Is a DIY home move the right move for you?

So, you’ve decided to move home, you’ve put your home on the market, found a solicitor to do your conveyancing and you’ve got a buyer. It’s time to think about how you’re going to move all of your treasured possessions from your old place to your new property.

The average cost of a using a professional moving firm is quite a small proportion of the total costs you will pay out when you move, about 5% of the total. Even so, what are the pros and cons of doing it yourself?

It can be difficult to work out what size van you need to hire or rent - too small then you might need to make several journeys, with the possibly disastrous consequences that you’ll still be loading your belongings at the old home when the new owners turn up with their removal van.The rule is to aim to load everything in one go. You will also need to feel confident in driving a larger vehicle, assuming your driving licence allows it. It also depends on how you pack your belongings. All this rests on on how much you need to move. If you are a student, or have a one-bedroom flat the decision to hire a van is easier, but a 3 or 4 bedroom house is perhaps a good reason not to! You have to make sure you have insurance cover not only for the van, but for your goods whilst in transit. Some insurers will cover you under your home contents policy, but others won’t or will only cover you if you use a professional removal company. They may not cover you if your belongings are not packed to a good standard. If you’re going into store for a while, you need to check whether that is covered. Usually storage firms offer stand-alone cover for an additional fee.

Most people moving themselves will recruit friends or relatives to help, so bear in mind it can be a very physically demanding and possibly hazardous job. They aren’t professionals.Professional movers rely on years of experience, knowledge of the trade, and specialized equipment to move you safely and efficiently. They also provide services your friends won’t, like packing before the big day, junk removal, and storage. And your friends may damage something.

Looking after children and pets at the same time is not recommended. You need to be free to get on with the hard work without being distracted, so make arrangements for someone to look after them during moving day.

Start planning and packing early. Compile a moving home checklist. Buy good quality packing materials, boxes, parcel tape, and labels. Avoid plastic bags and supermarket boxes. You can save yourself time and money, even if you’re using a removal firm, by getting rid of, or selling unwanted items.

Although a DIY move might end up costing you less than using a professional removals company, you might find that the added anxiety of having to do it all yourself just isn't worth it. So, for peace of mind and far less stress, the cost of hiring a reputable local removals firm, especially if you have a large property with lots of belongings to move, could make sense. Ask most people who have used a moving firm what their experience was. In most cases the answer will be that they were more than satisfied and were quite amazed how quickly and well the professionals do their job. A recommendation is valuable. Ask those who have done their move themselves, and they will tell you what went wrong and what they didn’t factor in to their decision,  and how much work and effort went in to it.

For more information about moving, conveyancing, buying and selling your home, contact the experts, Arrow Conveyancing Ltd.

Fast, efficient transactions

Transparency and fixed legal fees

Award-winning professionalism

 Arrow Conveyancing Ltd.

 Call: 0116 266 5394   Email: hello@arrowconveyancing.co.uk

Please note that Arrow Conveyancing are unable to advise on removals related issues (beyond the scope of this article,the contents herein does not constitute legal advice and is for general information purposes only). You can get a lot more information about professional removers by looking at the web sites of the two main trade associations.

The National Guild of Removers and Storers Ltd

http://www.ngrs.co.uk

British Association of Removers Ltd

https://bar.co.uk

Disclaimer

The materials on this website do not constitute legal advice and are provided for general information only. Whether express or implied, no warranty is given concerning such materials. We shall not be liable for any technical, editorial, typographical, or other errors or omissions within the information provided on this website, nor shall we be responsible for the content of any web images or information linked to this website.

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The information contained in this article does not constitute financial advice or recommendation and should not be considered as such. Arrow conveyancing does not offer financial advice and is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the authors of this article are not financial advisors and are therefore not authorised to offer financial advice.

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