Hiring a Man With a Van in Brent Instead of a Traditional Moving Company
Is it a good idea to hire a man with a van in Brent instead of a traditional removals company?
George – owner of Your Man With A Van Brent, shares his 25+ years of knowledge.
Traditional removal companies are generally more expensive than hiring an independent light removals operator for one simple reason and it is not professionalism over amateurism; it is all about resources that are allocated to your move.
Generally, a Man with a Van will charge an hourly rate. There may be a minimum call out of a certain number of hours or it may be based on a fixed price. When you call you may be asked a few questions to determine whether 1 man or 2 men would be sufficient or whether more men will be needed to complete your move in a reasonable time. On occasions more than one van may be appropriate. At Your Man With A Van we are all experienced movers and when a job comes in that we feel we cannot tackle with consummate ease we work together. In fact, that is our motto ” STRONGER TOGETHER”. We get the work done efficiently; so having the right crew members is paramount. It isn’t about making up the numbers, it is about each member making his contribution.
If you give us a removal job from Manchester to London as an example, we would likely give you a fixed price quote for the day. If it is debatable whether everything will fit the van or the weight limit may be breached then we will very often secure a second van to take what would not go into the first van and we would flag this up when we quote you.
The hourly rate is the fairest way to price up a job and very often the best way if you want to save even more money – it is the Art of the Deal if you do one thing. Prepare. Box everything up so it can be stacked in the van. If you are going into storage appropriate boxing up of possessions is the key to using the space in the storage unit. Use archive boxes or smaller boxes for paperwork. Use large boxes for less heavy items. Make use of wardrobe boxes so you do not have to iron your clothes again after your move.
Where a customer fails to prepare, this takes extra time and time is the most scarce of resources. I cannot stress enough how important packing is, badly protected items are far more likely to suffer scuffs and the like, while parts like the TV’s remote control or the kettle’s power cord are easily misplaced if not packed and labelled.
While every move is different, only you can find the best solution. You can ask advice or you can simply take a punt and book the person who you liked most. My advice here is due diligence, look at reviews and make sure you speak to the person doing the job for you.
Before you make your choice ask some questions and if you are not sure follow up the question. If you are told it is a two hour minimum ask when does the time start and end, if you take a break will you stop the clock? Beware of depot charges and mileage that was not discussed in the first place. It may be best to routinely ask if there is a charge for mileage at the quote stage.
Lastly, parking is becoming more and more difficult. Very often you can avoid a parking fine by going to your council website and making a booking for the van to use a residents bay to load up. This ensures your move can be packed as quickly and efficiently as possible by helping the moving van to park as close to your property as possible.
At Your Man With A Van Brent, we take our customer service seriously and will always go above and beyond to provide a stress free moving experience. We’re always happy to answer questions and provide advice to help you plan and prepare for your move too – just reach out.
George from Your Man With A Van Brent
29 years experience in the removals industry
Reach out to us here and find out more if you’re moving home in Brent.