so how much notice do a removals firm need?

[queenrollo]

our position so far is that we expect to move the last week in July. There are two more very simple things to tie up and then we should exchange and complete. But because i haven't got an actual date yet i don't want to tempt fate by booking a removals firm.

Are they used to dealing with this stuff at the last minute or should i get phoning round now?
We're packing everything ourselves so they just need to load and unload the van.

I'd ring round to get quotes so you know who you're going to ring and maybe give them the heads up that you're hoping to move last week of July. They'll be use to dealing with the vaguaries of completions ! Then book it once you've exchanged - providing there's likely to be time inbetween.

dp has just emailed our solicitor to put a rocket up her. She has known for 2 months that we had to complete by the end of July or we are homeless. I'm going to phone a couple of companies tomorrow, though i just had a lightbulb moment and remembered a friend's dad runs a removals firm so i think i'll call them first might get a good deal off them

They're not as busy as they used to be, that's for sure. Ring and explain, they'll be used to it.

Ring round, get quotes, then they can do less than 2 weeks notice. Last move we had slightly less than that, and it was a two day move with packing

depends where you are I suppose. I got one at 2 days notice but that's in london

If it is the end of this month, you need to check out who has availability. It would be a shame to complete and have no-one to move you.

On our last move I had everything arranged for a mid-month move, as agreed, and the buyers solicitor was incredibly slow. I ended up phoning the buyer on the Friday before we moved on the Thursday and telling him that if we didn't exchange that day, I was cancelling the removal firm. It got them going...

They are quite flexible - not that busy at the moment etc plus other moves fall through etc. I had to move the moving date three times once and they never twitched...or charged extra!

If you get a good one with lots of vans they can often be more flexible. We moved 8 years ago when the market was fairly busy and we not only changed date several times we also changed location and at one stage it looked as though we would be moving out from where we were and putting all our stuff in storage with the removal firm while we spent a week in a hotel, I was fraught but the removals company took the whole thing in their stride.

i'm going to phone my friends dad to have a chat with him about it all. If needs be we can hire a van and have friends who also have vans and are willing and able to help us move. Because we're in rented accomodation we should have over a week to get our stuff shifted. We'd rather get a removals firm to do it, but if we really can't then it's not too much trouble for us.