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Written by McCarthy's Team on January 20, 2015

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Where do I start???

There are many factors to consider when choosing your removal company and while you might think we’re just saying this – we’re not, we promise! – Price isn’t everything.

Please keep reading! I’ll explain!

By that I mean that price (be it high or low) doesn’t necessarily tell you everything you need to know to make an informed decision. It’s all about value for money. There are many factors that are equally if not more important including experience, trust, reviews, recommendations and just the general feel that you get from a company.

And let’s think about it for a second here – moving, actually in the grand scheme of moving, works out to be the least expensive part. Yet we’re the ones who look after all of your worldly belongings. So you want to make sure that they’re looked after properly and you’re happy to entrust your belongings to the company you choose.

The reasons for moving house are weird and wonderful and vary from move to move, person to person and house to house – or flat to flat! (But that’s another story for another day – I shall look forward to writing that one!) So it makes sense to think that the removal company that’s right for one person may not be right for another. Just like a good pair of jeans for example – I like the skinny fit jeans from H&M; my mum thinks skinny jeans are a work of evil and prefers classic boot cut Levis – in short, different people need and like different things.

The best piece of advice I can give to you is to take your time deciding. It’s stressful enough moving house without feeling rushed to just pick someone.  You shouldn’t rush into basing your decision on just one factor alone. Take a deep breath, grab a cup of tea and talk it over with your partner, a parent, a friend or anyone whose opinion you trust.

Do not fear though, help is at hand!

Get your quotation in advance and take the time to find out who makes you feel the best. Research the companies, read their reviews and chat to the staff. We deal with moving every single day and you want to make sure that whichever company handles your move, they make you feel happy, confident and calm.

Things to look for!

• Reputation – Has the company been recommended to you? Do they have reviews you can read online (through Google or Feefo for example) or better, on their website? Have they been around for a while and is the name one that you know? Are they happy to show/tell you about any licences, certificates, awards or bodies they have/are part of?

• Knowledge and Attentiveness – How quickly was your enquiry responded to? Did the staff answer your questions fully and help you understand the process? Was the quotation delivered to you in a reasonable amount of time and clearly laid out with what is and is NOT included? (You don’t want any nasty surprises on the day!)

• Are they a BAR member? If they’re a member of the British Association of Removers they will have the badge displayed on their website.

• Are they fully insured?

• Staff – Did you get on with the estimator and members of staff you dealt with? Do you feel confident in their ability to help and guide you through the process? Have they instilled you with confidence in the capability and aptitude of the removal team who will be carrying out your move?

In all honesty though, choosing a removal company, or a storage company, or even just choosing where to get your cup of coffee from in the morning, is all down to the experience you want and the feel you get from a company or a brand.

So go with your gut, don’t be afraid to ask questions and most crucially, pick who you think will do the best job for you.