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How do I book for a move?
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Simply email the office at sales@bigredremovlas.com, or call on 0208 166 4573; we will take some details and then email you one of our booking forms. Once you have filled this in we generate a contract for you, which has all your move details on, insurance details etc.
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What is a Man and Van service?
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Traditionally a Man and Van was a local guy in a panel van who would work for an hourly rate or small fixed charges. Over the years as this market has grown and the local guy has been replaced by traditional removals companies, offering their high level service for the same rates, using the same skilled staff and equipment they use on the larger quoted jobs. This offers the same high level of service as quoted jobs, but with a flexible hourly rate.
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Why would I want a Man and Van service?
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For many smaller jobs - 1 and some 2 bedroom properties, last minute removals, moves from storage, store collections and long distance small collections - an hourly rate makes much more sense than having a quoted price move.
With an hourly rate you only pay for what you use, quoted moves tend to assume a full working day and many moves do not require this much time.
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How does Big Red Removals and Storage estimate the time?
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Each move is unique; an hourly rate allows us to do many of the smaller moves without having to do a site survey, therefore keeping the cost down for us and for you. We will ask you for a list of items, addresses and questions regarding access; from this information we will be able to give you an estimation of how long the job will take.
We keep our hourly rates low by charging a nominal travel time, for most local jobs we charge 15 minutes at the end and beginning of the job, for further afield it may be more. You will be advised on booking what the travel time will be. And it will always be a fixed amount, not matter how long the journey takes.
The clock then starts ticking when we arrive at the property and concludes after the crew have folded up the blankets and tidied the back of the van.
There is a minimum charge of 2 hours for 1 and 2 man crews, and 3 hours for a 3 man crew. After this minimum the time goes up in ½ hour increments.
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Can I do my own packing?
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Yes of course! We do offer a wide range of packing materials and we are always happy to give packing advice. These can be dropped of prior to your move, payment will be required on delivery. Obviously any items not packed by us are not covered by our liability insurance. We are also able to offer a partial packing service, where we pack the breakables for insurance purposes and you pack everything else in the supplied boxes. Please download our packing tips document here.
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Do I have to pay VAT?
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In the United Kingdom it is a legal requirement to charge Value Added Tax.
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When I am ready to book my move, how much notice should I give?
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As soon as you have a confirmed moving date then please book your removal in with us. You will usually have around 1-2 weeks lead time. There is no point in leaving it to the last minute as we might get booked up. We will always try to accommodate last minute bookings, so please still check with us if you can't pre book.
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Do you move at weekends?
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Absolutely we can do moves on Saturdays and at small extra cost on Sundays.
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Who is responsible for parking?
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Parking in London is always going to be an issue. Any parking charges incurred on a move are the client's responsibility.
Most councils will give a minimum of 20mins for a crew visibly loading or unloading, this can often be stretched, depending on the council, the individual parking warden and how strictly local parking laws are enforced. The time before incurring a ticket can be completely arbitrary. If the crew get a ticket whilst loading or unloading, then the charge will be added to the final bill.
Many Boroughs now operate CCTV that will automatically issue tickets and these arrive by post a week or so after the offence, as will an invoice for the cost.
Crews are able to refuse to park on certain road if they think they are covered by CCTV.
To get around any issues regarding tickets and lengthy walks between the van and property, it is possible to book a parking suspension or dispensation.
A suspension is a reserved section of road usually in 5m lengths just for the removal. A dispensation is the right to park legally for free on a specified street, but without a guaranteed spot, these are usually cheaper than a suspension.
Suspensions can take 5-10 working days to arrange depending on the council and costs vary widely.
Dispensations can take 1-5 working days and usually come in at £30 for the day on average.
We charge a £25+Vat administration fee for booking either.
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Do I need to unpack my chest of drawers?
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Providing the unit is sturdy enough then light items such as clothing, bedding etc. can be left in. Please remove any books, magazines, breakable items etc. Self assembly furniture does not respond well to moving so this type of furniture must only be moved while completely empty. It does also depend on access, if the chest of draws is difficult to get out or from an upper floor it may be best take it out empty. Please ask us when booking so we can advise you in advance.
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What should I do with my gas cylinders or flammable liquids?
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Gas cylinders cannot be transported on our vehicles. Flammable liquids, however contained, must not be submitted for removal either. These items are not covered under our insurance and other arrangements must be made. Equipment such as garden mowers and chainsaws should be drained of all liquids beforehand.
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Will you empty the loft?
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Unless the loft has: fitted steps, is boarded out and lit, our insurance does not cover our staff for this activity. Please ensure your loft is empty prior to our arrival or you are available to pass down the items to the crew.
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Do you disconnect/reconnect washing machines and white goods?
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We can disconnect and reconnect your white goods as long as the necessary plumbing is in place. We highly recommend a plumber to disconnect any white goods, just in case. With London removals the hardness of the water leaves lime scale deposits on the pipe connections, making it very hard to disconnect them. Your move team leader will advise if this is the case. We also recommend that you put washing machines on a drain cycle and empty evaporation traps on tumble driers, fridges etc. Please ask us when booking so we can advise you in advance.
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Can you move pets?
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No, you will need to make your own arrangements to move your pets and/or children.
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Can you move plants?
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Yes, we can move plants/potted plants. If they are creepers you will need to detangle them in advance. For indoor plants or plants coming through a property, some trimming may be required if they have grown too large for doorways or corridors. Some plants may need to be removed from pots if they are too heavy. For any very large plants we need specialist handling equipment, your team leader will advise.
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Some of my items don't fit down the stairs?
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We are used to dealing with this, either by removing windows and gently lowering furniture down the outside of the building, or we are able to supply ladder lifts. Any items that don't fit at all we can store for you.
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Can you disconnect electrics?
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We cannot disconnect anything without a plug; in these cases you will need a qualified electrician, such as for light fittings. Our insurance liability does not cover us to disconnect lights or hardwired appliances.
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Can you disconnect gas cookers?
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We are able to disconnect gas cookers only if fitted with a bayonet fixing. If not you will need a Corgi registered gas fitter.
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Can you take away debris and make trips to recycling?
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Yes, as long as this is agreed in advance. An additional cost will be incurred as we are charged waste fees according to weight. We cannot dispose of fridges or freezers. We are also able to collect any removals detritus after your move.
Prior to your move we are able to supply any packing materials you may require. View, download or print our Rate Card PDF.. If you self pack we will be able to provide telephone or email advice as to how many boxes you will need for your move.