Essex Removal Company, A J Stephenson Removals


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My Company A J Stephenson Removals, are founding members of the National Guild of Removers and Storers, and are Ombudsman approved. With over 30 years experience in Removals and Storage I am happy to offer help and advice regarding any aspect of moving you may have. I have written a unique report on removals titled "The Top Ten Removals and Storage Disasters to Avoid"! which is Free and available from my website, or by following this link. I have reciently been awarded the `ACE` Award (Annual Certificate of Excellence) from the Guild, for our consistant customer satisfaction record.







I will post regular blogs regarding different aspects of moving, please follow me and you will recieve these updates as they are posted.





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Thanks for your Interest. Alan Stephenson



Monday 20 February 2012

What kind of mover are you?

Moving home is not as straight forward as you may think, or not as the case may be!  There are many variations and considerations when moving. Listed below are some of  the various types of moves and any potential problems associated with them.

Completion Day Moves

Moving locally- This is the most common type of move. On the moving day the funds will come up through the chain starting with the first time buyer and depending on the length of the chain and the length of solicitors lunch! could mean you don't get yours keys until late in the day. Your remover will need to have you packed and loaded by about 1pm but may not be able to unload until later in the afternoon for this reason most will charge waiting time charges and some will offer a waiting time charges waiver, we offer this and it is usually around £35 + VAT. This will cover these costs should they arise.
The other problem we come across on completion day is waiting for the new property to vacate. Not everyone books a professional remover some opt for a man and van or even worse decide to move themselves. This usually involves a delay as the workload is usually underestimated and can severely delay the move, causing one of our major frustrations. There is a more detailed account of this happening  in my report on Removals & Storage, called "The top Ten removals and Storage disasters to Avoid" Chapter 7 "True Stories"

Moving Long distance- All the above are still true but as there are implications regarding driving hours and nights out we try to avoid the unexpected. If your move is roughly between 40-200 miles away we will usually load on completion day and park the vehicle inside our warehouse for security and set off early the following day. This will involve the client finding accommodation for one night or just roughing it with a pump up mattress! this is a very popular option because it avoids the delays associated with completion day and most clients of ours that have done this have felt that it is much more relaxed and allows them to give the property a really good clean ahead of all the furniture & effects arriving.

For moves over 200 miles we will generally load on completion day and travel up staying overnight usually outside the property. The crew will usually stay with the vehicle in the special sleeping area of the lorry ready to unload the following morning. Essential items can be unloaded when they get there such as beds & essential supplies. Its very important that you make arrangements for the keys to be made available should you have a delay on your journey and very important that you don't wait around at the old address waiting for the money to transfer, instead once you have cleaned the property, drop off the keys to your estate agent and get on the road. If you don't you may be too late to collect the keys for the new property and your remover may have to wait until the following morning when the Estate Agent opens possibly adding additional costs.

Moving from or to Rented

This type of move is becoming more common as people find they are unable to get mortgages and so rent while they save for deposits etc, by definition this type of move is better for removers as there is no delay for the completion and release of keys, however there are still potential delays. The main one is the delay caused when the handover is done on the moving day, this can be up to 3 hours long and some agents will not allow any items moved in until they have completed the hand over. It is always a good idea if possible to get an overlap between properties, this will allow time to get the handover done the day before moving and also if it is a big move will allow removal of goods over a longer period of time which could reduce your moving costs and will certainly reduce your stress. By arranging an overlap and maximising the flexibility of your move you are more likely to get the remover you want.

Moving into or out of store

Loading into containerised store involves more work than the usual completion day or rented move as the removal company will have to wrap the furniture and complete an inventory both of which add time to the process. We offer containerised storage and it is very convenient as the storage containers are brought to your property on a specialist vehicle and are lifted off with a forklift. This method reduces the handling as when the items are returned the forklift loads the containers back on to the lorry. So in effect your goods are handled twice instead of 4 times like you would  if you went into a self store site. Loading containers also takes longer than loading loose into a lorry. For theses reasons we always try to load most if not all of the goods the day before completion. When delivering from store we very rarely deliver on completion day as there are potential delays, we often deliver days or even weeks after completion as many clients take the opportunity to carry out work on the new property without all the furniture in the way.

Whatever your type of removal we will be happy to assist and offer advice to make your move as smooth as possible.  Either call 01277 653268 or email info@ajstephenson.com  or visit http://www.ajstephensonremovals.co.uk/