When you first look for a company to help, it can be a minefield for the inexperienced (and unless you move house every few years, that’s most of us!). That’s why it can be helpful to have a guide on how your quote might be calculated, especially when you’re faced with quotes that vary wildly. For example, some companies will charge for extras, and others – like us – will offer the same as part of our standard package. Additionally, while we can give you a rough estimate on the phone, a free-of-charge home survey will narrow it down to the exact penny; and you’re under no obligation to accept it either!
Here’s how we go about calculating your quote:
● How much stuff have you got?
A three-bedroomed house with a garage and shed is going to hold more stuff than a two-bedroomed flat. We’ll need a bigger vehicle for the former. Also, loading and unloading will take longer, which will be factored into the cost for your removals Swindon quote.
● Do you need furniture dismantled/reassembled?
Sometimes, this is a two or three-man job. Let us know if you need us to include this in your quote.
● Access
This is one of the biggest ones, as it can be one of the most time-consuming parts of your move. If we can park right outside your house, there’s clearly less work for us than if we can’t get into your driveway, and have to carry your belongings from your house to the street. Other factors include whether there are steps up to your property, and if you’re in a flat, which floor you’re on and whether there’s a lift or not. For example, three floors up with no lift is going to need more manpower. Less common but still essential for us to know is are there any height or weight restrictions close to your property that might restrict normal access, or affect the vehicles we can use. NB: We need to know these things for the other end of the move as well!
● Distance
Most moves are within the same town, even the same postcode, but the costs will obviously be very different for a 20 mile move than for a move from one end of the country to the other.
● Rental, or Purchase?
rental moves are often quicker as you will have the keys in advance of your move. When buying there are likely to be delays waiting for the keys, especially if completion and the move date are the same as is most often the case. However, we don’t charge extra if we have to wait for the keys.
● Do you need us to pack and unpack for you?
● Do you need us to pack and unpack for you?If you’ve still got a busy job and a family to juggle as well as planning your move, you might find a packing service to be the most valuable thing you pay for, and actually the cost that brings you most value in return.
● Anything heavy?
Some home gym equipment and stone garden furniture needs to be factored into the cost, as it may take extra manpower to lift it. Also, if you have a piano, we need to know as much as we can; is it a grand or an upright, and does it have a metal, wooden, or fibreglass frame. That can affect the weight a great deal.
● The sentimental stuff
All of your belongings are valuable to us as your mover, and we treat them all with equal care. However, if anything needs special attention, such as extra wrapping, separate crating, or just careful watching, let us know.
● Are you on a deadline to leave your current home?
Chains tend to mean that many people are moving on the same day, and that can mean speedy packing and unpacking with no hanging about. If we need extra manpower to effect a quick loading time, that will affect the cost.
● Do you need insurance as part of the quote?
Insurance is important, and moving without it isn’t advisable. However, unlike many other movers, we include it in the cost. For us, it simply isn’t an extra!
Of course, we can only give you a completely accurate quote if you contact us and we come round and view your house for ourselves. The most important factors are quantity, access, distance, and timing; the rest we can work out to give you the most cost-effective quote for your move, delivered by a team of professionals who care about your belongings as if they were their own.