We understand that moving house can be a very daunting prospect. According to Zoopla, the average Brit only moves once every 23 years, so it’s no wonder the organisation of getting your home ready for sale, on the market, managing the viewings, getting through the legal and financial process of a sale, and then finally moving all your worldly belongings from A to B can seen like nothing but stress.
At McCarthy’s we can’t help with all of those aspects (although we can maybe help with getting your home ready for marketing – self storage is your friend!), but we like to think that after 50 years in the industry, we know a thing or two about the actual ‘moving’ element.
But we don’t expect you to just take our word for it. Which is why we thought we’d ask a recent customer a few questions about their house move, to give you an insight into the process and how we work.
So, over to Mr & Mrs Campbell, who moved from South Yorkshire to a village near to Wakefield in West Yorkshire. And perhaps to prove Zoopla right, it was three decades since their last house move!
Why did you choose McCarthy’s removals?
The last time we moved, which was over 30 years ago, we used a removal company in Rotherham. At least five months before this pending house move, I rang them and they gave me a rough estimate of cost – however they have never bothered following up my enquiry so we decided to look elsewhere. When we Googled ‘Wakefield removals’ McCarthy’s came up along with many others. We had in the past seen the company’s vans on the roads, so we knew you were a well known name.
I made the telephone call and Wendi in Wakefield took our call. I have to say from our initial conversation with her, we were sold – I knew we were using McCarthy’s. First impressions do count and Wendi’s was excellent!
Did you use McCarthy’s packing service?
No – really just because we are both retired so had lots of time on our hands to do this ourselves.
Did you require storage facilities?
Yes we did as were unable to move immediately into our new home so our furniture was in storage with McCarthy’s for over 11 weeks. The removal guys worked hard to store all our goods into just two containers, saving us money, which was very much appreciated.
We were unsure initially how long our furniture would be in storage but it was no problem for McCarthy’s. The storage facility itself was straight forward and the billing arrangement was quick and efficient and with no hesitation I received a pro-rata refund back as we did not use the full months paid for.
How did you find the planning which went into the removal?
The planning was second to none, a lot of which was due to Wendi. After my initial enquiry I received an email quoting prices and full details of how it all worked, with all the information we required. I made a couple of trips into the Wakefield depot to purchase storage boxes so met Wendi in person too. Wendi gave a great explanation as to why we should consider taking out insurance to cover our removal date just in case this had to be changed. Fortunately things went to plan for us, but it gave us great peace of mind.
What was your biggest worry about the move?
As we were due to be moving in the week before Christmas, we were worried as to whether the builder would change our move in date again and would we be able to get another date so close to the festive season. Thankfully it went ahead as planned on the 11th December. But, overall, we didn’t worry too much, as we trusted what we had booked and paid for, and it had all been explained by Wendi so we felt re-assured.
How did the move day go?
The move itself was extremely quick and efficient. The removal men turned up on time, the foreman Wayne (who was efficient, likeable, friendly and caring) explained everything they would be doing and it took just a couple of hours.
Fortunately it was Wayne who then brought our furniture to our new home 11 weeks later. Again, nothing was too much trouble in terms of where to place our furniture and all the packed boxes.
What advice would you offer someone else about to consider moving?
Use a reputable company like McCarthy’s. The staff are experienced and know what they are doing, meaning everything was planned with precision and the cost was very, very reasonable
Would you recommend McCarthy’s?
We already have! We’re on a new build site so we’ve mentioned McCarthy’s to the Sales Reception and also to some of the potential residents about to move in. I am sure one has used you already!
Thank you to Mrs Campbell for taking the time to speak to us.
Whether you’re looking for removals in Leeds, Harrogate, Wakefield, York or beyond, if you’re thinking about your next move why not get in touch? It doesn’t matter whether it’s 18 months since you last moved, or 40-years – we’re a safe pair of hands!
