One of questions that has come up time and again from clients, relates to size. Contrary to public belief size does matter, but it can be terribly confusing. In UK we traditionally use cubic feet in calculating volume. In Europe (and more and more in UK) volume is now measured in cubic metres. To get cubic capacity of anything, you take height width and depth and multiply three together. So a standard fridge of 3ft by 3ft by 4 ft measures 36 cubic feet. In cubic metres this would be 0.95m*0.95m*1.3m to give 1.1m3. Simply put 35 cubic feet is roughly equal to one cubic metre! If you have made your inventory on a spread sheet it is fairly straightforward to add in a separate column for dimensions of each article you intend to move. “Ah” you say “but what of table, and all that space underneath”. Measure table as a solid! True, items can be packed under table, and in many instances items can also be packed inside others (clothes in drawers being an example), but whereas you may think you only have 20 or thirty boxes you will find that once everything is packed you have far far more, and this is where extra space under table will go. Also bear in mind that if you have 34m3 of goods it will not fit in a vehicle with a capacity of 34m3, as, expert as they are, removal companies can never fill every cubic metre on a van! (Now there is a challenge to some one) !!

Finally, please remember that when packing yourself, there is a possibility that insurance cover offered will not stretch to “all inclusive”. This is because insurers themselves cannot be certain that goods were not damaged prior to loading and secondly that they were correctly packed in first instance. Though we did have a report of one client who had correctly packed each room with twenty or so boxes. None too heavy, none too light. The boxes were all numbered and all sealed. The two removal men lifted a box each and everything in boxes simply slipped out bottom of boxes. The client had made up boxes, sealed tops and totally forgotten to seal bottoms of every single box! Sometimes you just cant win!

An inventory achieves three important things. Firstly it allows removal company to know exactly what is to be taken (especially if you note size of each item). Remember here to include such items as Pianos (that may need three men to move them), Snooker tables and items such as Sit on Lawn Mowers and other fragile, bulky, heavy or strange objects. (We have had to get quotes for Boats, cars, and 48 Fragile Garden Gnomes who were going to Spain). Secondly in event of an insurance claim you can PROVE that removal company had items concerned! Thirdly it helps you on unpacking to see where each numbered box should go in new house. Using a simple spread sheet will make this even easier, and of course you can then use same sheet to when sorting out your home contents insurance. The inventory itself should be detailed, but not to extremes, one of our customers diligently reported 487 pieces of “Leggo”! Mind you as an exercise in keeping “Little Tommy” amused, it must rank as one of best “keep them quiet” ploys yet)!!!

The inventory also allows you to re-assess just what you don’t need to take with you. There is after all very little point in transferring from one attic store, boxes of items that have not seen light of day in years, to sit in another attic store. Now is time to have that clear out that you always wanted. One of our client’s loads constantly changed from an initial 34m3 to 26m3 and then back to 32m3 and was eventually finalised at 28m3. The reason was Mr “X” was finally persuaded to abandon most of “Home Gym” that had been purchased in 1996 and never used!

It is however, not only load and distance that can affect your quote. Please remember to let any remover know of any problems at either end that could affect delivery or pick up. If you are moving to or from a flat PLEASE indicate how many flights of stairs have to be negotiated. I recently had a call from a very irate (and out of breath) remover complaining that although flat was a first floor one, client had “forgotten” to say that there were six flights of stairs to get to first floor!!! You guessed it, price went up and last thing any one wants is a debate about prices on day of move. Please also consider things such as narrow roads (or even “no roads”) at either end. Some large lorries do not act like 4X4s!! It is also as well to check if there any overhanging trees that could prevent lorries passing underneath, although there is one company that we use, that always carries a chain saw with them…just in case!