Nobody plans a house move at half ten at night because they want to.
They do it because it’s the first quiet half hour of the day. The kids are down, the washing up’s done, and the move is still sitting there on the calendar.
So that’s when the list gets made. Boxes. Who’s having the sofa. Whether the van will fit down the lane. What time the keys come through, and what happens if they come through late.
We’ve been doing this since 2010, and we’ve heard every item on that list. Here are the straight answers, so you can put the pen down.
“I don’t know what it’s going to cost”
Most of our work is priced by the hour, with a day rate on bigger or longer jobs. We think hourly is the fairer way round, because a smaller job genuinely costs you less and you only ever pay for the hours worked. We don’t over-inflate prices.
What you should do with any mover, us included, is ask four things and get the answers in writing. The rate. Any minimum. What’s included. And what would change it.
A firm that won’t put that in a message is telling you something. If you’d like those answers from us, get a free quote.
“What if the keys come through late?”
This one keeps more people awake than anything else, and it’s a reasonable worry.
Completion can happen any time from about 10am to 4pm depending on how long your chain is. Under the standard contract terms, sellers usually have until 1pm to be out, or 2pm in a long chain.
So yes, it can run late. The answer is to tell your branch early that you’re in a chain, rather than on the morning. Then they can plan the day around it, whether that means loading first and waiting, starting earlier, or splitting a long move over two days.
“Will the van actually fit?”
Tell us the awkward bits when you book. The lane with the passing place. The flats where the lift is the size of a phone box. The street that’s permit only. The house where the only parking is forty feet from the door.
None of that is a problem if we know. All of it is more difficult if we find out at half eight in the morning.
Your branch is owned and run by someone local, so there’s a good chance they already know the street. A national firm, or a company that contracts the work out, may not.
“How much should I pack myself?”
As much or as little as you like. Some people pack everything and want us to carry. Some want us to pack for them. Both are normal.
If you’re packing yourself, the two rules that matter: tape the bottom of every box properly rather than folding the flaps, and put heavy things in small boxes. Books in a big box is how backs and boxes both give out.
Label by the room it’s going to, not the room it came from. On moving day that one habit will save you an hour.
And if you want us to do some or all of the packing, just let us know in advance. Our packing service can take as much of it off your hands as you like.
“What if something gets damaged?”
Ask any mover what insurance they carry, and ask them to tell you in writing. Goods in transit cover is the one that protects your belongings while they’re in the van.
It’s a fair question and nobody decent will mind being asked it.
“Will they turn up?”
The honest answer is that you can’t know for certain about anyone you’ve never used. What you can do is read the reviews properly.
Don’t just look at the number. Look at what people actually mention. Across our network there are more than 3,800 reviews and a 99% five star rating, and the two things that come up over and over are turning up on time and keeping people in the loop.
That’s not an accident. It’s the whole job.
“What if my date moves?”
It happens all the time, and it’s rarely anybody’s fault. Chains slip, solicitors wait on paperwork, a lender takes an extra day.
Tell your branch as soon as you know. The earlier you say, the easier it is to find you another date that works.
“Am I going to be stood there doing nothing?”
A bit, hopefully.
The best thing you can do on the day is be the person who knows where everything goes. Stand at the new front door and point. Keep the kettle, the mugs and the teabags in your car rather than in the van. Have a bag packed for the first night so you’re not opening boxes at ten at night looking for a toothbrush.
One more thing worth knowing
If you work for the NHS, the police, fire or ambulance service, thank you. Your Blue Light Card takes 10% off your move with us.
The same goes for serving military personnel through the Defence Discount Service, and for students with a valid ID. The thanks comes first. The 10% is just how we say it.
What it comes down to
Most of what’s on that half ten list isn’t actually yours to carry.
The lifting, the blankets, the awkward wardrobe on the turn of the stairs, the bit where somebody has to reverse a Luton onto a narrow street. That’s our job, and our team have done it hundreds of times.
Your job is to tell us what’s going where, and put the kettle on.
With 70+ branches across the UK there’s usually one near you. Find your nearest branch and send them a message with your date and roughly what you’ve got, and you’ll have a straight answer on price and availability to cross off the list.
Then you can stop making that list at half ten at night.
Written by Cat Robson-Scarborough, co-founder of Your Man With A Van.
