Long distance removals

[readytosell]

Hopefully not a stupid question but if you're moving long distance (about 100 miles) do you use removals firm local to where you're going from or going to? Or is there no real protocol?

I used a local one from where I was moving from, into storage then out of storage to new home in a different county.

I used one local to where I was moving from. They packed the vans the day before and stored them in their secure compound overnight, then drove across next morning. It was great, very low stress. I stayed with my parents near my new house overnight, if I couldn't have done that they'd have left me with a bed and enough stuff for the night, then popped it on the van in the morning.

@minniemoll

I used one local to where I was moving from. They packed the vans the day before and stored them in their secure compound overnight, then drove across next morning. It was great, very low stress. I stayed with my parents near my new house overnight, if I couldn't have done that they'd have left me with a bed and enough stuff for the night, then popped it on the van in the morning.

We did exactly this (except we stayed in the old house and they packed up the bed, sofa and TV on the way to the new place) and will do it that way again when we relocate (again!) next year.

I used local and they also stored the bulk of my stuff for what should have been two weeks but turned in to eight. Now I've got my stuff back I think that I could do even more editing of possessions!

Based on my experience from running a removal company, it's better to use a local company from where you're currently based rather than using a company located near the new property.

For long-distance moves, a local company would usually load the vans or trucks on the day before the move and keep them in a secure yard overnight. On moving day, they'll drive first thing in the morning to the new property to unload.

If you did it the other way around, and depending on where the removal team are coming from, they might not reach your old property until late morning or early afternoon. If you're selling the property and need to be vacated by 1pm on completion day, this wouldn't be possible.

When I did this, I used a national (Pickfords), and they were really good. Mind you, my situation was a bit different, as I needed them to store my belongings for a few months while I lived with family/house hunted in the new location. But it all worked out very well.

When we moved we had a problem because of logistics which meant all our stuff being moved from the initial pantechnican, into the company's warehouse overnight, then into smaller lorries the following day. After we'd moved in and (partially) unpacked we realised there were several boxes missing. When we contacted the company we had to say what was in the boxes. Well......we hadn't kept a note of what was in each box, neither were the boxes labelled with our names.................To make a claim on the insurance we had only a couple of days grace. So that was that.
So, label all your boxes, maybe number them, and keep a note of what's in them if the move is complicated.

It can be worth getting rough quotes from both. If you are moving from a high priced area to a lower one, the firm from where you are moving to can be cheaper.

Probably easier to get ones local to where you are moving from. Otherwise you’ll be asking companies to make a 200 mile round trip trip to give you a quote, when they might not even get the work.