How to Choose a Removal Company

The ten point checklist

Work through these in order. Anything that cannot be answered clearly in writing is a reason to keep looking.

• Is there a real trading address and a landline rather than only a mobile
• Goods in transit cover with the single item limit stated in writing
• Public liability cover for damage to the property itself
• A free video or home survey before any price is given
• A written itemised quote rather than a one line total
• Employed uniformed crew rather than day labour booked that morning
• Own branded vehicles rather than hire vans
• Reviews from the last six months across more than one platform
• Clear waiting time, cancellation and storage terms
• A named contact who stays with your move from first call to final box

Insurance and accreditation explained

Goods in transit cover protects your belongings while they are in the company's care. Public liability covers damage to the building, which matters when a wardrobe meets a staircase. Ask for both certificates by email and check the dates.

The single item limit is the figure people miss. A policy with a large overall sum can still cap any one item at £1,000. If you own a painting, a watch collection or a piano, declare it in writing and get the limit raised.

Membership of a recognised trade body is worth having because it gives you a complaints and arbitration route if the company will not resolve a problem itself.

Why a survey is not optional

Any company that prices a house move from a two minute phone call is guessing at the volume. When the lorry turns out to be too small on the day you pay for the second trip, not them.

A video survey takes about fifteen minutes on your phone and turns an estimate into a fixed price. Open the loft, the garage and the shed while you do it. What the surveyor cannot see is what ends up as an extra charge.

How to compare three quotes honestly

Quotes for the same house can differ by hundreds of pounds and it is almost always what is included rather than what the firm is worth. Line up the same five numbers from each company and the comparison becomes fair.

Reading reviews properly

Ignore the star average and read the last six months. Look for reviews that mention delays, damage or a late finish and then read the company's reply. How a firm behaves on a bad day tells you far more than a run of five star ratings.

Be wary of a sudden burst of short glowing reviews in one week and of a company with no reviews at all on any independent platform.

Deposits payment and paperwork

A deposit of ten to twenty five per cent is normal and the balance is usually due before or on delivery. Pay by card or bank transfer so there is a record. Full payment in cash on the doorstep before anything is loaded is a serious warning sign.

Read the terms for cancellation dates, waiting time rates, storage if your chain slips and the claims process and time limit for reporting damage.

Warning signs to walk away from

If two or more of these appear, keep looking. There is always another firm.

• A price given without seeing the house
• No written quote or terms
• Pressure to book today for a discount that expires
• No insurance documents when asked
• Cash only and full payment up front
• Hire vans and a crew that changes every job

What we do differently

BlueSky quotes are fixed and written after a free survey. The crew are our own uniformed people trained in house, the vehicles are fully branded, goods in transit and public liability cover come as standard and one named coordinator stays with your move from the first call to the last box.