What to do If Movers Break Your Property

Moving house is stressful enough, without the added panic that one of your removal men might break one of your precious possessions! Luckily, there’s plenty you can do if you think some of your belongings might have been damaged in the move – here’s our step by step guide.

Take a look at your contract

Before you prepare to send an angry email, take a look at the contract or the terms and conditions of the movers’ services. Make sure there isn’t a clause in there which protects them from liability if anything is broken or damaged. If you can’t find one of these clauses, proceed to the next step…

Tell the movers

Make sure you tell the movers as soon as you spot anything that might be damaged or broken. You might feel awkward about it, but the sooner you make the issue known to them, the better. They might even own up straight away and help you speed up the process of making a claim.

Take pictures

Make sure you’ve got proof of the breakage or damage – if your camera has a time-stamp feature, even better. This will prove that the damage was caused as a result of the move, rather than before or after it.

Contact the company

Get in touch with the head office of the moving company if you need to file a claim. If you’ve gone with a good York removal company, you’ll find that they already have insurance in place for these kind of circumstances, and the claim could become a lot easier. Go with a cowboy, though, and your battle to be compensated for the damage may just be getting started…

Last resort: contact a professional body

The Better Business Bureau if a professional body that can help you deal with complaints or claims if the matter hasn’t been resolved within a satisfactory time period. If the moving company are dragging their feet, a professional body should be able to speed them up a little. 

Accidents do happen, and especially in high-stress situations like house moves. Here at Van Man York, we provide excellent York removals with all the relevant insurance in place, and our team take the utmost care to protect all of our customers’ belongings during this stressful time. 

Tips for a Transatlantic Move

The American Dream has such appeal that even many Brits want a piece of it! Upping sticks and moving to the land of the free and the home of the brave has real allure for many that are tired of living in Blighty – so here are some tips for all those considering making a transatlantic move in the future.

Visas, visas, visas!

One of the most complicated and stressful parts of moving to the US will be the visa and work permit application processes. The US make this part deliberately tough, and the process can be very long-winded. Make sure you stay on top of things and send off all the relevant forms and information months before you intend to actually move.

Get a good removal company

The importance of a good removal company during a move like this can’t be understated! You’ll need to find one with reasonable rates, and preferably one which has experience of international moves – but this isn’t essential. The important thing here is that you find a York removal company that you’re comfortable handing your possessions over to.

Don’t pack the kitchen sink

Instead of taking every worldly possession you own, why not use this as an opportunity to have a huge de-clutter? Throw out, recycle or sell some of the things that you won’t immediately need – you’ll be able to pick them up relatively cheaply over in the US, especially with the favourable exchange rates right now. This will make life easier for you when it comes to packing and unpacking – and it’ll also make life easier for your man and van York!

Driving permits

Look into getting an international driving permit to ensure you’ll be able to navigate when you get there. You should also read up on the regulations of the state that you’re moving to – each one has various different driving laws and bylaws that you’ll need to be familiar with before you get behind the wheel. You’ll also be driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road… so it’s crucial to be safe!

Get insurance

One-way travel insurance is a must, especially with a move as huge as a transatlantic one. Getting good insurance will protect your belongings in transit and will be your safety net should anything else go wrong. 

Are you thinking of moving to the US? Our York removal company can have you out of your UK home in no time.