was put together and you do not have the skill, time , tools and wrappings to complete the proceedure.

The C Word: CLEARANCE

When the decision to move has been made, whether an office or a household removal; what does one do with those unwanted, broken and to be replaced items?  One could move these belongings as part of the reloaction and store them in the vain hope that one day they may become useful.  Alternatively one could dispose of everything using Amber Moves programme of clearance. 

Office disposal is governed by the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)  directive which became law in the UK in 2007. It covers the production disposal and recycling of electrical equipment and diverts as much as possible from landfill through proper reuse and recycling. The implications of this directive will be discussed in future blogs

With domestic moves, Amber Moves has created a programme of clearance, based on the office model to ensure that the excess items are reused,  recycled and donated,  so that a minimum goes to landfill and the home owner has a convenient and cost effective method of disposal.

In step one, the householder is advised on how to keep the waste to a minimum as part of their home removal.  After the advice has been implemented the unwanted items and and rubbish are collected.  In phase two all the boxes and packaging associated with the move are prepared whenever possible for the next move or storage. Part three of the clearance is to recycle the unwanted furniture and clothing through request initiatives and Freecycle.  Small items including unwanted clothes are donated to local charity shops.  Amber Moves also has storage units where these items are stored in preparation for spring boot fares, where they are sold by volunteers for charity. The fourth phase is to recycle the component parts; wood, metal, plastic, paper etc. at a recycle depot. Finally non recycle material is taken to a registered waste management site, where it is weighed and correctly tipped and so ends the clearance programme that is conducted by this London removals company.

Box Clever when moving home

One of the many questions you will need to consider when moving home is ‘how many boxes do I need for my house removal’ ?’.  There is no single figure, as every move is different and every item varies in its fragility, size and weight.  However based on twenty – five year exp0erience as a london removals estimate/surveyor with Amber Moves,  I am able to give these guidelines to the prospective mover.

A one bed property will need 50- 60 boxes, with perhaps four wardrobe boxes for clothes.

A two bed property will need 70-100 boxes with probably six wardrobe boxes for clothes

A three bed property will need 130-150 boxes with maybe ten wardrobe boxes for clothes

As the property gets bigger with the additions of bedrooms, garages, garden;  the number of boxes required will dramatically increase.  All the boxes used should be strong and 2 or 3 ply walled.  It is recommended that all your homes items are boxed when one needs to use storage.  Flimsey boxes will collapse and will not protect your valuables. The range of boxes awailable for a move is consderable, however, a box the size of a standard microwave is the best for stacking, carrying and protecting your possessions.  A few larger boxes for bedding, lampshades, stereos, TV’s may be appropriate.  It is best to pack books at the bottom to half the volume and put lighter items to the top.  All boxes should be labelled clearly with contents and should be entered into a checklist inventory