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Removals - what you need to know

They say the 3 most stressful things in life are death, divorce and moving house. We can’t help with the first 2 but we can definitely help with the last one.

Removal companies supply a range of services. They can simply arrive and put all your boxes and furniture into a suitably-sized vehicle, then whisk it away to your new place, unloading the boxes into the desired rooms.

Many removal companies also offer full and partial packing services. With a full packing service you don’t have to lift a finger – they’ll arrive with bundles of boxes, bubble wrap and tape, before packing everything up. They'll even dismantle furniture and build it again on the other end – which is a godsend when you need to get to bed at the end of a long day moving house.

Partial packing services will sort anything that hasn’t been packed by the day of the move, so you can do as much as you can and leave them to take care of the rest. This is great if you’re not confident enough to pack up fragile items and valuables yourself.

The qualifications your remover needs

This isn’t a technical requirement by any means, but being a member of the British Association of Removers is a good thing to look out for with your removal company.

Companies who operate goods vehicles over a certain weight need to have a goods vehicle operators’ licence and lorry drivers need to have a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC). If you want to be diligent you can ask to see these.

What is a goods vehicle operators' licence?

You need a licence to carry goods in a lorry, van or other vehicle with either:

• A gross plated weight (the maximum weight that the vehicle can have at any one time) of over 3,500 kg.
• An unladen weight of more than 1,525 kg (where there is no plated weight).

Find out more here.

What is a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC)?

For removals companies who use lorries, their drivers need to have a CPC, which is a professional driving qualification for large vehicles. They also need to be over 18 (with some exceptions) and have a full driving licence.

Insurance for removal jobs

Removals companies should have public liability insurance that covers them against injury or damage.

Information a removal company needs from you

• Where do the goods need to be picked up from?
• Where are the goods moving to?
• How many bedrooms does the current property have?
• How many bedrooms does the property have where you’re moving?
• Do you require storage, and if so, for how long?
• Do you need mobile storage?
• Timing and date of the move (if possible). The earlier you can provide this, the better.

What is mobile storage?

With mobile storage, a removals company will arrive with a secure trailer for you to put anything you want stored. They then take this trailer and store it as it is, so the boxes don’t need to be moved or handled multiple times. The next time the boxes move from the storage trailer, it’s into your new home.

Questions you should ask a removals company

• What services do you provide? Full / part packing. Re-building furniture at new house etc.
• Do they have public liability insurance and what does this cover?
• How long have they been trading for?
• Are they a member of the British Association of Removers?
• Do they have a goods vehicle operators’ licence?
• Do their drivers have a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC)?

Using a professional removals company

We surveyed 2,000 people about their experience of moving home. See the results here.

Everyone has a story about moving house and our staff are no different. Watch this video to see why most people recommend getting help, along with a few tips for the big day.