Frequently Asked Questions
The size of the removal crew is based on the information we have collected during the Survey, and is worked out on the volume to be moved, the distance you are traveling, the access at the two properties and also whether we are offering packing or whether you pack yourself. By completing an onsite quotation size of the crew is our responsibility, whereas if you take on a company that provides a price without a visit then it would be your responsibility if there were any issues on the move day.
The size of the vehicle(s) is based on the volume of furniture and boxes at your property and this is calculated by our surveyors when they visit your property. It is our responsibility to volume the job because we would not expect a customer to be able to volume a job, so we offer a free onsite quotation day times, evenings or weekends.
Most customers usually pick around three companies (All of the similar stature) so that they can get a feel for who is more flexible, who offers the personal touch and who has full time office staff 6 days per week with sufficient call back services and professional websites so if you have a question you can make contact with them. Better Removals have full time office staff in from 7.30 – 6pm Monday to Friday, 8 till 1 (or later) on a Saturday and on a Sunday you can leave a message with our girls who will take a message and get the relevant person to call you back at the next possible opportunity.
We do offer International moves, and we work with a vast amount of Removal Companies and shipping agents around the world, so that you can have Better Removals complete part one of your move and offer the personal touch in the UK and Ireland, and then we ship the goods out and arrange delivery with a local affiliated company in your new country.
The removal costs include the vehicle allocation, free boxes and & free packing paper & tape if required, a team of our experienced BAR trained staff, furniture covers for extra protection & floor protection if required and the trust between our company and yourself in ensuring that we take the full stress and strain out of the move for you and your family.
We have specialist vehicles, equipment and staff experienced in moving pianos.
Once our crew has fully loaded your goods onto the lorry/van, then we will head directly to your new property unless we have agreed that the move plan requires multiple days, our lorries and most of the Luton vans are restricted to 56mph so if you feel that a long journey might take you x amount of hours then please take into consideration you may be driving at the national speed limits in your car. Also if we have a long journey then by law our drivers have to take regular rest breaks to abide by the driving hour rules and regulations, sometimes for long distance jobs we require 2/3/4 days to complete them but this is all stated on the quotation before you book your removal
The industry standard storage containers are made of timber and are 7 feet by 6b feet and 8 feet tall. The inside of the container can hold 250 cubic feet of goods. We have two ways of completing moves into storage. (1) if the access is good and the volume is within 4-5 containers we can place the empty containers on the purpose built lorries and load the containers at your property using the ramps. (2) if you do not have the access or the volume is too small to warrant paying for the large containerised vehicle or your volume require more than 5 containers then we can load the vehicles at your property and then unload into storage in the afternoon. For further information on this please feel free to talk to our sales team.
Once you have accepted our quote, we take a £150 deposit which comes off the final bill. Payment for the removal would be required either by debit card, or credit, BACS 4 days prior, cheque 7 days prior or lastly cash to our driver on the removal day when the job is completed.
We quote a weekly storage price per container and insurance. Once your containers are loaded and placed into secured storage our accounts team send out an invoice for the first 4 weeks. This amount can be paid via cheque, card, standing order or bacs. If you have your goods delivered back during a period of time you have already paid for then we can refund you on a weekly basis, or deduct from your re-delivery charges
Containerised storage is not the same as self storage. Your goods are sealed in a container and then stored with other containers in a warehouse. This ensures that your goods are secure but does not make access easy. Access can be arranged in advance, giving time for your container to be located and set down for you but will be charged a handling charge. Self-storage allows you to have access to your goods but is more expensive. We can offer self-storage units at various sizes if access to your goods is important to you, and you can visit in between our opening hours. You will be required to either supply a padlock or purchase a lock from our shop. Whichever option you take you would need to supply the office with a spare key for insurance reasons and also in case you lose your key.
We offer our insurance as a separate charge on a weekly basis and this charge is based on the volume of containers that you have booked with us. This insurance is optional but its costs 10% of the storage costs plus the ipt tax instead of VAT, and we recommend that our clients take it but it is totally optional
Generally any flammable liquids or gases however they are contained cannot be submitted for removal. Paint and oil cannot be transported either due to the high risk of damage to your goods should they leak. The same rules apply for storage with the addition of foods. There are other items that cannot be stored or moved, firearms, ammunition and drugs. For a full and detailed list of exclusions, request and read the terms and conditions.
If parking is difficult outside your property or there are restrictions, you will need to contact your local council and organise parking or a dispensation. We can advise how much room or time will be required to carry out your removal. Any parking fines incurred will be added to your final bill and be paid by you. If there are no parking restrictions but you have issues with neighbours/commuters cars then I would suggest putting the bins out over night or some cones or park your cars outside to ensure nobody takes the spaces and then heads off to work. Also a friendly note through every door saying goodbye and please could you refrain from parking outside also goes a long way.
We require as much notice as possible, but you should be given 7-14 days’ notice. We recommend that if you have a provisional date that you pencil something in the removal company’s diary and then confirm when you get the final confirmation. This way you are not liable for cancellation charges and the space is held until the removal company starts to fill up in the diary. If we start to get busy with confirmed bookings and you are just penciled in then our sales team will try to contact you to find out if you have any news, if then you are still not 100% but are worried for your space we can offer a further 10% waiver charge which means the date is reserved for you whether you move or you need to change the date with no penalty charges.
Unless this was agreed in the quote, all items needing dismantled are expected to be done and ready to move before we arrive. If agreed in the quote, our staff will carry out the dismantling and reassembly as agreed. It is essential that you say what is required at the quotation stage to allow for the necessary time and equipment to be provided. Trampolines we only can only dismantle these days because if our team put one together and there was to be an accident of any kind then we are not insured for injury so it’s best that the client completes this task.
Removal companies are not insured to enter lofts, although we are happy to do so if requested but on the understanding that we are not insured for damage to goods / person / ceilings, and if the loft is not boarded out then our staff have the right to refuse assistance and they would have the backing of the office. Please ensure that if we help that all flooring is boarded out and there is sufficient lighting and ladders for entry.
As long as there are no heavy or breakable items left in drawers then it is usually ok to leave them full. Some types of furniture like self-assembly units don’t travel well and it is advised that you empty these completely. As long as the furniture itself is sturdy then items like clothing and bedding can and should be left in. You may find that our team can take the draws out of the unit, and move them separate placing them back into the unit on the vehicle and then repeat the process at the new property.
There are many factors that are taken into consideration when calculating the price, distance, size of vehicle, access and packing are just some of the obvious ones. Always try to get your property viewed to avoid any doubts, getting a quote over the phone does work in principle and will always come in cheaper but is not as reliable as a survey and you could get hit with extra charges or goods left behind on the day if you book with a company that has not surveyed and you do not have any rights. We only give quotations, not estimates. Try to avoid being given estimates by other companies as their final bill may be larger than you expected.
Yes is the simple answer. If you do your own packing, use boxes that are a suitable size and strength. Make sure you seal all your boxes as well, open top boxes like banana boxes make it impossible to safely stack your goods in the van. Always find out how packing your own boxes affects your insurance, most companies will only recognise damages if the box has been dropped or crushed. If you are unsure or struggling to get suitable boxes, we can supply you with what you need.
Yes we offer self-storage units to our removal customers as well as the general passing public who would like to move goods into storage themselves to save removal charges. The self-storage is slightly more expensive then the containerised storage.
We usually inform our customers that the vehicles will arrive on the removal day between 8.30 – 9am, this gives our crew time to load the vehicles in the morning with the correct materials, and then get to your property ready to load up. If you are having a pack service the day prior then the timings are a little more flexible because there is no pressure so we usually say around 9am but you can dictate the times for packing. If the move is over multiple days then usually its best to speak to our sales team and find out the plan.
Our bar trained staff will do there absolutely best for you, if an item of furniture is too large for the new property, and by using specialised sofa covers we can manoeuvre sofas through tight door ways with the covers taking all the pressure rather than the sofas or the walls. If an item is too large but you would like them to try and move it, but my team feel damage could be caused then they will ask you to sign a waiver sheet before move the item in to the property because if damaged is caused and we advised you that the item does not fit then we cannot be liable.
We offer waiting free of charge up to a certain time which is usually 4pm, but sometimes it is offered only up till 3pm when the move is a larger one, or is not too close to the head office. Then if the keys are not realised by 3 or 4pm there is an hourly charge until we do have access to the property, which is usually by the latest of 5pm, and the waiting time hour rates are not charged when the crews are unloading they are just in place whilst waiting on monies to exchange and keys to be realised.
The answer to this is yes, although we treat every customer and every move with the greatest of respect we do offer a platinum service. The platinum service includes an onsite foreman, who will be present for the duration of the move, he will be your point of contact, and ensure that everything is running smoothly, and be in charge of the move from start to finish. Please speak with our branch manager regarding this service.
Yes, if we have moved one of your friends or family members then they would have received a 10% discount card, and they can complete this and hand it to you so that you can book a free quote and pass this onto my surveyor for a discount on your move.
Firstly you will be happy that your friend or family member are in good hands with better removals, if you have recommended them to us, and secondly we would send you a £20 Tesco voucher for each move we complete on your recommendation.
If you have moved within the local area we would be more than happy to arrange a box collection tocollect the flat pack boxes when you have finished unpacking. If you have moved long distance then I would recommend calling a local removal company to see if they want them for free, or disposing of them yourself. We re-use the cardboard for protecting furniture on our international moves, and give some to local charities or businesses, and if they are in good condition we can re-use them ourselves.
Your goods are stored inside our secure CCTV operated storage facility at head office. The goods are stored inside our wooden containers, which are located inside the building. The containers are sealed and lifted into position and the unit is not open to the general public, and the self-storage containers have doors with padlocks because the general public have access during the days.
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Areas Better Removals Operate In
Cambridgeshire
- Cambridge
- Royston
- Sawston
- Cambourne
- Duxford
- Saffron Walden
- Newmarket
- Ely
Peterborough
- Peterborough
- Huntingdon
- March
- Chatteris
- St Neots
- North Cambridge
Essex
- Brentwood
- Chelmsford
- Witham
- Braintree
- Stansted
- Harlow
- Epping
- Loughton
- Waltham Abbey