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Original poster

How to ensure enough space for removals lorry?

14 replies

KirstyJC · 31/01/2011 15:21

Hi Guys

We are hoping to move house next week (fingers crossed we exchange this week) and I am unsure about how the removals lorry will fit in the road for the new house.

It is a narrow road in an old village centre, with enough space to park on one side and just about get a car down the other. One end of the road is especially narrow and you need to take care just getting a car through if others are parked.

I read the removals blurb and it says that the lorry is the size of a double-decker bus and needs up to 6 parking spaces!Shock Now leaving aside how they will actually get to the road itself (think manic village parking randomly in the streets) how the heck do I go about making sure there is space for it? I have never used removal company before so this hasn't arisen before.

It's a very short and narrow road, so it's not just that we need space outside the new house - if ANY cars are parked anywhere along the entire road it would likely mean the lorry wouldn't fit through at all.

Is it considered acceptable to write polite, friendly notes and stick them through the neighbours' doors? Or on the cars that are parked in the street? Or both? It is not far away so I could pop over one afternoon once date is confirmed. Is it unrealistic of me to expect a completely clear road (I suspect so!) and in this case, what the heck do we do? It has to get into the road somehow! Do I sneak around on the morning of moving day with bollards, waiting for a car to leave? And where do you get bollards anyway?? Confused

Help!

OP posts:
crystalglasses · 31/01/2011 15:30

This must be a fairly common problem although I haven't got a solution. How many car spaces are we talking about? You could start by phoning your local council highways department for advice, even if it's to ask where you can get some bollards from.
I would knock on your neighbours door and speak to them and then put another reminder note through their doors and on the windscreens the night before.

bamboobutton · 31/01/2011 15:35

someone on our road drew on the pavement with chalk, marking out the space for the lorry with a polite message to leave space every car length.

it worked for them.

scurryfunge · 31/01/2011 15:39

Ask the local council -they will arrange cones for you. Give them plenty of notice. I would also send a polite request to neighbours asking them to move their vehicles for the day. If the lorry was parked further away, would it be such an inconvenience to the removal people? Afterall, you are paying for them.

Bertina · 31/01/2011 15:42

What scurryfunge said about local council - also ask your vendors what they're doing, how they're approaching neighbours etc.

MrsSharp · 31/01/2011 15:43

If I were you, I would spend a bit of time knocking on doors a few days before. I am sure your neighbours would appreciate the effort you'd made and think you were being considerate and polite. And say that if they don't mind, you'll be putting up a few cones up the morning you move in, just to make sure. I'd want to do everything I could to make sure I didn't pee off my neighbours.

Good luck - a hassle you don't need when you're moving!

CMOTdibbler · 31/01/2011 15:51

Our last move, there was nowhere to put the big lorry in our road, so they used a van to shuttle the boxes to the main road.

Call them and talk about it - they will prob need to do this

Original poster
KirstyJC · 31/01/2011 15:53

Oooh, good idea about phoning the council, I hadn't thought of that! Not sure how many spaces it is but at least 15 or so for the whole road I would think.

Scurryfunge - it's not so much about inconveniencing the removals men if they can't park outside, more a case of if they can't park in that road they won't be able to park anywhere - all the nearby roads are really narrow and full of cars at all times!
Think higledy-pigledy roads not designed with cars in mind! (Let alone lorries!!)

I am happy to knock on doors as well so maybe a combination of that with a reminder note might work. I don't want to annoy the neighbours as we are planning to live there for many years and it would be awful to get of on the wrong foot!!

The vendors have already moved out to rented so I think I have lost the opportunity to check with them. Shame I didn't think about this earlier!Sad

We would only need the space for a few hours I would think, theoretically from 12 noon until 7.30 but I expect it would be less time than that as I understand the professionals are much quicker at unloading and unpacking than us homeowners Grin.

Will call the council. Thanks! Smile

OP posts:
Original poster
KirstyJC · 31/01/2011 15:56

CMOTDibbler - X posted with you there. I hadn't thought of that either but I will speak to removals company to find out what they do in these cirecumstances, just in case. Did you have to pay extra for this? The wording on the quote is quite vague but does specify that it assumes we would sort out the space etc.

Although, the main road is not much better but a double decker bus DOES go along it so there is room.......although prob wouldn't be enough for a lorry as well as the bus.....arrghhh

OP posts:
Bertina · 31/01/2011 15:59

Is it worth ringing the estate agent, to see if they have any useful tips?

minibmw2010 · 31/01/2011 16:01

Or maybe you could knock on one of the neighbours doors and ask them what the previous owners did and what they'd suggest (as they've lived there far longer). They may be quite helpful, you never know .. but its possible that without the knocking that they'll just ignore notes off a person they've never met.

CMOTdibbler · 31/01/2011 16:13

No, they just did it - is there anywhere they could park up ? Think it was all part of the premove survey

Original poster
KirstyJC · 31/01/2011 16:23

I have just managed to arrange going round to the new house this evening to measure up for new furniture etc and the previous owner will be meeting me there (apparently he moved nearby). I will ask him what they did when they moved in/out!!

Have just re-read the quote and it says that the largest vehicle they have is double-decker sized, so maybe they have smaller ones they can use? Our biggest thing is the settee or maybe the bed but other houses must these so it must be do-able!?!

Tried to find the council phoneline but their website is rubbish - kept trying to direct me to the live traffic updates which is not what I want at all!! Depending on what the owner says tonight I will do some more phoning tomorrow - council, removals company and estate agents.

Thanks to all for suggestions - I expect I will end up knocking on doors and writing notes too. Smile I will have to practice my friendly face and hope they like the look of me! Hmm I am 32 weeks pregnant too so maybe that will help win them over!

OP posts:
JumpJockey · 31/01/2011 16:28

We're in a narrow terrace and people usually get the council to put up yellow signs saying "parking suspended outside houses nos. 110-120, on 1st Feb, reason: moving van" and if people park there they get ticketed. Unfortuantely once in a while someone leaves their car but if you give enough notice (and also knock on doors!) it should be ok. Good luck!

scaryteacher · 01/02/2011 11:09

Van up to main road to put stuff in lorry for our move out of Cornish village as well. I assume the process will be repeated when we move back to UK.

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