Fortunately our business isn’t solely reliant on the domestic housing market and our London office moves are keeping us very busy.  We do however value the house moving side of the industry and have put up some special offers for the month of November.  With times as tight as they are, everyone needs to consider cost when booking a removal.

We are offering a 20% discount on all house moves booked in the month of November.   On a pack and move of an average 3 bedroom house, this could equate to a reduction of £500 off the total bill.

We are offering one week’s free crate on all office moves booked during the month of November.  Again a fabulous saving as well as adding to the  efficiency of your move.  Packing up into crates makes an office move far easier to plan, organise and carry out.

I am happy to offer these discounts to anyone considering a move in the near future and if we can do our bit to kick start the economy, save everyone some money and survive the credit crunch, all the better. Oh, I feel like Gordon Brown………!

In these difficult times, you have to constantly evolve and update to stay ahead of the game.  We were very lucky to have the services of a top graphic designer, Jeannine Meano, who offered her services at a very reduced rate.  With lots of consultation and drafts the new logo was born.  The idea behind the logo was to keep our recognised brand identity but to add some pizzaz.  The orange waves coming off the elipse signify speed and movement.  A key part of the decision making was how the logo would look on our vans - one of our most successful marketing tools.

In many ways the logo has evolved as the company has.  When we started out we had the name Amber Moves but no logo.  Our original logo was created on word art - very simplistic but actually very effective.  In the same way, the company was a very small but simple and effective organisation.  As we perfected our skills, gained confidence and bigger clients, so we grew.  Our website is now our biggest asset and brings in new business every day and as such we need to make sure it looks fresh and up to date and this includes the new logo.  Gone are the days when companies would produce a glossy brochure to showcase their skills - with the advent of the internet and everyone considering their green credentials, a polished, informative website is vital to any organisation.

The problem with crates is that staff often don’t realise the cost of hiring or replacing and quite frankly they are handy things to appropriate for home.  Alternatively they lie around the office half emptied and become a health and safety hazard.

The best way to manage your crate hire on an office move is to sign over small amounts of crates to a designated team leader of each department.  That way they are responsible for their, say 10, crates and will be responsible for returning them at the end of the move.  Ten crates are far easier to keep track of than 500, for example.

Another solution to the problem is crate liners - single wall cardboard boxes that fit snuggly inside each crate.  At the end of the removal, the crate liners are lifted out and placed on the appropriate desk for unpacking and all the crates are counted up and taken back with the removal company on the day of the move.  This can save weeks of unnecessary crate hire and multiple collection charges.

The bottom line is speak to your removals company - they are specialists in office removals and will have lots of valuable advice to offer.

There are lots of short cuts and tricks of the trade and the internet is a goldmine of information and help.  Your removal company wants your move to go as smoothly as possible and don’t be shy - even if it is a service you have not contracted them to do, they can still provide you with valuable advice on how to get it done.  A good example is getting rid of unwanted items.  As a well established removals company proud of our “green” credentials we have charities we work with who will be glad of old office furniture, kids toys, books or even washing machines.  We can also advise you on the best storage options and understand that sometimes self storage may be more suitable to your needs and will help with the arrangements instead of insisting you use our containerised storage.  Remember “ask, and you shall receive”.  This applies to the price too - discounts can be negotiated especially if your move involves two moves or if you require long term storage.

Moving home can be very stressful and sometimes it may just be worth indulging yourself and treating yourself to the little extras - perhaps a packing service or proper packing materials like wardrobes to make the job easier.

Regardless of the credit crunch the world will continue to turn on it’s axis and the same applies to work - the majority of us will continue to work and more often than not this takes place in an office.  London is made up of pockets of industries - the City will always be the financial heart, Soho will always house media and marketing companies, Islington is a new hot spot for design being closely located to the Business Design Centre and Portland Place and surrounding areas, the fashion industry.

Commercial property is struggling just the same as the domestic housing market and many bargains are to be had if a company is considering moving office with the end of their current lease in sight.  Location will always remain important both for you and your customers.  Considerations from the removals company point of view are good loading access - Trafalgar Square or Covent Garden could double the cost of your move because of the logistics of getting vehicles close to the front door.  Sole use of a goods lift can halve the time of an average move whilst conversely no lift access and delivery to the 3rd floor can double the cost and time of a move.

When it comes to fitting out your new office as expensive as it sounds it may be a sound investment to sell your old office with the furniture in situ and arrange for the new furniture to be delivered to your new offices by the manufacturers.  Consider what type of desks you are purchasing - will they need to be dismantled everytime you have an office reshuffle?  Are they easy to take apart and put together again?

Moving office is a great time to have a clear out and consider off site storage.  Why pay expensive office rent for storage space when archiving and storing off site can be so much more cost effective?

Your removal  company will have many ideas and solutions that you may not have thought of.  Take time to talk them through before your move and keep your options open and as long as you have a flexible office moving company, many savings can be made.

One belief is that it was never there in the first place.  Everyone lived on credit and counted the equity in their property as part of their wealth and spent like no tomorrow.

There is still money around, people are still moving house, people are still spending - the only difference is now people are spending carefully and wisely and definately considering tomorrow.  As a thriving removal company the one thing we have noticed is that people are less and less inclined to pay for their move on their credit card.  Perhaps some very valuable lessons will be learnt  at the end of this period - live within your means and credit spells trouble.

People are certainly still moving home or moving office, sometimes in spite of the credit crunch or as a direct result of the credit crunch.  Whilst our domestic removals market pays for their move up front with “real” money, the big corporate clients are holding on to their money as long as possible thus  freezing our ready income.  However, the work we do for office moves is so valuable to us as a company that we can’t afford to get to fussy over payment terms.

In summary it’s all about balance - an equal balance of domestic and commercial moves, an equal balance of payment terms and general positivity looking to the future.  We intend to still be in business when the housing market picks up - which it will do - and everyone will be moving home and moving office.

Fathoming what key phrase people will search in is always fun - do they call us Movers, Removals or Removers?  Do they type in their postcode or their borough or their town?  Of course the most searched phrase is Amber Moves which is good because it means we have an established brand and well know name.  Our liveried vans proudly sport the Amber Moves logo and web address which is a great form of advertising - they are effectively mobile billboards.

With the home computer becoming the equivalent of the good old fashioned pen and paper and telephone, the internet is now the first port of call for anyone looking for a service.  In return the website they visit needs to be clear and easy to understand and navigate whilst still being informative.

Probably the biggest challenge is how to make removals seem exciting - by it’s very nature, it’s hardly the most glamorous of industries.  The addition of our recently added Cruise Promotion along with Hotel Chocolat banners have at least spiced the site up some but of course our main priority is guiding people through the moving process.  The feedback is very positive and we continue to work on the site, introducing new clientele to Amber Moves and welcoming our old customers back.

It really depends on the size of the property you have to move and your lifestyle.  If you have small children and both parents are working do you really have time to do the move yourself.  Consider how much you earn a day and how much time you would have to take off work to pack and move.  Does the saving out way the loss of earnings?  Moving house can be like pulling off a sticking plaster - do it as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Savings can be made, and consciences assuaged, by packing up your house yourself.  Most removal companies will be happy to deliver you packing materials in advance and offer helpful advice on how to pack.

Certainly when money was abundent we all spent freely on luxuries and no doubt splashed out on expensive furnishings for the home.  Remember what it cost you and consider that in these frugal times, you want the furniture to last you a lifetime so best it gets moved with lots of care and attention and special care.

In summary, moving house is a necessary luxury.  Spoil yourself and concentrate on all the other matters in hand while the removal company does the hard, physical labour and tranports your possessions safely to your new home.

Everyone booking a holiday must now be thinking - what if I book and the airline or holiday company goes out of business?  The same should apply to your removal and storage company.  If your removal company is struggling and charging you to store your goods at a trade warehouse - what will happen to your goods in storage if they stop paying their suppliers?  What if they haven’t been paying their insurances - will you still be covered?  What if they take a deposit from you in advance of your move but go out of business before your move?

Protect yourself from the outset by doing your research and keeping an eye on the small details:

• Is the company vat registered
• Are they members of a trade body such as BAR or the National Guild of Removers and Storers
• Are they part of an ombudsman scheme?
• How long have they been in business?
• How busy are they?
• Are they charging realistic prices - beware of the man offering you a cheap deal - it will be too good to be true.
• Where ever possible, try to book a company that has been recommended by a friend or colleague
• Get the name and address of the storage facility and ensure it is a bona fida storage warehouse
• Go with your instinct - this is a powerful too we all too often ignore

I moved home in March of this year with my 22 month old daughter.  Now it should be easy - I organise moves for a living and of course I didn’t have to worry about finding a good removal company, since I own one!  Not the case however - every time I booked my move in the diary another client would ring and ask to move on the day I had chosen and of course, I said yes we can fit you in.  So I duly changed my date, contacted estate agents, utilities suppliers, BT, Sky etcetera only to go through the same process the next day when my move date was surrendered to another client wanting to move.

Coupled with starting nursery and horrendous teething, living with a stressed mother trying to pack boxes every evening only made my daughter even more cranky.  I blindly carried on thinking she’s too young to know what’s going on and will take it all in her stride - how wrong could I be?  I totally underestimated how much she understood.  I followed all the guidelines and took her to see the new house three or four times before the move, got her to help pack her toys into boxes and kept her at home to see the removal vans arrive so she understood what was happening.

The actual removal day was really stress free and easy - in fact i could almost say it was fun.  I worked like a trojan to try and make the new house look like home with all the familiar things around and made sure her bedroom was as ready as possible.  On the way back from nursery to the new house, she asked about her families - I realised she meant her Sylvanian Families - I duly explained they were all at the new house.  She then continued to ask about each and every one of her toys.  I was devastated - the poor mite had been worrying all day about her toys.

Apparently small children rely on their sense of smell to a greater extent when perhaps their vocabulary is not at its best so the new house “smells” all wrong.  The like routine and don’t like change so moving house just throws them off kilter.

Anyway, we both survived the experience, despite the fact that the 101 Dalmations DVD is still missing, and the new house is wonderful and has become home now.  I also have a whole new understanding when speaking to clients who are moving house with a family to consider.

Andrew and his family chose the mini-cruise to Santander.  The thought of sharing a 4-berth cabin with two teenagers was too much to bear so the family paid the supplements and had two 2-berth cabins or couchettes.  While practical and comfortable they are very small and would not be suitable for the less agile.  Our advice would be opt for the upgraded 2 berth and try for a window cabin.

The trip from London to the ferry at Plymouth was easy, and good pay-and-display parking is available right next to the port, for those not wishing take their cars.

Whilst the ferry departs at 4pm you are welcome to board from 2.30pm giving you time to settle into your cabin and start exploring the delights on board of Pont-Aven.

When sailing don’t forget to look out for the curious and mysterious Drake Island, with it’s ghostly abandonded prison.   The small pool was closed due to bad weather but there was plenty of opportunity to sit out on the Heli-deck, duty free shopping , or the choice of games rooms.

The evening entertainment and food was certainly the highlight of the trip.  There is a choice of restaurants but the more up-market Le Flora, for which you need to book, is certainly worth the little extra spend.   An absolute feast of a buffet offering Spanish and English dishes and excellent service.  During the summer months  there is evening entertainment on board.  “Gameshow Greats” was both to fun to take part in and watch. The two teenagers chose to escape from the parents and any potential embarrassment and hide in the cinema.  Andrew and his wife took part in a version of the Generation Game and came away the winners with £500 worth of prizes including a free crossing!

Breakfast the following morning was again another gourmet extravaganza, having opted for the “posh restaurant”.  At £9.00 per person, certainly worth it.

On arrival at Santander, many of the guests chose to make the trip to the beach but to be fair, time is short so everyone opted for some sightseeing and shopping and Tapas for lunch in the main square.  If you do wish to make more of a holiday of it, we suggest extending your stay for a few days and booking a hotel.

The return journey was much the same with more on board shopping, bingo in the evening and catching up on sleep.

All in all, a great time was had by all.  The trip is a mini cruise, a break in the routine and something a bit different.   Next stop, St Malo….

Everyone booking a removal with Amber Moves can take advantage of the Cruise Promotioin, paying only £19.50 per person, based on 4 people sharing a 4 berth cabin.  There are two other cruise breaks to choose from, namely Le Break (Roscoff, Cherbourg or St Malo) or Cruise and Dine to St Malo.

In essence, anyone booking a removal with Amber Moves can take advantage of this offer and sail to France or Spain for just £19.50 per person.

There are three mini-breaks to choose from, namely:

Cruise and Dine - a luxury mini cruise to St Malo with a complimentary meal and so much more

Cruise to Spain - a wonderful two day and night cruise to Santander in Spain

Le Break - travel to Roscoff, Cherbourg, Caen or St Malo in France and enjoy up to 3 days exploring this wonderful country

All the cruises, with the exception of Le Break, are based on 4 people sharing a four-berth cabin so why not take the family and escape from the daily grind or in fact, the stress of moving house.

I have no doubt that several companies are closing down or moving onto other things such as rubbish clearances and the like.  In a way this is good for our industry, whilst sad because even the “good guys” and legitimate firms are struggling to survive.  Overall though a good clearout is not a bad thing and the removal firms that survive the credit crunch will have done so because they offered the highest level of service and professionalism coupled with value for money.

It is true to say that if we were only doing one move a week; a direct comparison to estate agents selling one home a week; we would not survive.  Fortunately we offer so many services and it is not only buyers and sellers that need to move.  There is a huge population, especially in London, of renters.  One of our key markets is European and American bankers in all the nicest parts of town.  Companies and offices will always move whether it is to new premises or just internal re-shuffling.  Storage is another area that has actually seen an increase since the housing market collapsed and is often a good short term option.

Something positive can always be found in a crisis situation and we have taken this opportunity to reevaluate the way we do things, up our marketing and basically, just not rest on our laurels.

These are also probably the three most stressful life experiences so couple it with moving house and you may have meltdown.

As a removals company we can’t help tackle the three D’s but we can provide a stress free solution for moving house.

When you are under pressure it is almost a reflex action to find a quick fix solution and very often the cheapest, easiest option.  If you have to  move in a hurry, many people put their things into storage.  £30 or so a week doesn’t sound very much but if you land up having to store for longer than expected, the costs soon mount up.  You will also have the removal costs into and out of storage.  If you do need to store, only put the absolutely essential into your container.  Storage is very effective short term or for those irreplaceable items with sentimental value.

When it comes to booking your removal consider the price of your time and your stress levels.  Choosing a company that can offer the whole package will at least ensure you have nothing else to worry about on the day.  Will you really have the time to pack up your house in advance of the removal company arriving?  Enjoy the luxury of having everthing done for you and having some fit young men at your beck and call for the day - how often does this happen?  A cheap removal will often result in shortcuts and inferior skills so after your move you may then have the hassle of making an insurance claim for breakages and loss of items plus a very stressful removal day.

Downsizing seems to be the buzzword of the credit crunch and we can advise and assist you in advance of your move for the most cost effective solutions.

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.

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.

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.

Do you buy and sell now before prices drop even lower or just bite the bullet and, if you are able to sell your house and have found your dream home, move now?

It all comes down to the Ikea advert - is your house your house or is it your home?

There is never going to be  a perfect time to buy or sell, neither we can confidently predict when the market will turn.  Take your family’s needs into account and consider what works for you now.  If you need more space, or to be nearer good schools why wait - these improvements will be immediate and you can start enjoying the benefits straight away.

Consider that the moving process is never straightforward and it could take a good 6 months from starting to view properties to actually moving in.

The estate agent’s quick fix is to drop your price now for a quick sale - what pressure is being exerted on your seller to lower his price?  There is no point in moving if you haven’t made any money on your current property and you need to take into account the costs of moving from solicitors to estate agents to removal companies.

In the end it’s all about being in a property that you love and call home.  You can’t put a monetary value on yours and your family’s happiness and security but we all know these are priceless.

Having been a member of Hotel Chocolat’s tasting club for a number of years, I am so pleased for Amber Moves to be associated with a luxury product such as this.  We feel that this is a brand that will appeal to our customer base who appreciate the finer things in life.  Moving house can be a very stressful experience and chocolate has the power to make you feel that little bit better about things.

Extract taken directly from their website, which says it all…

Chocolate… comforting, uplifting and inspirational, it’s no wonder we share a passionate and enduring love affair! And for lovers of luxury chocolate it’s an emotional necessity – food for the soul that will send your senses on an exciting journey. When delivered as gifts, by post or in person, gourmet chocolates have the power to thrill, especially if they’re unexpected.

One would like to think that the traffic warden would see a removal van, with the company logo emblazened across it’s sides, and the removal men obviously loading and unloading, and leave them alone to get on with the job in hand.  Very often this is not the case, the ticket is slapped on, and no amount of reasoning or cajoling works.

We make a point of appealing against every ticket issued and our success rate is phenomenal.  We get off at least 8 out 10 tickets and even if the first appeal is unsuccessful, we appeal again.  A carefully worded, polite letter appealing to their sense of reason, even if the stated contravention did occur, is a very good tool.

We are fiercly protective of our customers and know that a £60 parking fine can be that final straw that breaks the camels back.

Join the fight and let’s challenge every ticket until eventually they capitulate.  Everyone needs to move home and it should be their basic right to have a removal van parked outside the front door at no additional cost.

We are an independent firm with no preconceptions about how removals should be done and neither do we have the old guys saying, “but we’ve always done it this way”.

Every customer ringing the office gets straight through to someone who can give them a quote then and there, answer any questions and deal with queries or problems on the spot.  Even if someone is not at the point of booking or we don’t have any availability for their preferred move date, we are still happy to offer moving advice or assistance with the purchase of packing materials.

The contrast between us and other removal companies, is that large firms require you to speak to several people or wait for someone to get back to you or alternatively the company is so small that you are calling a mobile number and speaking to someone whilst they are physically moving someone else.

We do our move surveys differently too.  Our surveyor is highly skilled as well as being passionate about the service we offer and the company as a whole.  He will sit down and ask you all the questions about your move and your needs, taking family situations, time constraints and complications into account.   Once he has surveyed the property and calculated the volume to be moved, he sits down with the customer and talks them through the quote.  That way they are left with a full and accurate estimate and a complete understanding of how the job will be done and charged for.  We pride ourselves on not having any small print, hidden extras and secret costs that get presented on the day.

As a result of a good survey, we are then able to brief our removal men on the day of the job so they know exactly what to expect, what items require special care and attention and even know the names of the children of the house!

Our quotes often allow for more time than our competitors but that is because we wrap and protect every item.  Of course a job can be done quicker if it is just “lobbed” in the van but that is not the service we offer.  We would rather do the job properly or not at all.

Once the men are on their job, they are charming, understanding and polite and nothing is ever too much trouble.  They do so many little extras that make the move special and more than just another chore to be got over with as soon as possible.

In summary, we always exceed expectations and know that we are only as good as our last removal.

July and August have been our two busiest months with most days being fully booked and having to turn away many move enquiries yet reports are that the housing market is in the worst slump for 19 years.  We have certainly felt a slight upturn in our fortunes and hope that long may it continue.  Will we be reading reports of an upturn in October/November?

Of course it takes time for statistics to be gathered, results to be published etc but looking at the day to day fortunes of a typical small business may well be a more accurate prediction of how the economy is faring.

It is fair to say that some of our business is as a direct result of the credit crunch - companies downsizing, redundancies and restructuring always results in office relocations, churning and closing offices down.  On the domestic market front, sellers are taking the attitude that they may as well sell now before things worsen and their moves have been in the pipeline for several months.  A number of our clients are selling and putting their possessions into storage while they rent and consider their options.

We have kept our prices steady whilst trying to cover rising costs, especially diesel, still offering the same level of service.  There is no point in offering cut price jobs just to keep ticking over, as we intend to survive the slump and still be in business, stronger and wiser at the end of the recession.  In the boom time every man and his van set up a removals company but this blip in the economy will be a true test where hopefully the good guys survive and the cowboys move out.

Monday

• Collection and recycling of old office furniture from an accountancy firm in the West End

• Assistance with export wrapping and loading up a container for shipping in Swiss Cottage
• Survey a past customer for move on Saturday from E8 on Saturday

Tuesday

• Pack and move 1 bedroom flat from Hampstead to NW1
• Load up of two 20ft shipping containers at storage for delivery the following day

Wednesday

• The whole company working on one job in Kensington.  Delivery out of storage, unpack and feng shui the whole flat right down to measuring the distance of cushions on the sofa!  Hanging pictures and mirrors, lots of reassembly and  disposing of all the packing materials
• Two surveys for potential moves- one in Crouch End and one in NW5

Thursday

• Internal moving with wrapping and protection of furniture in SW7
• Packing service in Finchley of large 4 bedroom house
• Collection of archive boxes in Windsor and delivery to Putney for one of our regular office move clients
• Evening box delivery

Friday

• Four man crew moving from large house from Finchley to Hadley Wood
• Large office relocation from Brook Green to Kensington with internal moving and crate hire, working through into the evening
• Surveys and box deliveries

Saturday

• House move within Hackney
• Continuation of large office move in W8

Sunday

• Day of rest for everyone!

• How often do you have fit, good looking young men in your house and at your beck and call?
• Having a good clear out before the move can be very cathartic
• If you’re good at it there is lots of money to be made selling your unwanted items on ebay or bootselling - car boot sales are having a revival!
• You have two excuses for a party - house-leaving and house-warming
• You no longer have to spend every weekend viewing properties
• When you start packing up, you will find things you’ve been looking for since your last move
• The excitement of pastures new

Amber Moves are a unique removal company based in London offering a professional packing and moving service with that little added extra that makes all the difference.

Look at the value of the new home you are purchasing, the value of your household and contents insurance and consider that a good pack and move will cost you less than 1% of this amount.

The removal company is often the last organisation in the chain of people wanting your money when moving house - after the surveyors, hip’s, stamp duty, estate agents and solicitors comes the removal firm.  So by the time it comes to choosing and paying for a removal the poor home mover shuts his wallet and screams “no more!”.  The guy who offers to do the whole move for £400 seems like a dream come true - a chance to save money and the only person willing to negotiate costs.  In our experience the government and solicitors are never inclined to negotiate.

On our website, we have some Wise Words about spending too little.  The gist of the message is…The common law of business prohibits you from paying a little and receiving a lot – it can’t be done.

In return we deliver on our promise of a stress free, expert move with no hidden costs or extras.  The number of people who move home with us regularly and recommend us to their friends and family are testament to this.  We’re certainly not the cheapest but we do a great house move.

We’re fully insured, all our staff are employed by us and are uniformed, smart and presentable.  All our removal vehicles are clean, new and proudly sport the Amber Moves logo.  The office is manned throughout the working day and your call is always dealt with swiftly - no getting diverted to someone’s mobile while they’re actually carrying out a removal.  All these are signs that you are dealing with a bona fide removals company and not the cowboys!

The success of our business rides on the quality of the removal men we employ.  Personally I only ever employ guys I would feel happy to have in my own home.  We are well aware that our client base is nice families in nice areas and as such they need to have piece of mind that their possessions are in good hands.

Removals work is very physically demanding, requiring enormous stamina as well as patience.  The men need to be adaptable, flexible, handy with a tool kit and above all personable so they can reassure the home mover and make the move as stress free as possible.  Moving home is never straightforward and all the best laid plans can go awry on moving day.  Having staff that can make decisions on the spot makes the difference between a bad moving experience and a good one.

We do not believe in paying the minimum wage - we want our staff to be rewarded for the work they do and feel valued for the skills they bring to each and very moving job.

Finding good people that want to join a company and progress within, want to work hard and are available to work all hours is just not easy.  We do not use agency staff as we pride ourselves on hand picking and vetting each and every employee.  In return we treat our staff as family members, providing them with all the training and support we can offer.