Amber Moves Blog

Bastille Day

Andrea — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 08:51:36 +0000

Today is July 14th – Bastille Day!

So in support of great moments in the history of house clearances, here is a clip from ‘Allo ‘Allo.

Viva Le France!

Customer Testimonials for July 2010

Andrea — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 06:29:23 +0000

These are some of the comments that have come from our customers this month.

“Friendly & helpful, exceleent service.”

P R, moving within Edgware

“Prompt and rapid. Will use again.”

J T, pack & move to Hampstead

“Fantastic service. very friendly and helpful in every aspect of the move. Many thanks!”

M L, pack & move to Ealing

Amber Moves named mover of the month – June 2010

Andrea — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 09:24:27 +0000

Once again, Amber Moves have received the prestigious title of Remover of the Month. This award is only given to removal companies who receive ‘Excellent’ feedback on more than 98% of their Quality Questionnaires. The award is independently adjudicated by the National Guild of Removers and Storers and takes in to consideration all member removal companies across the country.

Andrew and ‘the ladies in the office’ would like to thank our men on the front line who make sure that we receive this fantastic award every month! Thanks guys!

The Camerons’ move into number 10

Flam — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 08:42:17 +0000

The removal company used for the Cameron family’s move to Downing Street, was chosen not only for the very politically correct blue and yellow livery but also, I am sure, because of their skilled professionalism and experience of providing a London removals service , which all moving companies worth using should be proud of. So I was somewhat shocked and surprised to see pictures in the Times on Friday 28th May, showing a number of items being taken out of the house without being appropriately wrapped and protected. Lamps are notorious for being damaged if not adequately protected and as for the flat screen TV ! carried out on it’s stand completely unprotected I was horrified, but maybe this was just done for the camera’s. Perhaps it was the pressure of being watched by the world’s press, anyway I am sure that this is not the normal way they do things.

So when you are thinking about moving home or organising office removals, consider

a) Not having the world’s press on your doorstep ?

b) How is the removal company going to wrap and protect your possessions ?

c) Do they have adequate liability cover ?

d) Will you have the correct man power to successfully complete the move?

Any comments welcome

WELL WHAT AN APRIL AND MAY TO COME..

Flam — Thu, 13 May 2010 10:29:25 +0000

Well what an April and May to come for this London removals company. The moving market aprears very active with new enquiries for moving home, 50% up from 2009/2008 and a continual flow of satisfied clients rebooking. Two 2010 office removals within the city, have led to household moves. Their CEO’s were so impressed with our attitude and service on their office reloaction, that they booked our crews to carry out their home move.

One of the UKs leading biodiversity experts was stranded in spain as a result of the volcanic Ash airport closures. Her domestic move was due to take place, what could she do ? Through the use of our internet survey form system we were able to organise the move and parking.

Finally thankyou for the invitiation from the www.actiontotheword.com who are performing The Merchant of Venice at the Camden Peoples Theatre Box office 08444771000 11th – 23rd May 2010. We were able to complete a full pack and move from NW4 to E13 for a member of the cast with no rehearsal time lost. We look forward to seeing John on stage.

To Dismantle Or Not To Dismantle?

Andrea — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:23:36 +0000

From time to time we have customers ask us whether it is really necessary to dismantle certain pieces of furniture. This is understandable as one does not want to spend a lot of time unnecessarily dismantling a piece of furniture only to find that it doesn’t fit back together quite the same way. However, for many of us, our wardrobes, etc were built in situ and so we don’t have any real idea as to whether it can come out of the room or indeed down the stairs in full.

Our men have a lot of experience with these things and have developed a spatial awareness of how furniture can be moved through doorways and down stairs. They can generally see just by looking at it whether a piece of furniture will go through or not and they are right 99 times out a 100! Now we’ve had customers insist that the men try to take a piece down the stairs before dismantling it, despite being advised that it is best to separate the item into smaller parts first. This generally only wastes time by opting for a strategy that is simply not going to work. Dismantled furniture is also easier to protect, having fewer protrusions means that it’s easier to wrap in bubble wrap.

There are thousands of different kinds of furniture, with different ways of putting them together and some are more fragile than others. I am very proud of our men who are daily faced with a new piece of furniture and managing every time to dismantle it. Most of us remember when we bought that new piece of IKEA furniture and it took the whole day to put together, but our men manage to achieve the same in much less time. (And they do so without any screws going missing.)

Dismantling is a necessary part of a removal and helps to speed up the loading process and ensure that the customer’s possessions are kept safe. Always make sure whether dismantling and reassembly are included as part of the move when selecting a removal company.

The False Economy of Cheap Boxes

Andrea — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:57:35 +0000

Boxes are a fundamental part of moving home. You have to be able to pack all your small things into a container that will keep them safe and make it easy to stack up.

When potential customers are making enquiries regarding the costs involved in removals, we always ask whether or not they have boxes. Most people haven’t arranged their own boxes yet and so we offer our boxes, which are a reasonable £1.20 per box, including tape to make up the boxes and paper to line them. We also offer that any boxes that are left unused at the end of the move will not be charged for.

Some customers have chosen not to pay for boxes at all, instead opting for used boxes from shops. The upside is that if they needed, say, 50 boxes for their move; they’ve now saved £60 with this strategy.

However, the boxes are different sizes and some actually have quite weak walls. The result of this is that the men need to spend a good while longer loading up the van because the boxes are not only difficult to stack because of their different sizes, but some cannot be stacked at all because they cannot take the weight of any boxes on top of them. Now, the bill has just increased by £80 because of the extra labour. As you can see, using lots of ill-fitting free boxes is a false economy and it is better to stump up the cash for the boxes first as it saves a lot of effort later.

Amber comes of Age

Flam — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:01:23 +0000

Congratulations and celebrations all round. What a week for Amber Moves the London office and home moving family firm.

This week we celebrate three events. Firstly, our owners’ daughter and the company’s name sake, Amber, came of age on Saturday 27th March, HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY AMBER. She celebrated this day not by moving home but by apprearing as JoJo in the sensational production of Seussical the musical at the Barnet Arts Depot Theatre. Well done Impact Group for an amazing set and spectacular show. For those who couldn’t get tickets you missed a brilliant sell out performance.

Secondly and coincidently Amber Moves realised it’s 18th year of continuous trading and growth. thank you to all our clients for your continual support. It is with you and your referrals that this success has been made possible.

Thirdly, and for the fifth year running, Amber Moves were awarded the excellence award for services to household moves and office relocation from the National Guild of Removers and Storers. Thank you to all our wonderful family of staff whose daily endeavours of true care and attention to detail have made this recognition possible.

So remember if you are Moving Office or Home, give 18th Birthday Amber Moves a phone.

Relocation of IT systems

Flam — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 09:52:08 +0000

IT crates are suitable for moving servers and computers

Planning and managing the relocation of IT systems requires an enormous amount of skill, expertise and manpower. Your IT department will need to maintain your computer system and network during the office move. However they will probably have never relocated before. Therefore, it would be best to seek professional advice. It is advisable to appoint a removal company who work in conjuction with an IT specialist at an early stage, to assess the project accurately so you can decide when and where you might need additional resources. Amber Moves work closely with a number of IT consultancies and have recently engaged West Tek to ensure we never drop an e.mail.

When moving office , please remember the IT equipment needs to be a wrapped and moved correctly using size specific crates.

The server unit mechanisms will need extra considerations. Often old unwanted componets need to be disposed of. It is essential this is carried out using the WEEE directive and that any confidential data has been removed, destroyed or rendered irretrievable.

Your work stations need to be ready for your IT, so it is vital that the dismantling and reassembly is co ordinated. Making sure that you have an onsite IT technician for the day of the move and that all system back ups have been taken and verified.

Finally don’t underestimate the time for testing and reinstalling.

GOING UP IN YOUR ESTIMATION

Flam — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:19:12 +0000

How do you get an accurate and appropriate estimate for moving home or office ? The answer is to choose a removal company that is recommended when ever possisble. The moving firm should be a member of the Removals industry Ombudsman Scheme and a recognised Trade Body. They will have a written Code of Practise that looks after the customers interest.

You should talk directly to the removal company and remember that the industry attracts many ‘man and van’ amateurs that opertate in the black economy with untrained staff and illegal vehicles. When you speak to the removals office, give them as much information about your property, position and the place you are moving into. Every move is different and presents its own unique challenges, no one solution or price is appropriate. The more details concerning your move that you give the better the intial estimate will be.

After this stage of the estimation process when you feel comfortable with the removal companies attitude and cost you can to to the home visit. Often this is a good time to have some packing material delivered by the surveyor.

A trained surveyor will ask lots of questions, he will want to look throughout your office or home and garden. He will, where possible, access parking requirements (especially for London removals). All this will take time but is is worth taking this time, as it will ensure that your move is costed correctly.

Once the survey has been completed, the surveyor should provide an on the spot written and realistic quotation with the removers terms and conditions.

Parking in London

Andrea — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:09:04 +0000

One of the most important issues to address when conducting a removal is the access to to the properties. When you have men loading up a whole van of your belongings, you want to reduce the distance from the entrance to the van as much as possible. You don’t want them to have to dodge passing pedestrians on a long walk down the block to the van. London, however, has some of the most finicky parking regulations you will ever find. Each council has different rules regarding pay & display bays, resident bays and yellow lines. For example, a yellow line dispensation in London is fairly easy to arrange and costs nothing. However, there are many rules that need to be stuck to while making use of the service. You have to give the council 24 hours notice, be specific about location, time and the vehicle to be used. Then once you’ve arrived, you have to ensure that someone is constantly at the van and that you are not causing any obstructions. This results in vans being driven round the block to ease congestion even though all steps have been taken to ensure that they are allowed to wait on the yellow line. This is just the nature of managing transport in a city that was not designed around the needs of tradesmen using vans. That was just one example of one of the easier parking situations to resolve in London. Most customers move from one borough to another – new parking situation, new regulations. This all needs to be taken into consideration when moving home or business in London and most customers don’t even realise that all these considerations are being dealt with while we are moving their property.

To Dismantle or not dismantle? that is the question

Flam — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:46:50 +0000

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

Flam — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:44:24 +0000

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

Andrea — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:26:50 +0000

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

Removals Manual: The Use of Crates in Office Relocations

Andrea — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:14:50 +0000

LC3 Crates are used for transporting paperwork

When moving office, there are many things to consider, but one thing we could absolutely not do without is the good old crate. So here is the info you need to better understand the requirements for your office when relocating.

LC3 crates are used to transport paperwork and other miscellaneous items such as stationery and personal effects. They measure 600 x 415 x 330 mm which is equivalent to 3 cubic feet and they are lidded. They can also be provided with security seals and labels to ensure confidentiality of records during the relocation and clarity regarding their contents. These crates also have runners along the sides that allow suspension files to be transported in the same manner that they are housed in the filing cabinet.You can fit approximately 6 arch lever files or the contents of 1 suspension drawer into an LC3 crate.

IT Crates are used to transport computer systems, i.e. a computer box, screen, keyboard & mouse; as well as fax machines and desktop printers. They are larger than LC3 crates in order to accommodate a full computer system, keeping the components of each workstation together. They measure 590 x 550 x 600 mm which is equivalent to 7 cubic feet and are also lidded.

Most companies prefer to have their staff pack the files and personal effects into the LC3 crates as they know best which files should be kept together and if any particular order is relevant. It often falls to us to pack the IT crates as this requires greater skill and care. The computer systems must first be switched off and disconnected from the main power supply and the local area network. The various components are then disconnected from each other. The computer box and monitor are wrapped in bubble wrap and placed in the crate in such a way that these pieces will not move once they start to be transported. The mouse, keyboard and all associated cables are the last to be placed.

Our vans can hold up to 140 crates. Even though LC3 crates are about half the size of IT crates, they tend to weigh twice as much. We have to take this into consideration when loading the van. Crates are generally delivered about 2 working days before the move and collected about 2 working days after the move, to give staff time to pack and unpack their crates. More often than not there is also a weekend in there as well, meaning most companies need to hire crates for at least a week.

ARCHIVING: an explanation in time.

Andrea — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:31:02 +0000

An archive is a box of information, generated by a business, that needs to be retained for record and statutory reasons. Archiving is the storage management and eventual secure destruction of these data boxes. There are typically three strategies employed by businesses. The first method is to store the boxes in the company office. This results (as the boxes mount up) in a cluttered unmanaged and ineffective use of expensive office space. Staff time is wasted on discovery and eventual secure disposal. As business grows, more staff are required and so an early office move is deemed necessary, which is great news for organisations like Amber Moves, a leading light in the London Based Office Removals industry.The second strategy is to store offsite using a self-store unit. This is a seemingly economical solution to clearing premium office space. However, who delivers and collects the boxes, who keeps track of the boxes, how is the security of your company records maintained? These problems are great news for Amber Moves, who provide secure data storage solutions to the London Based Office Removals Industry.The third and perhaps ideal programme for archiving is to use an off-site records storage system. The boxes are provided and managed using a bar code tracking system, which can be implemented to the individual file level as required. The archive and storage company provides a pick up and retrieval service. Information, invoicing and returns are managed. Disposal and destruction systems are put in place. Your office is not filled with excessive yet important files. Staff time is not wasted trying to locate long forgotten invoices, the security of the data is guaranteed. Business organisations will only need larger premises for the right reasons. Which is great news for Amber Moves who provide off-site Archiving, Storage and removals for London Based Offices.

Choosing a removal company

Andrea — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:18:15 +0000

The Amber Moves Difference

What makes one removal company differ from another? Essentially we all have removal men and vans and charge for our service to move your home.

The difference is in the level of service and the staff we employ. We pride ourselves on not using casual labour – all our staff have been with the company for an average of 5 years. They are highly skilled, personable gentlemen who understand family life and the stresses and strains of moving. Nothing is ever a problem, and they have a totally different work ethic to the average removal man.

A client recently found an article on a removal company and sent it to us, saying “I saw this and thought it described your company perfectly!” Here are a few extracts from the article:

They discovered the local furniture removals industry seemed to only hire tattoo adorned, singlet wearing, sweat-laden workers with ‘experience’ in removals. Frankly, not the sort of people a lady alone at home might feel comfortable with.

So Adam and Karlee decided to hire their removalists WITHOUT this industry experience. They looked for applicants they’d feel comfortable having in their home, even when they’re not there. Family men usually. Karlee said she could pick them in seconds. Something she was sure, every other women would be feeling too. BIG difference.

“Take the insurance policies on removals. What does the industry do? They give you a long document with heaps of fine print and loads of exclusions and YOU have to wear a $500 excess if you claim on THEIR damage! Our insurance policy is simple. If we break it or damage it, we’ll replace it. No argument. It’s not the client’s problem. Damaging their furniture is OUR problem.”

The other area where we differ to the standard removal company is the quoting process. We believe in a charging system, similar to other professionals such as accountants and solicitors. Quoting an hourly rate offers the client greater flexibility as so much can change between booking the move and moving day. The totally transparent charging system allows the client to change their requirements, rewarding them with a lower bill on the day if in fact there is less to be packed or moved. There are no exclusions or hidden small print in our quotes. Look out for phrases such as “basic removal service “ – this implies that the move is blanket wrap only. We use export bubblewrap for glass and special pieces, plastic mattress covers and purpose made covers for all furniture. Carpets and stairwells are protected as a matter of course.

The main difference is not what the removal company promises; it is what the removal company delivers. On every occasion, we exceed all expectations.

Stock collections for Charity

Andrea — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:11:42 +0000

We are currently working on a project with Save the Children to set up a stock collection system as part of the removal service. We are hoping to extend this to all reputable removal companies across the country via a new web service.

The Charity relies on stock for their shops. They estimate that one sack is worth £30 to them.

The benefit to the home mover is that they can have a good sort out before the move, and the hassle of getting it to the charity shop is taken away by the removal company. We all mean to drop things off but never quite get round to it and moving home is the perfect opportunity.

We are currently looking for any feedback and your views on this service, so please post your comments or get in touch if you’d like to be involved in our very exciting project.

Busy home moving period right up till Christmas

Andrea — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:01:16 +0000

The moving market is surprisingly bouyant as home movers try to complete and be settled in time for Christmas. We have had a big upsurge in bookings for December and expect to be working right up to Xmas Eve. It is predominantly large family homes in the London area although we have seen a trend of people trading up by moving out of the London area.

The run up to the year end and xmas is always stressful and of course do you put up the decorations or pack them? Family life has to carry on and with the time between exchange and completion so short, it’s hard to know how to plan for your move.

Our advice is always to start clearing and sorting. Have an advance delivery of packing cartons, as you may as well box up those things that aren’t essential thus making the packing up of your house much easier once you get that phone call that says it’s all on.

How do you clear and sort and where should it all go? Good old Ebay is always the first place to start as the extra cash will come in handy. The alternative is to try the website Freecyle – post up your unwanted items, and give them away in return for having them collected.

The charities are always looking for stock as this is the lifeblood of their shops. Remember that they don’t want items they can’t sell – good quality clothing that you never wear, books, kids toys and bric a brac are always appreciated.

As a reputable removal company with strong ethics, we are happy to drop your donations off the local charity shop.

How to compare removal quotes

Andrea — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:20:59 +0000

In tough times, everyone shops around for the best deal and price is paramount. Recently one of our clients gave us a quote she had received from aonther company.

On the face of it, it did seem that our quote was double the other company. On closer inspection this is what we found buried in the small print, or not mentioned:

The quote only allowed for a “blanket wrap” meaning that every piece of furniture would only be loosely covered in a removal blanket during transit. Our service offers special, and in some cases, export wrapping for every piece of furniture. Sofas and mattress are put into special canvas covers, picture and mirrors are bubbled and carded, plasma screen tv’s get moved with a purpose-made protective cover.

Packing boxes were supplied on a deposit basis. There was no provision for white paper for wrapping crockery or bubblewrap for special pieces.

The dismantling and reassembly service was restricted to beds only, implying that the customer would have to dismantle and reassemble all the other pieces.

Storage was quoted per container however the small print suggested that there would be a requirement for 6 containers. Further down the quote was mention of a handling charge on each container however the amount was not specified.

Parking arrangements were clearly the responsibility of the customer. Wherever possible we try to make these arrangments for our moving clients.

There were a number of optional extras such as cancellation waiver, waititng time waiver and disposal. We have considered offering these charges but believe they are a bit like “extended warrantees” – not worth the paper they’re written on and really just another opportunity to make money.

At Amber Moves we pride ourselves on our transparant quoting and the fair calculation of the bill at the end of the job based on the actual work carried out. This way our clients have flexibility and can have extra or unexpected work done or perhaps, even do more preparation in advance of the move, to bring the final bill down.

Helpful Tips for Moving Home

Andrea — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:17:24 +0000

How to pack videos on YouTube

Andrea — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:04:15 +0000

I’ve just found some great videos on how to pack for your move on You Tube.

A removal company in Vancouver has produced videos on:

How to pack books

How to pack lampshades

How to pack clothing

How to pack glass

How to pack pictures and mirrors

Follow this link,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NBmUxX58_w

Post your feedback, we’d love to hear what you think of them. Even better, if you’d like to star in our videos, we’re always on the look out for budding stars!

How to organise a house move

Andrea — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:34:48 +0000

I always tell our clients, “no matter how awful it seems, you will be settled in the new house in a few weeks, and all the stress will be a distant memory”.

The truth is that it is the run-up to the move that is stressful, not the actual removal day. The key, like everything else in life, is to surround yourself with good people. Make sure you have the best solicitors doing the conveyancing so there are no snags on the day with money going through and collecting the keys to your new property.

Ask and delegate. Your removal company can organise the parking suspensions for you so let them. You can have a packing service the day before your move – so treat yourself. You can book a cleaning company to clean both the old and new house – you will have more than enough to do without trying to do a full spring clean.

There are a number of websites now that offer a change of address service, such as Iammoving.com – use it, it’s free!

Have a good clear out and ask your removal company to drop these items off at the charity shop.

Book an online grocery delivery service to your new home for the first evening in your house.

Above all choose a reputable, preferably recommended, removal company and make sure you have a contract and fully agreed what is required on your move. Choose a company that offers a flexible service as moving is never straight forward and your requirements may change many times between the initial booking and the actual removal day.

Perhaps not the most organised move!

Can we recommend a pre-move cleaning service?

Andrea — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:59:31 +0000

We work with a number of partners to offer additional services and benefits to both our home moving and office move clients. One of the most frequent requests is for a cleaning service.

We recommend Evaclean, a company who has the same values and high level of service we have. They have kindly provided their details to assist you in your choice of cleaning company.

Evaclean Ltd is a commercial company which provide excellent commercial industrial and domestic cleaning services for:

Private properties;
Office buildings;
Schools;
Nurseries;
Churches;
Hospitals;
Surgeries;
Shops;
Factories; and
Homes

We also clean carpets and upholstery professionally either on a regular contract basis or as a one-off cleaning service.

We understand our clients’ needs, and can ensure you receive a high quality and reliable service. Our high standards are helping us to grow rapidly.

Evaclean believes that the services we provide for you ought to be of a high standard in cleaning and ironing with a friendly professional service by highly trained and motivated staff.

What Makes Evaclean Outstanding?

We have a strict vetting process when we employ new cleaners so that our clients can be confident in using Evaclean. We don’t take everyone who is looking for a job to work for us.

What Are the Benefits of Using Our Service?

Your cleaner will be fully vetted;
You receive full support from a professional cleaning agency;
Your cleaner and you premises will be monitored by our inspector to ensure your satisfaction; and
You will have the comfort of knowing that your home is being cleaned using your chosen cleaning materials;
You get temporary cover if your cleaner is unavailable for any reason;
You will have the continuity of the same regular cleaner;

To find more about our services please visit

www.evaclean.co.uk or call 02088290811.

A stress-free moving experience

Andrea — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:53:09 +0000

Another happy moving customer…..

Hi Andrea

I just wanted to thank you and all your team for being so absolutely brilliant on Monday and in the build-up to my move. I was braced for the whole moving experience to be stressful and unpleasant, but Matthew, Robert and Levente made it incredibly easy. Special thanks for managing to get the piano down the stairs with a huge amount of difficulty and effort but without a single complaint.

I’ll certainly be recommending you to everyone I possibly can!

Thanks again
Best wishes
Alison

Amber Moves Home

Andrea — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 07:57:25 +0000

Our exciting project, a storybook about moving home to colour in, is really coming together. We have produced a beautiful, heart-warming story about moving home, for children to colour in. We’re hoping to publish the book and sell it through Amazon and the Save the Children shops amongst others.

All the profits will be donated to Save the Children, and it certainly is a first for a removal company. This is just one of our many exciting projects we have coming up. This is all part of our bid to change the face of the removals industry and raise the perceptions and profile.

The Busiest Weekend for Removals

Andrea — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:21:51 +0000

Tradtionally the month of August, and especially the Bank Holiday weekend have alwasy been the busiest time of the year for people moving house. Moving in and around London can often prove difficult especially if the job is in the vicinity of the Nottinghill Carnival. Families and couples will take advantage of the long weekend to get moved and sorted before going back to work and school.

This weekend is proving to be particularly busy with Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday all fully booked and the last minute enquiries keep coming in.

A lovely recommendation from a removal

Andrea — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:33:39 +0000

Hi Andrea

I’ll certainly be recommending you to everyone I possibly can!

Thanks again
Best wishes
Alison

This is a copy of an email I received today from a lady we moved within London. High praise indeed!

Our charity work

Andrea — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:40:36 +0000

Another side of our business that we don’t often boast about. On my most removals, there is always items to get rid of as the family moving home, takes the opportunity to have a good clear out.

Andrew collects everything up and once a month does a charity boot fair. Mainly because it’s his hobby and he actually enjoys car boot sales but also because it’s a crying shame to take these items to the tip. These days its all about recyling and not land fill.

Our boot fairs are a great success and the Amber Moves van is eagerly awaited for by the regulars! On average we manage to raise between £300 and £500 at each event, and all for a good cause.

Go ahead, Donate don’t dump!

BNI Referrals

Andrea — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 09:23:31 +0000

Andrew and are I are both members of BNI – The business referral organisation. It has been a been a valuable tool for our business as we have been able to recommend subsidiary services to our client, such as cleaning, computer support and insurance and in return, we have been very fortunate to receive referrals for our removals work.

One of the referrrals wrote us this lovely testimonial….

“I’d have no hesitation in recommending anyone to use Amber Moves – they’re simply the best removal company I’ve ever used. They made a stressful experience as painless and easy as possible. The moving team were pleasant, courteous and careful with our belongings – nothing was too much trouble. The whole process went smoothly and quickly and before they left, they were particularly keen to ensure that everything was placed exactly where we wanted it in every room. Full marks – I will certainy be using them again for my next move.”