Removal Company Reviews: Why Would You Ignore Good Home Moving Advice?

Most people look at reviews when they make a purchase these days.

They will consider the advice of somebody who has tested the product. They will pour over every piece of advice they can find, usually to make a purchase that may only cost a few hundred pounds.

So why, when you are about to entrust everything you own, all the treasures you have accumulated in your life thus far, do people just hire the first removal company they can find?

In our home moving blog section, you will find numerous guides advising you on the best, easiest, and least stressful way of moving home.

And this very website was created with the aim of helping home movers achieve just that.

So, when looking to hire a removal firm follow these simple rules:

• Read reviews
• Ensure they are a legitimate company
• Research, research, and then research more
• Ensure you read and understand any contract you are given
• Have adequate home moving insurance in place

Read Removal Company Reviews Before Booking

Look through the review section of this website and it will not take you long to discover who the poorest-performing removal companies are. And yet people are still booking their services.

The reviews are there so that you can see what the experience has been of other home movers who have hired particular removal companies to take them to their new homes.

Then why do some people ignore what they are being told by reviewers? Not just the odd reviewer, but negative reviewer after negative reviewer is ignored.

If you are constantly told something, and it is credible, the majority of people sooner or later will believe it. Or so you would think.

Or at least it would start alarm bells ringing in your head.

I will quote this one response to a negative review from the ‘customer service team’ of a nationwide moving company: “That’s a real mature review, thanks #$@&”. Would you really even consider hiring a company that clearly values its customers so highly??

Out of some 30 reviews only 1 rate that company higher than 1 star. Yet negative reviews are posted almost daily, so people are clearly still hiring them. Why???

Another company has nearly 200 reviews, nearly every one providing details of a horror home move, damaged furniture, abysmal customer service, and the actual moving costs being way over the estimated costs.

And still, every day negative reviews are being posted about that company.

What possesses people to think that they will have the only stress-free service from these companies?

That is not a rhetorical question. I would love to know why (you can post your answers in the comment box below).

You may also like to read: How to Make Reviews Work for You. In this guide, we explain how to get the most useful information out of reviews.

Read on to discover some essential home moving advice to make moving day easier, cheaper, and safer.

Our Top Home Moving Tips and Advice

We have been helping people have a successful home move for over a decade, during which time we have accumulated a wealth of knowledge about the home removal industry.

And in that decade we have spoken to and been contacted by, tens of thousands of people moving home. And we talk to removal companies every day, so we know both sides of the fence.

Therefore, based on our wealth of home-moving knowledge, what is our top advice for people looking to move home?

Advice that you should not ignore!

You may also like to read: Why Social Proof Matters. In this guide, we explain why reading reviews is vital when choosing a removal company.

#1 Don’t Trust Every Review You Read

Strange advice coming from a review site, but trust us, not all review sites are equal. Nor are all reviews themselves equal.

Some review sites are paid by the companies to display their reviews. Do you believe that would make the review site impartial?

Not everyone has equal expectations of the service they should receive from a removal company.

So what you may consider a minor mishap or an inconvenience could cause another person to leave a particularly negative review.

Reviews for moving antiques or specialist items may have no relevance to moving 20 boxes of clothes or books.

• Take the time to choose a removal company review website wisely.
• Read a variety of reviews but seek out those that reflect the size of home and distance moved, try to find reviews that closely reflect the type of home move you will be undertaking.
• Pay attention to the dates of the reviews. It is surprising how services can improve or decline in just a few short years.
• See how many reviews have been filtered. This could be an indication that the removal company is posting fake reviews to boost its star rating.
• Pay attention to the words used in the 5-star reviews. Marketing companies who post fake reviews will often use the same words in their reviews. Do they appear to be written by the same person?
• Do you have the option to contact the reviewer? If so make use of that option to ask as many questions as you can to find out if the removal company is the right one for you to hire.

You may also like to read: How to Compare Review Platforms. In this guide, we explain why all review platforms are not equal and how to choose a reliable site to read those reviews.

#2 Hire a Reputable Removal Company

A good removal company can be the difference between a few inconveniently broken items, a treasured heirloom being destroyed, and a stress-free and easy home move.

But more than that, a good removal company will allow you to live your normal life whilst they take care of the hundred and one things that need to happen in a home move.

Packing is widely regarded as one of the worst parts of moving home. It is time-consuming and can be very expensive.

A professional packing service will ensure your things are properly packed to prevent damage, in the most space-efficient way, which will ultimately reduce your packing costs and space on the removal van.

You will not need to live amongst half-packed moving boxes for weeks on end. Professional packers will spend a day or two at most packing your home ready for moving day.

You may also like to read: Are Professional Packers Worth the Cost? In this guide, we explain exactly what professional packers do, how they will make your move so much easier, and how much on average they will cost you.

A removal company will take care of all the loading and unloading, preventing injury to you and damage to your property.

You will not have to endure the stress of having to drive a hire van to your new home. Nor the potential expense if you happen to dent the van.

They will place the moving boxes and furniture in your specified rooms. Leaving you only to unpack your things and arrange them as you wish (although some removal firms will even do this for you).

Hiring a good removal company will seem very good value for money when you see how hard they work and how easy they made the home move for you.

At the end of the day hiring a removal company for your home move is all about saving you time, inconvenience, and stress.

You may also like to read: What to Know When Hiring a Removal Company for the First Time. If you have never hired a full-service removal company before then you will find this guide invaluable.

#3 Check the Removal Company is Legitimate

There are a few things you can do to ensure that the removal company is a legitimate business.

• Check that they are registered with Company House. You will also be able to find out who owns that company and their legally registered business address.
• Take a look at their website. Does it have numerous ways for you to contact the company? Mobile and landline telephone numbers as well as an email address. Are they on social media? Test the numbers and email to see how quickly you get a response.
• Drive by the removal company depot or at the very least use Streetview online so that you know the depot exists.
• Are the removal vans liveried? Are the staff full-time employed by the removal firm or agency? Is the moving team uniformed? Whilst not essential to gauge how good or legitimate the removal company is, it will give a good idea of their professionalism.
• Ask family, friends, your estate agent, or landlord if they have had any dealings with this company or know anyone who has.

You may also like to read: How to Pick a Good Removal Company. In this guide, we take you step by step through the process of a choosing good removal company.

#4 Get an In-Home Removal Survey

It is vital that any removal company you intend to hire visits your home to see exactly what you intend to move to your new home.

This is increasingly being done by the use of phone apps, but many companies still come out to the home.

It is the only way that a removal company can give you an accurate cost estimate for your home move and see if there are any access issues or things that they need to be aware of to make moving day as easy as possible for everyone.

If you go with a company that just gives you a quote over the phone it is likely that come moving day there will be issues and your final removal bill may exceed the quote quite substantially.

Be sure to have decluttered your home before the inventory is taken so that the removal company knows exactly what they are pricing to be moved.

Having the home removal survey is also a good opportunity for you to meet the company, ask any questions you may have, and get an overall impression of the company themselves.

You may also like to read: Questions to Ask Your Removal Company. In this guide, we suggest some questions to ask a removal company to ensure you pick the right moving day partner.

# 5 Plan Every Stage of the Home Move.

As we have already learned, a good removal company will take care of most aspects of the home move but there are some things that only you can do.

Deciding what items you will take to the new home, changing utilities, and notifying companies and people of your new address are just a few things that you will need to do.

We have created every checklist and planner you will ever need for a home move so be sure to make use of them, it will ensure that nothing is forgotten or missed.

#6 Ensure you Have Proper Home Moving Insurance.

Most good removal companies will offer you a level of insurance, but often this will be a basic amount and may not cover your precious items adequately.

• Be sure that you understand the contract you are given, read the small print.
• Contact the removal company’s insurance company or ask for a copy of the company’s insurance certificate to ensure that it will be in date when you move home.
• Consider what additional insurance you may need such as late key waiver or cancellation insurance. A small outlay now may save you many hundreds of pounds in the long run.

You may also like to read: Home Removal Insurance – Do I Need It? Being underinsured is a common home moving mistake. Discover all you need to know about insuring your home move in this essential guide.

#7 Communicate With the Removal Company

The more your removal company knows about your home move, the more they can be prepared and plan for it.

Be sure to confirm the home move dates as soon as you can and again at least a week before you move to ensure everything is booked and ready for moving day.

If you intend to take more items than you originally planned then make sure the removal company knows so that they have a large enough vehicle available.

Equally, if you intend to take fewer items then they may have the ability to reduce your moving costs.

Communicate by phone, but also follow that up with written confirmation of the call via email. In the unlikely event that you need to claim against the removal company, you will have evidence of all your communications.

You may also like to read: Things to Tell Your Removal Company. In this guide, we explain the essential information that you need to share with your removal firm.

There is lots more advice we could give you about every aspect of your home move, and indeed we have guides that cover just about every conceivable aspect of your home move, so be sure to visit the resources section of this website.

And remember to check out those reviews, they are there to help you have a stress-free home move.