Out side

The most common items missed when showing a removal company representative around is outside plants, these actually take up the most room in the removal van as you are unable to stack anything on top of them, so don't forget to show them and the loft, and the shed and the garage. Gordon's Man and Van Service always asks about plants, trees, wheelie bins, outside furniture but others don't and on the day they will say "that was not included in the quote and will cost extra" loads of operators do it they will spot the extras and say nothing they will beat me on the quote but will charge more on the day.

Remember Size matters

Whoever you chose to move you, be honest with them. They will be able to give you a more accurate quote, turn up with the right sized van and enough men to do the move on time, you need to be out if you have sold and the new owners will be keen to get in, if they know exactly what the removal entails then there will be no suprises and no hold ups. Even the smallest thing can have a bearing on the time spent on the move. If you already know that the wardrobes and beds had to be taken into the house through the bedroom window or that you have altered the stairs since the furniture was taken up, make sure they know and they will be happy to bring along tools, ladders, extra men etc. Also remember that the amount of furniture and belongings you write down onto an inventory form will dictate the size of the removal lorry allocated to your move. You wouldn't want a lorry arriving that is too small would you ?

A guide to moving house

So you have accepted an offer on your house. Now is the time to contact Gordon’s to help you with your move from your old house to your new home.

Contact 3 Removal firms either from your local area or the area you are moving to. To find Removal & Storage Companies in specific areas of the UK use google search (It’s important to have quotes otyher than from Gordon’s Man and Van service) contact Gordon Simmons for a friendly no obligation consultation, “I would rather help you find the right choice for your removal than do a bad job myself” I only take on small jobs but I will help you as much as I can, I the long run I will still get work from you.

Feed back

http://www.thevisitor.co.uk/findit?action=showPlace&placeid=2229324
checkout or page in the local rag: The Visitor News Paper you can leave feedback and review our service, feedback is a good way of looking what others thought of the service, someone has to really like what you do to give positive feed back because its effort you do not have to make.

Post Removal

You have just got to your new home AH ! the removals company's guys are wanting a quick getaway, your just glad to be there and are looking at all the work you have to do! it's a good idea to check for damage and that every things in order before they shoot off, the standard joke in the trade is the fridge and freezer, how long to leave to settle 1 hour ? we all ways think/joke, long enough to get paid and in the van ! Gordon's Man and Van can come to your new home and help you unpack, move furniture around, build new or old furniture, put stuff in the loft, swap rooms and take away your cardboard boxes for reuse.
It maybe you have furniture you no longer need, I can find a new home for it.

Protecting you loved ones

As with any large or bulky delivery, it is advisable to take photos of your items before they are picked up, these should be dated in the photo and copies given to the removal company prior to your move, legally this is the only way you can prove the damage was caused by the removal company as most claims are not upheld due to no evidence, the other way is to have witnessed the damage being cause at the time of the incident. Damage is rare with a removal company but not so with a lot of man and van operators, this is due to the industry being unregulated and anyone can set up as a man and van with no experience and no training (you could be his very first customer).
Pack your items in wrapping paper and box them up the more time you take the better start weeks before your move pack away all the items you don't need. Gordon's Man and Van can provide boxes, cartons, tape, marker pens and wrapping paper.
most if not all movers and shifters will only except liability for damage to a boxed item if there is evidence of external damage to the packing box/carton so wrap everything individually.
take a box your self, get a large plastic box with a lid and put your deeds, ipod, jewelry, cash, shares and anything else more valuable than the cost of the move and keep it with you, high value items may not be insured to their full value so don't put it on the van.

Trusting a Man in a Van

When choosing a man and van operator, it is important that they are properly insured
are they insured to carry goods for hire and reward ?, do they have public liability insurance? it is unlawful for a trades man of any description to enter and work in your home without it. do they have "GOODS IN TRANSIT INSURANCE" ? if they don't advertise it then they wont have it it cost the Man and Van operator a small fortune so you are blooming proud to boast, if they have not got it then it means as it leaves your house ( until it enters your new home if you are moving home only) it is not insured and you would have to take out your own litigation on the man and van to get money back and if he had nothing that's what you would get back. Have they got employers liability insurance if not you could be liable if he or they hurt them selves at your property.
Gordon has Public liability insurance, Employers Liability insurance, Goods in transit Insurance and is also insured to carry items and goods for hire and reward. Gordon (because he is a trainer) regularly has a Criminal Records Bureau check (C.R.B.) and also has a Lancaster City Council Personal Licence, an Security Industry Licence to Practice as a Door Supervisor and a clean as a whistle driving licence, making Gordon's Man and Van Service one of the most Trusted in the Morecambe and Lancaster area.

Size is Important

Men with vans come in all shapes and sizes, so it is important you choose the right one for your delivery work.
Make sure you measure your items to be delivered as accurately as possible, this will make it easier to know whether a van’s capacity will accommodate the transportation of your goods.
It maybe that your items or load is too big for the man and van to carry safely and legally, for example a small long wheel base van's maximum gross weight is 3.5 tonnes or 3500 kg so is a large extended body long wheel base Luton Box Van but the panel van holds 220 cubic feet and the Luton van 650 cubic feet but if you were to load only heavy boxes the panel van would hold more, why ? well the panel van weighs 2000 kg the Luton weighs 2300 kg. It is very important for the man and van to know what he it to carry so he can bring the right van large bulky items such as divan beds and wall robes and sofas would be ideal in a Luton but a Luton would only be able to carry 50 20kg boxes or would be over loaded.
Gordon's man and van will make sure your items are in the right van, wrapped in transport blankets and tied in securely. Gordon's Man and Van has full access to 7.5 tonne, 5 tonne and 3.5 tonne vans.

Part Loads or single item shipping

A local man and van will often the best solution when a lorry service is simply too large and expensive for what you need to move. Gordon's Man and Van, will often have several deliveries to complete within the Lancaster and Morecambe area; by using Gordon's he can fill up spare space he may have on a delivery route. This means the savings made are passed on to you the customer, who pay less than the standard rate as a result.
A great solution to your transport problems would be to use our pelleting service for items needing to be moved out of the area, Gordon's Man and Van can collect your items shrink wrap them on to a standard pallet (height up to 5 foot) and take them to a pallet network outlet, they can be delivered overnight or cheaper 3 days the pallet would be delivered to any addresses in the UK. you would then have to dispose of the pallet and unpack the pallet your self, it my not be ideal but I once have a lady from Lancaster University traveling home to Somerset with no furniture only suitcases boxes and a push bike it all went on to one pallet and cost her £120 instead of the cheapest removal quote of £650.00 that she had got.

Moving Very Large or Heavy Items

Gordon's Man and Van Service is often involved in requests to move very large and heavy item or asked to carry large and bulky items/furniture such as beds, tables, chairs and for the extra large items asked to bring along a drivers mate who can offer extra assistance or even a colleague from the Lancaster area man and van network (although this will often incur an additional cost usually only £10.00 per hour). Gordon is a qualified trainer and is qualified to train candidates in manual handling and 8 years in the removal and furniture business is a expert in lifting and moving furniture.

Why hire Gordon's Man and Van

Gordon’s man and van Service could be the perfect solution for most of your transportation needs. For many large deliveries, using Gordon’s Man and Van Service will be a great, affordable option. Let Gordon be your packhorse as a courier means  that you will not only have a man with a van who drives your item from A-B, but also is on-hand to help with handling, loading and unloading large, awkward and bulky goods. This differs from traditional small package operators.