Hiring A Van Vs Hiring A Removal Company
Hiring A Van Vs Hiring A Removal Company
You have found the home of your dreams and your offer has been accepted, but before you can start your new life there, you need to find the best way to get your furniture and belongings from your current address to your new home. Deciding whether you will hire a van and move yourself or employ a professional moving company is an important decision when moving house, and there are advantages and disadvantages to each. Which moving process would be the most appropriate for you and your house move will depend on a number of factors, such as time, budget and the size and distance of your move.
Hiring a Van
Hiring a van is often thought of as the cheaper option when moving house, as you won’t be paying for a large removals crew and professional moving service. It is, however, important to take into consideration the costs of petrol, packing supplies and insurance when hiring a van, as these will inevitably add to the price. Hiring a van may be the best option for you if you are flexible with time, as there will be many things to organise for your move that, ordinarily, a removal company could sort out for you at an extra cost, such as packing or dismantling furniture. If you don’t have to be out of your current property by a certain time for the buyers to move in, hiring a van will give you the opportunity for multiple journeys, and you will only have to pay for a smaller vehicle. If you do decide to hire a van for your move, having willing volunteers to help you will be useful to ensure you get all your items loaded and moved on the same day, and you may even have some fun with it. Don’t forget, though, that not only will you owe your friends a huge favour for their assistance, their inexperience means they will be more likely to damage your belongings. Hiring a van will not always be the most appropriate option, especially if you are moving a large volume of belongings or over a long distance. Removal companies have a practical knowledge of how to fit your items securely into a van, so you would probably need to hire a larger van size than a professional company would use – adding to your cost. It is also worth remembering that you will have to return the van to where you hired it from, so make sure you take into account the extra petrol and transport costs of getting back to your new home.
Hiring a Removal Company
The process of moving house is a busy time, and the removals day itself is no exception, so hiring a removal company can help to relieve some of the stress of the day. Many people complete and move on the same day, so if speed is an important factor for your move, it is recommended you employ a professional removal company. Not only do they have the skill and experience to be able to load your belongings quickly and securely, including fragile and specialist items, they will ensure the correct sized vehicle arrives for your move, getting your items to your new home in one journey. Having a reputable removal company taking care of your belongings will also give you the opportunity to collect keys for your new property, a task that may be difficult if you are moving yourself. Most removal companies will offer a wide range of services to help speed up your move, and save you from doing the hard work yourself. The services they can provide usually include packing and unpacking, dismantling and assembling furniture and supplying you with packaging materials. Such services are great if speed is vital, but they often come at a premium, so may not be appropriate if you are moving on a budget. For any move, it is important to ensure you have insurance in place to cover the removals of your items. Hiring a removal company will offer more protection for your belongings, as some insurance policies will only cover your move if your items are packed and moved by a professional company. If you hire a removal company to undertake your move you will also avoid a long drive in a vehicle you don’t have experience in driving – not to mention the exhausting physical exertion of all the heavy lifting!
Although it may seem like hiring a van is the cheaper option, by the time you have factored in the costs of van hire, insurance, petrol and appreciative beers and pizza for your helpful friends, the anticipated savings may not be as large as originally thought. Unless you are moving a short distance from a small studio flat or a furnished place, the savings you may make by hiring a van will often be outweighed by the stress caused when moving yourself.