Move Consultation Guide

Transcription

1 Move Consultation Guide What is a Move Consultation? General good practice for a moving company will involve having someone visit your home to (as a minimum) assess how much you want to take with you the volume of your move. A professional mover focused on providing you with a good service will also use this opportunity to understand more about your requirements and make sure they have all the information they need to give you a detailed, fully inclusive price and to make sure you have all the information you need to be ready for and comfortable with your move. How long will the Move Consultation take? This depends on the size of the property and your individual moving needs, as a guide this usually takes no longer than an hour in your home. Here s our guide to your move consultation and our top tips for getting the most out of the visit to make sure your move goes just how you want it to. Show the move consultant around your home so they can see the items you wish to move Answer their questions about the details of your move Discuss your individual wishes and requirements for your move and possible solutions Get tips and advice for the move Ask any questions you have about your concerns for the move Understand what happens next

2 What to show In the Move Kitchen Consultant Show the Move Consultant EVERYTHING All rooms that will be moved Allow the move consultant to look inside storage cupboards if possible as this will allow them to better determine the type and amount of boxes required and the time it will take the crew if you re selecting packing services. The Loft Will the Move Consultant look in the loft? You can expect the move consultant to view your loft if it is properly boarded, lit and has safe access. The same will apply for having our crew remove items from it on moving day. If this is not possible ask your move consultant on how they would recommend dealing with this area. The Garden Places like the loft that we rarely visit are easy to forget - make sure your move consultant knows if there is anything up here to be moved! Plants and garden items can be hard to stack/load tightly in a moving truck so we need to make sure we have enough space available to move these safely. Make sure to think about: - Plants - Garden Ornaments, Sculptures and Statues - Patio furniture, barebeques etc Sheds / Garage / Outbuildings / Basement DON T FORGET to tell us if you are buying / obtaining any other items prior to moving day that you wish to be included in your move. It may not cost you much more (if anything) to include but our planning team will need to make sure they send the right sized vehicle for your volume of goods if you add to the inventory without telling them in advance it can mean you don t have enough space to take everything and this could cost a lot more time, money and stress on moving day.

3 What to tell the Move Consultant As well as showing your Move Consultant everything you ll want to move, there are some things they will ask you about too. These may include: Your properties The move consultant can easily assess how they will get your belongings OUT of your current house because they are there, this isn t so easy to evaluate for your new house as they will have to base this on what you tell them. Make sure to tell them about any internal or external access issues including: How close can we park a large lorry to your front door (think steps)? Think about: Are there any tight lanes, low bridges on the route to your property? Is there a long pathway? If you re moving to an apartment building how far is the internal walk from the front door of the building to the front door of your apartment? Is there a lift or stairs involved? Are there any obstacles (internal or external) that might be difficult for movers to negotiate? Think about: Low doors / ceilings, narrow hallways, tricky corners or spiral staircases. Visit our website to see the different sizes of vehicles we operate about_us/our_resources/ fleet.aspx The cost of your move includes an element for the amount of time it will take to complete. Access to properties affects the time it takes to undertake your move, for example the closer we can park the less time the crew spend walking between the house and vehicle, equally narrow hallways may take a little longer to manoeuvre large items through carefully. It also affects any special equipment we might need for example if a sofa doesn t fit through a door you may require a window being taken out or a heavy item to a top floor flat with no lift may require an external elevator.

4 What might the Move Consultant ask? What might the Move Consultant ask me? As well as answering your questions and finding out what s included in your physical move your move consultant will also want to understand your individual situation and what you want and need from your Moving Company to make sure we can give you a tailor made solution that is what you are actually looking for. They will want to get an idea of: Your Budget Why? We have lots of different options for moving services that you can pick and choose from based on your requirements - we want to make sure we re providing a solution that best fits your individual needs, not just a one size fits all service. Be honest and realistic here. You don t have to give a lump sum in response to this question try to explain to the move consultant what s important to you and what elements of the move you might be willing to arrange yourself e.g. if money is a major consideration then you might be able to undertake some of your packing to reduce the time required for the crew to move you, but if you re short on time and need more help or simply don t want the hassle then we can include packing in your cost. You can ask us to include this as an optional upgrade on your quotation, it might not be as much as you think. Additional Services A house move doesn t just involve packing, transporting and unpacking. Do you need any extra help? Think about: Dismantling and re-assembling items e.g. climbing frames, trampoline or bunk beds Hanging pictures, curtain rails, lamp shades, clocks and mirrors etc. Cleaning the property you re moving out of once it s empty *this is great for rental properties where you are handing over keys and return of deposit relies on professional cleaning Cleaning the property you re moving into before your belongings go in Unpacking your boxes into cupboards / drawers / wardrobes Why does this help? If you need to be able to live in your house ASAP a little extra help can allow you to hit the ground running quicker and get back to your normal life and priorities!

5 What might the Move Consultant ask? Dates Do you know when you want to move yet? Think about: Flexibility: Do you need exact dates or do you have a window the mover can work to? We may be able to offer better prices for certain dates when there is less demand. If you only have a small amount to be moved you might also be able to utilise a part load service where your move is done in conjunction with other customers in your area so you share the costs of vehicle operation. Weekend working: A note on Peak Periods: School and seasonal holiday periods often mean demand for movers is higher as customers have more time for the move or can allow children to join a new school at the start of a term. If you need to move during a peak period we would advise you to try to confirm your move dates as early as possible to ensure resources are still available. Do you need to move on a Saturday or Sunday? Moving crew require higher wages for working unsocial hours therefore the cost of your move could be higher on a weekend than during normal working hours. Completion dates: Are you completing a house sale on the day of the move? Do you know what time keys will be available and what time you will need to make keys available to the house you are leaving? Any delays gaining access may mean the move takes longer than planned and could mean extra charges. Ask your move consultant about our Late Key Waiver to protect you against this risk. Your packing requirements Bournes offer a range of packing services from full packing and unpacking to self pack, with a range of part packing options (including fragile pack only). Your Move Consultant will discuss these options with you and will help you assess the time and budget implications of each option so that you can select the level of service that suits you and ensures your move happens just the way you want it to. To pack or not to pack? Whilst cost is of course a major consideration don t forget to assess the cost, stress and space implications of undertaking your own packing as well as the potential increased risk of damage. Do you have the time? If you ll do this gradually in the weeks before the move do you have space to store the boxes you ve packed whilst you wait for move day? Have you got fragile items that may require professional packing? Packing services may not cost as much as you think...why not ask us to show this as an optional upgrade?

6 What should I ask the Move Consultant? What should I ask the Move Consultant? Your Concerns Do you have any specific items you are worried about? Ask them to explain how we propose to move them and what protection will be in place and why. Make sure to ask this of all companies quoting so you can be comfortable it s taken care of. The same applies for any worries or questions you have about the moving process. We ll give you a detailed move plan with your quotation but the move consultant will be able to explain how the move will work and your different options. Your responsibilities We can take care of as much or as little as you want us to. Be sure to clarify with the Move Consultant what will you be responsible for based on your discussions. Ask about: Dismantling/reassembly of any items that will require this prior to moving Parking for the vehicle (if special arrangements need to be made) Packing if you are doing only some of this clarify specifically which type of items the mover will pack and which will be down to you. (e.g. what does fragile packing include?) Your Quote How do you want to see your quote? Do you want everything in one lump sum or would you like to see a basic cost with additional options for packing, insurance, additional services etc. so you can evaluate the costs before selecting which to options to choose. Special Items to think about: Expensive TV or theatre equipment that might need to be crated Antique furniture that might need extra wrapping Delicate artwork or awkward specialist pieces that require specialised crates Chandeliers or delicate light fittings that might require experts to take down/rehang Insurance Ask about insurance for your move, your move consultant will be happy to explain how our policy works, the difference between insurance and extended/standard liability and your options as well as what you will need to consider.

7 International Moves International Moves Moving overseas can be very different to moving in the UK and there will be certain additional considerations. Be sure to discuss the following with your Move Consultant: Shipping Methods: Find out what shipping method is best recommended for your time and budget requirements, how long does this take door-to-door? Ask your move consultant to explain all your options. There are flexible shipping options available depending on your time constraints. Exclusive containers are the quickest option but may not be economical for smaller consignments. Smaller consignments can utilise Less-than-container-Load (LCL) or Groupage Services. LCL can provide a faster transit time but Groupage services may be cheaper. In addition the cost of an exclusive load may be able to be reduced by choosing a slower vessel if you still need a full container load but time is not important. Items to be moved: Make sure to be clear with your move consultant on what items are and are not to be included in your quotation. If you are unsure at the time of your visit make sure to agree on the items to be included in your various options so you can easily compare the costs. Ask for an inventory of what s included to be provided with your quotation and make sure you agree with it. A large chunk of international shipping costs are based on the cost of freight (transport between your origin and destination country). This is usually based on the volume or weight of your goods and the space booked will be planned around this (particularly with Groupage/LCL or airfreight moves). Any additions to this volume that we are not aware of prior to your move may result in significant increased charges and/or delays. To pack or not to pack? Did you know a container ship can move in up to 7 different ways when on the water? There is increased risk for moves travelling long distance internationally, that s why Bournes crews are specially trained in packing & loading for overseas moves and the risks involved in order to ensure your belongings are carefully protected.

8 What happens next? What happens after the Move Consultation? Once the move consultant has all the information they need and you re comfortable you have all the information you need at this stage we will be able to produce a quotation for you which will be sent to you by and/ or hard copy in the post. The cost of your move is calculated from: Your volume of goods Special care items Access at origin property Transportation between origin and destination Access at destination property Packing / unpacking requirements Any Additional Services you have selected Understanding your quote and move plan: We are more than happy to talk you through our proposed service solution and ensure you re comfortable with how we plan to handle your move and ensure we ve included everything you require and where necessary to explain the costs and will endeavour to follow up on our quotation by phone. Your quote is split into two parts Removal Services: Additional Services: The services you have asked us to provide based on the information you have given us or we have assessed from our home visit. These are either optional services you have asked us to show separately or services we think might be of benefit to you having understood your individual move. Once you are happy with your quotation just tick any additional services you would like to accept and complete the section at the bottom of your acceptance form in full before returning to us. Our Price Our price will be what we believe to be a fair price for your move based on the costs detailed above, industry standard profit margins and the dates you require. However, we understand our first price may not always be the right price for you and we would encourage you to come back to us if this does not suit your budget. It may be that your quote includes services you weren t sure if you wanted because you didn t know the cost yet, it s fine to come back to us and have these adjusted now you have more information and an idea of costs. A note on your Budget: If the cost is out of your budget we can help look at ways to reduce this for example de-cluttering and taking out some of the items to be moved or by advising on items you could pack yourself. Additionally if it s under budget and you want to add in services you didn t think you could afford just let us know! If you feel you have been given a better price from an alternative Removal Company that would not be your first choice (if price wasn t involved) we are happy for you to ask us to review our price. If the service a competitor proposes is exactly the same we will be happy to review our costs If the service is different but still acceptable to you and the price is cheaper we are happy to review our service We will always be happy to help you move with us as your first choice so if you are happy to send us copies of alternative quotations we can help assess if they are like-for-like comparisons and why there may be difference in price and see if we can review our price at all.