Moving etc… Recommend Regulated Removal, Storage and Shipping Companies in the UK

Trying to Find a Furniture Removals Company?

Make the right choice.

Use a Professional Removal Firm regulated by a Removals Trade Body.

Don’t settle for anything less. Everything you own could be at risk.

Get free quotations for your home or office removal.

You care about your Personal Property, so use one of the Best Removal, Storage or Shipping Companies within the UK.

How do I set up a Removal Company?

I have had over 15 years experience within the removals industry. Both running and working for removal companies and for the last 6 years running my own removal marketing and consultancy company, Moving etc… I often get asked “How do I start up a Removal Company?”, “It looks easy and it looks like I can make good money, what do I need for setting up a Removal Firm?”.

Well the answer is yes, it is fairly easy setting up a removal company of your own. All you need is a van big enough to take large pieces of furniture, someone strong who is willing to put in the work and lift heavy items like washing machines, fridge freezers, sofas, double beds and boxes of books and transit insurance in case anything goes wrong.

Easy right? Well, yes.

So why do I only recommend regulated removal companies that belong to a removals Trade Association? Because they have much more experience, they have to have a minimum amount of money in the bank or at least a very large overdraft so they don’t go bust with your deposit before your move and also, they MUST use trained staff and have insurance cover in place in case things go wrong. Plus they offer an independent arbitration or ombudsman service if there is a dispute that you cannot settle directly with the removal company you booked to carry out your move.

But if you’re thinking of starting your own removal company, then you might as well do it right in the first place so that you do a good job for your customers and run a successful business.

First of all, if you don’t own your own removal lorry, you can hire one. But make sure it has wooden “Raves” or rails down the inside of the truck so you can secure the furniture and boxes inside. Good removal truck hire companies make sure you have all the equipment needed in them when you collect them. If the truck doesn’t have raves, it is very likely that everything inside the lorry will move about and get damaged as soon as you drive off and go over the first speed bump and round the corner!

You can contact most van hire companies, but 2 very good removal van hire companies are

www.selfdriveremovals.com
www.selfdrive-removals.com/

Make sure when you are hiring a removal lorry that your driver has the right kind of licence. Anything over 3.5T he will need a heavy goods license because the vehicles have tachographs in the (digital or manual) and he will need to know how to use them. He must also abide by set driving hours and rest periods, so he needs to know the drivers hours and working time directives.

Anything over 7.5T and the driver now needs to get his Driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence)

For good training courses, for both manual drivers and porters and office based sales and operational staff, please contact the British Association of Removers for a schedule of their Training courses.

You could also contact the National Guild of Removers and Storers who hold taister courses around the country. However, the courses run by the BAR are currently more intense and Moving etc… highly recommend to Removal Companies that you enter your staff onto a BAR recognised training course.

For more information and an insight into the removal industry, you could subscribe to the industry Trade magazine called En Route which gives helpful tips and articles on how to run a professional removal company. Please contact me directly at info@movingetc.co.uk if you would like to get a copy of this magazine as they do not currently have a website.

If you are an already established removal company, you can join the Moving etc… Network where movers can network and find trade partners, look for backloads, advertise your empty truck or container space, hire out staff, learn from each other and discuss industry issues securely online.

There are also specialist Removal Truck makers, which I will update this article soon.

You will also need an infinite supply of removal boxes and packing materials. Removal boxes can be bought at good prices on the internet, but the best boxes to use are supplied by specialist removal box suppliers. As a removal company you can contact them directly, but as an individual customer, they will probably not sell you any as they work with bulk orders which makes them more cost effective.

BAR Services
Simpson Packaging
Challenge Packaging

Next you need to contact one of the industry insurance companies who specialise in transit insurance for the removals industry. There are several to choose from but the most well known and experienced are:

Basil Fry
Reason Global
Poundgates
Jelf Group
Master Cover

They will give you a quotation based on your projected yearly revenue and how many moves you intend to carry out. This is quite hard to work out at first, but they will help you come to a good guesstimate to base the cost on. Then they will give you a cost for your bulk insurance policy per year or if you’re lucky per month. If you are serious about starting a removal company you should then choose the insurer and take out the insurance. This will then cover you and your company if something goes wrong and you cause damage to your client’s furniture and household effects. Just to note: most items that are packed by the customer are NOT insurable. This is because they have not been professionally packed and you cannot prove to the insurer that the items damaged were broken during the removal if you did not see them. Please make sure that you get clear on the terms of your insurance policy before you sell the insurance cover to your customer.

Next if you are serious about starting a removal company, hire some removal men with experience and very good references. Due to the current economic climate, there are quite a few experienced removal men who have been made redundant. However, not all of them are trustworthy and reliable. Make sure that you ALWAYS get references for your removal staff because moving people’s personal belongings and valuables can tempt even the strongest of men and test their integrity. Believe it of not, most removal men are very trustworthy, because of the situations they find themselves in everyday. Untrustworthy and unreliable people do not remain in the removal industry for very long if they do not do a good job, steal from their customers and have no integrity. So always check their references.

There are several good removal recruitment companies around including

Removal Recruitment
Alchemy Recruit
Darwin HR

Next, work out your costs and know how much you need to charge for your services. Most smaller removal companies charge an hourly fee, with a minimum of 2-3 hours. The larger companies charge a daily fee, if the move is going to take more than 4-5 hours to complete.

Obviously to work out your costs, you need to know how long the move will take for your removal men to do from start to finish. If you are not that experienced in working out how many packing boxes your customer is going to need and how long it will take to pack up and move everything safely, Moving etc… offer a removal consultancy service where we can visit your clients for you and help you work out the cost and logistics of the move. We charge a small fee for this service, but it means that you get an experienced Move Coordinator visiting your customers. Once we have seen what needs to be moved, we then send you a list of what needs moving with the total volume and the estimated number of packing boxes required. We also let you know the access details and any other information the client has given about their collection and delivery address. If your expertise is on the removal lorry and not out with the customers, selling your company, at least you know that you have experts on your side who can help and make sure your customers are looked after. For more information on our removal consultancy services, please visit our website or our blogor email us directly at info@movingetc.co.uk.

Last but not least, don’t forget to register as self employed and VAT registered with HMRC. You are then ready to start your own removal company.

Best Wishes

Jane Finch

Recommending accredited Removal Companies, Storage and Shipping Companies
And Providing Move Management Services

Burglar hired removal firm to clear woman’s home

A BURGLAR posed as a homeowner’s relative and arranged for the contents of her house to be removed and auctioned off.

David Perry, 26, had no criminal record when he decided to become a “career burglar” as a way to support his lifestyle, Nottingham Crown Court heard.

The devastated homeowner, Lisa Brown, came back from working overseas to find her house ransacked and virtually empty.

Even her Audi car had been taken and sold off.

Police tracked down some of the items to an auction house at Nottingham Cattle Market, and Ms Brown fainted as she saw them being sold.

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“It’s what I have collected and acquired as the years have gone by – it’s as if somebody has stolen your memories,” said Ms Brown, 62.

“Can you imagine seeing all your furniture and somebody bidding for it in front of you?”

Ms Brown has lived in the house in Lenton for 17 years, but now intends to move to the country.

“I have two alarm systems now but I still don’t feel safe,” she said.

“Every time the phone rings I feel somebody is going to tell me it has been burgled again. I don’t feel safe sleeping there. I literally barricade myself into the house.”

The entire contents of the ground floor of the three-storey house in Harlaxton Drive, Lenton, had been removed.

Ms Brown estimates that 60% of her home’s contents were taken and more items had been lined up to be removed at a later date.

Items taken included furniture, paintings, ornaments, antiques, dishes, cutlery and even food and bottles of wine.

“I couldn’t even imagine the extent until I walked in,” Ms Brown said.

“I didn’t have a chair or a table in the kitchen to sit on. I couldn’t have a cup of tea. I had to leave and stay in a hotel for the night.”

Perry, of no fixed address, was also present at the auction where Ms Brown fainted.

Police arrested him, and after being prosecuted he was jailed for three years and three months for offences of burglary, attempted burglary and possessing a knife.

Judge Jonathan Teare said he was guilty of an “extremely serious” type of burglary.

The judge added: “Before any of these matters came to court you were a man of good character, but when you started on a career of crime you started in a big way.”

Perry pleaded guilty to burgling the house in Harlaxton Drive, Lenton, another in Harrow, and asked for four further burglaries and one attempted burglary to be taken into consideration.

He also admitted possession of a knife in a public place, after police found him carrying the 5in blade, along with a crowbar, screwdriver and gloves.

The burglary in Lenton happened while Ms Brown was away working between January 21 and February 23.

Ms Brown praised police, who discovered that Perry had hired a removal firm to take the items in broad daylight over two days.

“They were absolutely fantastic,” she said. “I can’t tell you how wonderful they were. Very shrewd and supportive and so polite.”

Of the items stolen, Ms Brown estimates 80% have been recovered, but some were damaged.

“They literally dumped it into a van,” she said. “It’s so careless. So callous.”

Ms Brown’s car and £15,000 of items have not been recovered.

Florida’s Cities – How to Determine Which One is Right For You

Florida’s cities are some of the largest in the region, with the metropolitan area around the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area being the largest in the southeastern United States. Florida relocation is on the rise too, since so many of Florida’s cities are suffering from the depressed housing market. In 2008, Florida had the highest percentages of delinquent mortgages and foreclosures in the nation, making Florida much more inexpensive option than it once was. The senior citizen population is quite significant in Florida, and in a recent survey, over 80% of the senior citizens who responded said that they felt valued by others in their community. For all of these reasons and more, many seniors will continue to choose one of Florida’s cities for their retirement location.

If you are one of the many seniors planning a Florida relocation, then you will want to do some research to learn everything you can about Florida’s cities that you are considering. It may be helpful to start with information on the cities that have been ranked higher in lists on the best cities for retirement. For example, US News and World Report has created lists of the best places to retire by different characteristics, such as a list of the 10 brainiest, 10 low-cost, or 10 low-tax places to retire in the US. They also have lists such as the 10 best places to retire for single seniors, golf lovers, wine lovers, and many others. You can also create your own customized search tool on the site, based on characteristics like level of crime, cost of housing, etc.

Another resource for exploring Florida’s cities is to visit the city’s official website. There you can get information about the city’s amenities, events, taxation, and more. For example, if you were considering moving to Melbourne, relocation information you might want to know about is the level of health care available. A look at Melbourne’s website shows that a 62,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art medical complex is under construction right now. Or if you are thinking you might want to move to Tampa, relocation information you might care about is whether or not the city has a pedestrian-friendly downtown area. A quick view of Tampa’s website lets you know that the city is planning a river walk to revitalize the downtown waterfront and to create a place to enjoy for the citizens.

When you are deciding which of Florida’s cities will be right for you, there are some other questions you may want answers to, such as:

• What is the average crime rate in the city? What areas of the city are the safest? What areas should you avoid?
• What kinds of leisure and recreation activities are available nearby, and are they affordable? For example, if you have a boat, is there a marina with reasonable rates nearby?
• If you are planning to return to work, start a business, or invest in real estate, do the city’s statistics show that you’ll be able to achieve those goals?

Make your own list of questions and criteria, and then use it as a guide to choose which of Florida’s cities is right for you.

Expat Advice on South America – Before Relocating Ask Yourself If You Want to Live Or Thrive

The best expat advice for South America comes from expats who already have experienced relocating to South America. You must ask yourself some important questions aside from the usual questions about expat living in South America, or choosing expat retirement destinations (especially if you are moving to South America with kids!) Don’t just ask “which are the best South American expat cities?” What is right for some may not be for you.

Many expats relocate or retire overseas for financial reasons. Simply, they want to save money. Others truly want to experience a different culture. Still others are married to people of another culture and want to learn about it.

If you are considering living abroad because you want to save money, you need to be sure you choose a country that can offer you a lifestyle with which you’ll be comfortable. Expat advice: if you’re not adventurous and are not motivated to learn about other cultures, you are better off seeking out a country where you can afford to live in a relatively similar manner as you do now. Many expats do want this and even hope to afford higher living standards than they currently enjoy.

Even if you do find a country that provides what you want, is similar to yours, and is affordable, you must ask yourself if you are willing to give up some of the things you enjoy (being near your family, speaking your own language, going to a church of your religion, etc.). Expat advice: don’t expect two countries to ever be the exactly the same, no matter how similar they may be. The only place you can live a US lifestyle, for example, is in the US. The only place like Australia is Australia.

If you really do want to learn about other cultures you’ll likely choose a country that is very different from your own, and do so on purpose. But is this truly the best decision for you? Are there things, people, ways of living, conveniences, standards, or anything else that you might end up missing so much you feel miserable? Some people think they can adjust to a very different culture only to find themselves trying to maintain the lifestyle they were accustomed to – and when unable to do so they regret their decisions. Expat advice: ask yourself if you are sure relocating is your best choice. Or should you consider touring each year instead?

If you’ve married someone from another culture fitting into their culture may be easier for you because you’ll have help. But does that mean you can get used to living in their country? Visiting their country and living in it can be very two completely different scenarios. Expat advice: sometimes love is not enough to get you through the changes. Your first commitment is, of course, to your spouse and you must be willing in any marriage to compromise and make some sacrifices. After all, your spouse is likely doing the same for you.

But there are other very real considerations you must both take into account such as the skills, language, and other abilities necessary to earn a living in that country. Unless your spouse will be the primary breadwinner and already has an employment contract, this is a necessary step to take. The technical term for you is “trailing spouse” and as the “follower” you must take this into consideration before you make a final decision (or agree with your spouse to a trial period). Expat advice: whether you are moving to please your spouse or because you truly are interested in living in their culture, you must be able to make a living or otherwise afford to live there. If you can’t, you’ll both end up miserable. If you have children take their needs into account as well.

If you’re looking to live exactly as you live now, you won’t find that anywhere other than where you live now. Expat advice: research employment options, housing availability, schools and the costs of educating your children, language skills needed, costs of living, living standards, hygiene standards, health care costs, medical facilities, the availability of any medications or treatments you need, the local cuisine and the cost and availability of your choice of foods, the costs and availability of phone and internet options, vehicles and transportation, documentation requirements, money transfer and banking options, work or driving permits and licenses, tax issues, and anything else you use in your daily life.

Make a list of what you, your spouse, and your children do each day. Then make a list of what you use when you do those things. Research costs and availability. For the things you won’t have available in your host country, ask yourself seriously: “Are we really willing to live without them? Really? Again, really?” Another way to approach this question would be: “If we change our minds once we’re in our host country, will we be able to return home and resume our lives?”

10 Questions Expats Must Ask Themselves

1. Why do we really want to move overseas? What is our primary motivation?
2. What lifestyle do we want overseas? And can we afford it? And is it possible or available in our host country of choice?
3. Will we be able to make a living in our new host country? Or is our retirement portfolio sufficient for this?
4. If things don’t work out or we change our minds, will we be able to return home and resume our lives? Will we be able to afford to move back? Once back will we be able to find employment again?
5. How does each member of the family feel about the move? The decision must be mutual between partners. Children won’t ultimately decide, but should be made to feel their opinions were taken into account, regardless of the final decision taken. Will our family truly benefit from relocating abroad?
6. Did we fully research housing, schooling, employment, transportation, healthcare, and everything else we’ll need overseas?
7. Could our family benefit from some additional preparation before relocating overseas such as language courses, culture transition coaching, or career coaching?
8. Does our family have a plan for repatriation in case of emergencies? And should this happen, could we afford it? And where would we return to?
9. Are there any options we should leave OPEN prior to moving? Would our employers take us back if we return, should we keep our business partially open until we’re certain, etc.
10. Are we truly willing to blend into local life, accept the things we are not accustomed to, and thrive despite the changes?

Expat advice: there is a big difference between living and thriving in your new home! Ask yourselves:
Do we want to live? Or do we want to thrive?

Moving to London – Advice on Finding Accommodation

Each summer, thousands of graduates leave their university towns and move to London to start their careers. However, as exciting as it is to arrive in the capital, it can also be extraordinarily daunting. From the culture shock of not spending all your time in the Student Union, to wondering how on earth people afford to live here, there are many things to get to grips with.

Firstly, deciding where to live, can be a complex task. There are a variety of factors which you should take into account when making this choice and these considerations will differ from person to person.

Location
Areas nearer Central London are generally more expensive, so you need to figure out a balance between affordability and convenience to your place of work. – You also need to think about the public transport in your area. – It’s vital to work out what the local amenities in a particular area are like. Is there a decent supermarket nearby? Is there an affordable gym? What about good pubs?

Housemates
Who is going to share your humble abode? Just you and your cat? Or will you risk moving in with strangers to make the rent more affordable? You could end up making great new friends this way. Try using sites such as moveflat.com to look for a vast range of living options.

Finding a property
Estate agents will usually charge an admin fee when they’re drawing up tenancy agreements and doing reference checks, so you could save money by going through a letting agent or an ad in a paper. This latter option means that you’ll end up doing the legwork yourself. Whichever method works for you, make sure you act fast. Properties don’t sit around for long in London.

Property details
Do you want furnished or unfurnished accommodation? Unfurnished accommodation is generally cheaper, but obviously you’ll need to bring your own bed, or you’ll be sleeping on the floor.

Things you may need to provide
An initial holding deposit, a damage deposit, a month’s rent in advance, photo ID, past landlords’ references and reference checks on your income status so they know you’ll be able to pay your rent. Guarantors, such as your parents, will be required if you’re unable to provide proof of permanent income.

Things you’ll need to do once you’ve moved in
- Go through the inventory list with your landlord. This is a list of furniture, fixtures and fittings and is there to make sure you agree on the state of the property before you move in. If you notice any scuffed paintwork, then this is the time to mention it, so that it doesn’t come out of your damage deposit when you leave.

- Inform the council, electricity, gas and water companies. Buy a TV license. Inform your bank, credit card companies, DVLA, mobile phone companies etc. of your change of address. Most of these can be done at the excellent address changing website http://www.iammoving.com. You can even switch energy suppliers whilst you’re at it.

- Make sure you purchase contents insurance. Your landlord should have building insurance, but isn’t obliged to have contents insurance to cover the cost of your belongings in case of fire or theft for example.

Above all else, trust your instincts and enjoy getting settled into your new home! For further advice on moving to London, please visit http://www.moove2london.co.uk

Rebecca runs Moove2London – a website specialising in helping graduates and young people move to London for the first time. The site covers everything from working out where to live, how to find work, getting to grips with the public transport and detailed areas of North, South, East and West London.

http://www.moove2london.co.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rebecca_Noori

Top Locations For Property in Essex

As one of the Home Counties, it is perhaps unsurprising that property in Essex is so popular. Despite many towns being a fair distance from London, the effect of ‘London money’ has meant prices are quite high here. But people still choose to live in this county, famed for its Constable painting locations – and in this article we’ll look at the most popular locations around the county.

Colchester

Famed for its castle and the home of Boudicca, Colchester is also famed as being the oldest recorded town in Britain. This Roman town is within easy reach of London, which is why, among property in Essex, Colchester remains very popular with those who work in London. There is a high level of good quality middle class housing, which is inhabited by those who earn in the capital, as well as those who make money in Colchester itself – the University is also a big source of money.

Braintree

Braintree, to the west of Colchester, is a quaint town with a great deal of history to offer. It is, like Colchester, connected to the mainline railway and so attracts those who work in London. Although among property in Essex, it doesn’t hold the same value in terms of commuting because it takes longer to get to and from the capital.

Chelmsford

Chelmsford is much closer to London than Braintree or Colchester, and therefore among the various locations for property in Essex, it is very popular. There are a wide range of high quality houses and apartments in the town of Chelmsford, serving people of various socio economic backgrounds. As it is located very close to London, and yet is a distinct built up area – it is very popular with those who live and work in the capital. It takes just 25 minutes to get to Liverpool Street, but the crossing of the green belt makes it something of a refuge as far as many city workers are concerned. The fact that Liverpool Street is situated in the capital’s old business district makes Chelmsford very popular when it comes to property in Essex, with those who work in the financial sector.

There are clearly various reasons why property in Essex has attracted so many buyers over the years. The combination of being close to London, as well as having some very attractive towns and villages and some pleasant rural settings, have made these three towns some of the most popular in the county of Essex.

Gino Hitshopi is highly experienced in the realm of property in Essex, having worked in the property industry for many years. For more information please visit: http://www.exploreliving.co.uk/property-search/property-in-essex.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gino_Hitshopi