SW1 the most popular London postcode in 2012 – Top 5 tips when moving in London
Written by Liane Start at Pickfords
SW1 postcodes were the most popular destinations for London home movers in 2012 according to research conducted by Pickfords, the UK’s largest removals company.
Pickfords sampled 6,000 customers who moved house during 2012 to find out which were the top destination postcodes in London during the year. Of the sample, Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea proved to be the most popular with families choosing a professional removal company to help them move home.
Tom Goy, Removals Manager at Rightmove said:
“Of all our requests for removals services in London, the SW postcode areas and in particular the Wandsworth, Kingston upon Thames and Richmond upon Thames boroughs were most popular – proving the drawing power the area still has for aspiring movers.”
Top five tips when moving home in London
London presents unique challenges for removal companies and home movers based in London should get prepared before they move. In order to help you with your preparations, Pickfords has put together these hints and tips to help you plan your move in London.
Choose a member of the British Association of Removers
The most important thing to consider when moving home is to choose a removal company that is right for you. The British Association of Removers is the industry’s trade association and members have to meet strict service criteria. Members of the BAR are regularly inspected to ensure that their facilities and staff meet these high standards. The BAR also offers a free, conciliation and arbitration service, which means you can consult with an objective party, should you find yourself in a dispute with your removal company after you move.
Remember to plan your parking permit
A removal lorry can be similar in size to a double decker bus and parking in London can be problematic as parking permits are often needed. Ensure that you agree with your removals company who is going to be responsible for arranging the permit. If you prefer to arrange the permit yourself, you will need to contact your local council by contacting them either by telephone or online to organise a parking permit for move day. The permit will be posted to your address and will need to be displayed in the windscreen of the lorry. If a parking permit has not been arranged during the course of a move, it is possible that the cost of a penalty will be passed back to .
Tell your removal company about limited access and narrow streets
Other problems that removal truck could face are narrow streets or limited access to roads. Due to the size of removal trucks, they may struggle to fit down some roads so in this case, your removal company may have to use a shuttle vehicle. The truck will park further away and a shuttle vehicle will run goods between the truck and the house. Use of a shuttle vehicle may increase the price of your move, so ensure your removal company explains the operational details.
Move mid-week!
The costs of your removal vary depending on the size of the consignment and where it is going to and from. However there are many variables that could determine the price of your move. If it is an international move, shipping or airfreight prices will impact the overall cost of your move, for example if inflation causes the cost of shipping to go up then the price of your move will also increase. Also, factors such as the volume of the goods you want to move, distance to be covered and time of the move will affect the price. The time of year or the day of the week will also influence the price of your move. For example, if you wished to move during the summer holidays then this could be more expensive as it is the most popular time of the year to move. On the whole, it is cheaper to move mid-week than it is on a Friday.
Watch out for London events
Other factors that may cause problems on the day of your move could be school holidays or other events. Events happening around London could shut roads around your home, so you need to ensure that there are no events happening around your location on the day. These could cause significant problems as the removal lorry would not be able to get near the property and may result in the move not being able to go ahead on that day.
For more information about removals in London contact 0800 019 8557 or visit pickfords.co.uk
