Ian and Christa Taylor own a portfolio of beautiful hotels called the Kaleidoscope Collection, including The County Hotel and No.15 Great Pultney in Bath.Acquiring and running hotels such as these involves continuous maintenance and imaginative redevelopments, and the team at Mardan has played a big part in this ongoing work. Over the past few years, we have assisted with the refurbishment of all the Taylor’s hotels from start to finish and have ensured everything goes smoothly.This includes removing redundant furniture, such as delicate items like chandeliers and other fragile pieces that need a specialist team to ensure their safe storage. Mardan has travelled across Europe collecting specialist loads for the luxury market, and more recently has led and completed a 45 day commercial move relocating items from the Kaleidoscope Collection’s storage warehouse to their newly acquired storage warehouse.Our team leader on this project, Carl Saltillo, ensured the safe move of over 30,000 individual items, followed up by accurate placement at the new premises. To add to the pressure, this was carefully planned and executed within a restricted time frame. Specialised heavy lifting equipment was used, overseen by Mardan’s employee Nik Spanswick.Highly unusual items were moved: a submarine, shipping containers, industrial equipment and approximately 15 tonnes of marble. The relocation went smoothly, without any complications, to the delight and satisfaction of the Taylors.
Many of us have been enduring the vagaries of the British weather this year. Some have been dealing with snow whilst others have been battling against heavy and incessant rain, which has led to flooding across the country. And they say there’s more to come.
As islanders we are always at the mercy of the weather, which causes havoc to our homes on many occasions. The building boom of the past 20 years has added more woes to this issue, with many properties built on areas where water table levels are high and the results after heavy rainfall are extremely stressful.
Obviously the ideal scenario is to take steps to prevent flooding but it often hits unexpectedly and our precious possessions are badly affected.
Here are a few tips on how to manage the aftermath and how Mardan could help you:
1) Remain safe. Wear waders, rubber gloves and throw out any food.
2) Contact your insurers immediately for buildings, contents and even car insurance if that was affected. If your paperwork is damaged most companies will still be able to find you on their system and help.
3) Make sure you keep receipts for any emergency work completed.
4) Take photographs and keep any damaged goods for insurance purposes.
5) Ensure your electrics are professionally checked before turning any switches on.
6) Remove water and wet contents within 48 hours and bring in as many de-humidifiers as you can.
7) Secure your property if you have to move out.
8) In the unfortunate scenario that you DO have to move out of your home, we can step in to relieve as much stress as we can. Over the years we have helped a number of customers who have found themselves in this situation. Whenever we can, Mardan will always accommodate customers at short notice. The team is extremely experienced and can clear a home of its possessions at lightning speed to the safety of a removal truck and then on into storage. We pride ourselves on the ability of our staff to show empathy to our clients when they need it. We know that this is an extremely stressful period for them, and to this end we want to ensure that the moment the Mardan team walks through your door, they can help alleviate the worst of the stress.
9) If it turns out that you are going to be out of your home for a while due to ongoing repairs, we provide cost-effective storage solutions for Bath and the surrounding areas. The containers come in different sizes, are available at competitive rates and are offered with flexible rental and vacation periods. Our customers can rest assured in the knowledge that their precious items are stored in a highly secure yard, which is monitored by 24-hr CCTV. Warehouse storage is also available for customers who do not require regular access.
We also try and help our clients to find the best people to work with after the stress of flood damage, and we have a great relationship with a number of local companies that may be useful resources for our customers:
Elmore Kitchens http://www.elmorekitchens.com
Homemaker Kitchens http://www.myhomemaker.co.uk
LFFlooring http://www.facebook.com/lfflooring/
ACE Energy http://www.bathplumbers.co.uk
Bath and West Technical Services Ltd http://www.bw-tech.co.uk
The Wooden Blind Company http://www.thewoodenblindcompany.co.uk
…to name but a few. It is often a big help if you can get personal recommendations to ensure you get the best service and price possible.
REFERENCES:
https://www.houselogic.com/finances-taxes/home-insurance/what-do-first-24-hours-after-flood/
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2007/jul/24/weather.homeinsurance
January can be a long month but it often inspires people to make changes in their homes and lives generally. Renovating your existing living space often seems a good idea at the beginning of a new year. We certainly find that many of our customers use us to move their belongings out of their home to store safely while they have their renovations completed. There is nothing worse than having to constantly battle thick dust and paint splatters on your precious belongings while the big jobs get done. It can make the whole process ten times more stressful. And at a costly time, free packing materials are obviously a bonus.
We try and help our clients out with finding the best people to help them as we work with a number of local companies that can be useful resources for our customers during their renovations: Elmore Kitchens, Homemaker Kitchens, LF Flooring, ACE Energy, Bath and West Technical Services Ltd, and The Wooden Blind Company, to name but a few. It is often a big help if you can get personal recommendations to ensure you get the best service and price possible.
Here are some useful links for any of you considering renovating your home this year.
From Ideal Home’s website:
http://www.idealhome.co.uk/all-rooms-ideas/how-to-renovate-on-a-budget-20-ideas-91473
From the Daily Telegraph:
and from Homify:
https://www.homify.co.uk/ideabooks/2094795/your-complete-beginner-s-guide-to-renovating-a-house
Do give us a call for a no obligation quote to move and store your belongings. We are very cost effective when it comes to safe, high quality storage and very happy to help.
The thing that often worries our prospective customers the most about a house or office move is how their larger objects will fare in the process. They feel concerned that the removal company won’t be up to the job and that on the day, promises about being adept at handling these huge items will be well and truly broken.
We pride ourselves on being problem solvers, as well as an excellent removal company. Our packers have been doing this for years and they know their stuff. There are no objects, big or small, that we cannot deal with. One of our vehicle’s tail lifts will lift 4 tonnes.
We have moved boats, hot tubs, a 27ft long table – the top of which weighed ¾ tonne – shipping containers, motorbikes, machinery, chandeliers, stoves, large and heavy statues…and on one occasion we even moved a horse! The list is endless. The photo on the left below shows us moving heavy boxes of floodlights, which isn’t the first thing that springs to mind when you think of the items usually on a removal company’s list. On the right is a Mercedes getting the Mardan treatment – is one of the many cars we’ve transported over the years. We often get asked to take care of people’s prized classic car collections and transport them during the moving process.
Mardan works closely with a number of hotels in Bath. One memorable job was the need to move an industrial oven into the Abbey Hotel. This was an exciting project, which necessitated the hire of a crane company to assist the move into the basement of the hotel. We now regularly use this company, most recently to move several hot tubs.
Even the Georgian town houses of Bath don’t phase us. We can negotiate most items (many being grand pianos) down narrow stairways, corners and banisters. We love a challenge.
So call us if you have been agonising over moving any tricky and/or large objects and your problem will be solved. We will endeavour to do this with care and professionalism. We’ll tell you exactly how we plan to move your treasured possessions so there are no surprises on the day. And we’d be happy to provide references from other happy customers to put your mind completely at rest.
As we’ve talked about here before, moving house is right up there on the list of life’s most stressful experiences. Every part of the process can be exhausting and tense for many people. Removal companies can be seen as luxury – an additional cost that can be avoided, because how hard can it be to do it yourself? Sometimes the answer to this can be ‘very’.
Doing things on your own can often lead to more stress and poor use of your time in the long run. Whilst it might look easy, there is a lot to think about and a good removal company will be professional and reliable – making the days prior to the move, move day itself and after the move stress free.
Prior to your move
When moving yourself there will be a number of important jobs to do prior to the big day. You will need to start thinking about and gathering materials to use for packing – paper, bubble wrap, boxes – in a variety of sizes plus covers for your furniture and carpets. These will often cost you money, at a premium, if you choose to buy these directly from a supplier. Otherwise, you’ll need to put in the time driving around various supermarkets and asking for freebies.
A decent removal company will always offer a full packing service. However, if you do want to pack yourself, materials would be delivered to you at a convenient time, in order for you to pack prior to move day and are often free of charge with every move. We certainly provide this service at Mardan.
Next will be the hiring of a vehicle or vehicles, and this will depend on how much you have to move. Rest assured, you will often have more than anticipated – many of our customers run out of time to have a good clear out! You will also have to ensure you (or one of your friends and family) feel comfortable driving a large vehicle and have the necessary licence to do so.
If not, it means you’ll need more vehicles and drivers at your disposal, or multiple trips to and from your properties – an added time pressure that should not be underestimated on moving day. An additional time stress will be that your old property will have to be vacated by completion, which is usually 12 – 1pm. A good removal company will have a range of vehicles, from 3.5 tonnes to an 18 tonne container vehicle with tail lifts, drivers will have full valid licenses and vans will be equipped with sack trucks, piano wheels, removal blankets, straps and ties ensuring the safe transportation of your belongings.
Finally prior to move day, if you are busy packing, loading, driving and un-loading you may need to organise who will look after your children/pets. Again, this may incur extra costs of kennels, dog walkers, after school clubs or baby sitters.
Moving day
The day of the move finally arrives, often much sooner than anticipated. Not quite all of your packing is completed and you may have to get the kids up and off to school and pets walked and fed before you can finish the last few boxes.
Finally, when the last one is packed, you now need to start loading the van and emptying the house prior to completion. If you have a few friends on hand to assist you, then this isn’t so bad but people often have to move during the week and not everyone can take the time off work to help. People have good intentions and may readily offer to help you out, but find themselves unable to do nearer the time.
No time for niceties – patience is often in short supply. Tempers can be frayed. In addition to the multiple boxes to shift, there are a few, valuable items and large pieces of furniture to be moved including that huge double wardrobe from the first floor. You built it from flat pack in situ, but now you have to get it down the stairs in one go. It reminds you that you’re not as young as you once were and that some pain relief and a heat pack may be helpful tonight to sooth your back – if only you knew which box they were in…
If the weather is unkind and it’s raining, you’ll need to ensure you cover your mattresses and sofas adequately and also any other furniture you don’t want to get wet.
Finally the van (or vans/cars) is loaded and ready to go. You’ve been up early and you feel shattered – but you now you have to put the hoover through and dust the skirting board that was hidden behind the bed (and that wardrobe) and there is no time. Completion is upon you and the new owners have arrived with their removal company.
And it all has to happen again at the new house. After a hectic afternoon unloading with no time for tea and biscuits, when all you want to do is collapse in your new lounge, you need to collect the pets and kids and return the vehicle(s) prior to the hire company shutting for the day.
A good removal company would have arrived early or handled the move over two days, with all the packing completed the day before. Each member of staff would have had an assigned task, vans would be parked, ramps lowered, boxes packed and loaded, large pieces of furniture easily manoeuvred down the stairs and taken to the van. All pictures, glass wear, china or any other breakable items would be carefully wrapped and your furniture would be blanketed onto the van/lorry then tied securely. The van would then have been driven to your delivery address ready for keys and unloading.
You on the other hand would have been able to calmly make teas and coffees as required, sort the kids and pets and do a final check prior to locking up and taking the keys to the estate agent. In addition, many companies offer an unpacking service and will mark boxes when packed so that they are placed in the correct rooms on delivery. Removal teams will be fully trained to handle all items so you can be assured your goods will be packed and handled with the utmost care and attention. You would also have been spared the physical and mental strain of getting everything off the van and in the right place. Particularly if the weather is bad.
After the move
So you take a deep breath, straighten up your aching back and survey your new home. Packed boxes surround you, your furniture needs moving between rooms and you have no idea where your kettle, kitchenware or even your toiletries are.
As bone weary as you are, you’re now faced with unpacking it all, and you also have to think about the process of removing all the packing materials so your new home doesn’t look like a warehouse. Endless trips to the tip / recycling centre await you. If you had used a removal company and requested the unpacking service, everything would have been put in place and they would have removed all packing materials and they left, leaving you to enjoy your new home.
Cost is obviously a big factor when moving home and many of our customers have attempted handling their own move at some point in the past. But they all tell us that they couldn’t face doing it again, and after they totted up the cost of van hire, box and packing material purchases, the favours they had to call in (many of them got let down on the day after people who’d originally agreed to help had been unable to make it when the day dawned) together with the sheer physical and mental effort it took, they felt it wasn’t worth the difference in cost at the end of the day.
It also meant that they didn’t get their new houses straight for a lot longer and that in itself is a stressful experience. When you tot up the cost of everything else that’s associated with a house move, the removal company’s expenses within that sum are pretty reasonable compared to everything else you’re expected to pay for. Taking a huge amount of the strain away is worth a lot in the long run.
Diary of a house move: read what one satisfied customer had to say.
Moving can be a stressful experience but there are things you can do in advance to take the pressure off a little. We’ve put together some tips for you that we hope might help.
Around six weeks before you move house start getting removal quotes and once the date has been confirmed, don’t forget to book the removal company (refer to our earlier blog to make sure you choose the right one.) If you are going it alone, now would be a good time to ask friends to help out. Give them plenty of notice. Book the van you need to ensure you get the right size.
If you need extra storage space book it, a good removal company will be able to help you with this having their own storage or knowing a good local storage company. Also ask the removal company for boxes and tape if you are packing yourself.
If you have small children and/or pets, call in some favours from family and friends well in advance to take care of them on the day. It will make life a lot easier if you don’t have to worry about them and probably a lot less unsettling for everyone.
If you can measure up in the new property, or get a copy of the floor plan, do so as soon as you can, so you can approximately work out where your furniture will go. Obviously these things aren’t set in stone until you see your possessions in situ, but it helps to be prepared as much as you can be.
Make sure you amend the details on your home insurance policy in advance. You need to be covered from the moment you move in and it’s easy to forget to let your insurer know in the midst of the move.
Get in touch with all the utility companies and the council tax office to notify them when and where you will be moving to. Contact your bank/building society to let them know your move date and new address. If you have online accounts with ticket companies, shopping sites like Amazon, ASOS etc, then make sure you change the address on your account – you don’t want your orders arriving at the old house. Especially if you are moving away from the area!
Will you need new furniture, rugs or carpet? If so, order them well in advance so they will be ready for the new home when you are.
Start clearing out your possessions as soon as you can so you don’t move things you don’t need. Be ruthless. There is a book by Japanese professional organiser, Marie Kondo, where she describes a simple method to free yourself of unnecessary clutter.
Marie advises you to answer just one simple question when it comes to any of the items in your house: Does it bring you joy? If it’s yes, you keep it. Any hesitation or a flat no, you donate it or throw it out. It’s that simple. We all keep things on the basis that they might be useful at some point in the future, or we feel guilty about throwing them out because they were expensive or someone bought them for us that we don’t want to offend. But whether something brings you joy is a question and one that can be answered immediately. Do you feel joy or don’t you? There is no need to make it more complicated than that.
If you are moving away from an area, then you need to check out doctors, dentists and opticians to register with. Word of mouth is always helpful, so if you don’t know anyone locally, try joining a few Facebook groups for advice on the best ones to choose.
Set up a postal re-direction service. This can be done for everyone in the house either online or at the post office.
Don’t forget to transfer your TV licence to your new home.
About a week before you move, your removal company should be in touch to finalise all the details. This is a good time to check on when you can pick up the keys for the new house and make a list of family and friends who need to know your new address. If you are moving yourself, start packing all the non-essential items into boxes, so when the big day comes you’re not under so much pressure.
Finally, on the day remember to take all the meter readings before you go. Oh, and leave the kettle out – that, together with your tea and coffee making essentials – should always be the last item packed and the first one unpacked. Don’t forget toiletries, phone charger, drinks and snacks ready for your first night in your new home.
Good luck with your move.
Less than two months to go until we’re in our new home and I realise with a terrible lurch that I still haven’t sorted the removals company to move us. Feel immediately stressed and out of control and have visions of blokes in overalls with clipboards, sucking their teeth and walking around the house, judging us on the mess. Realise I haven’t asked any local friends for recommendations, let alone looked online for reviews. Eye up the wine for moment and then decide the more sensible approach is to actually Get On With It.
Tuesday
After a plea to local friends on Facebook, extensive Googling and reading through what feels like hundreds of reviews – a lot of them rather scary (who moves canaries in a wardrobe??) – I narrow my search down to three companies. One, called Mardan Removals, seems to have many more personal recommendations than the others, including one from friends who own Tynings, a local estate agent, so I start there. It turns out that Mardan is a family firm, and all their reviews say they have years of experience. As my husband and I run our own business, I set great store by that. Of course there’s always the outside chance that they spend their time watching daytime telly, gambling online and drinking coffee, but on the whole I think family run means personal service so I give it a go.
Make a phone call to Marcus who actually owns Mardan. That’s another plus – I am taking to the organ grinder from the start. His calm manner is like a balm to my stressed out psyche. He explains to me that he needs to come over to take a good look round so he can make sure he quotes properly. This is already different to the last company who moved us out of London to Bath by going through each room on the phone with me. That ended badly as it took them a lot more time than they originally quoted and caused so much stress and extra expense it was like having your toenails pulled out. It mentally scarred me and made me suspicious of removals companies for a long time.
Wednesday
Marcus comes round the very next day and takes me through each room, explaining the different levels of service they provide. They are happy to supply boxes so I can pack the sundries myself and they just move the big stuff (I immediately decide it will be a cold day in hell before I take that on but I guess if you don’t mind doing that it’s a cheaper option) or they can do absolutely everything for you. He is incredibly thorough and doesn’t even flinch at the state of my son’s bathroom, which is a definite sign of a strong constitution. I make a mental note to throttle son when he gets back from college and wince as I open his wardrobe so Marcus can see the amount of clothes and shoes he has. Yes, they really are that detailed.
Marcus runs through the backgrounds of the guys on his team who will be moving us on the day. By this stage I’m convinced he won’t be employing clueless meatheads like the ones we experienced before but I pay attention and resist the urge to thankfully hug him. I ask him about pre-payment as we had to do that last time and I wasn’t happy about it at all. Apparently his company doesn’t believe in that. They ask for payment on the day when the move has been done and we are happy with the service. It is clear that I am a naïve fool when it comes to house moves but I am rapidly learning the right way to do it so I can question the second company I ask to quote like a seasoned professional.
Marcus leaves and I slug back a coffee wishing it was a large G&T and start looking around the house – realising I have a ton of things to chuck out before we go. No point in moving the clutter with us but the thought of it already makes me feel like I need a lie down. The dogs eye me with distrust as I half-heartedly make a start on their treat drawer. This is going to be a long process.
Marcus gets back to me that day with two different quotes, both incredibly detailed. Having moved house 4 times in 5 years, this is a world away from other removal companies we’ve dealt with so we decide immediately to give him our business. My stress-o-meter goes down several notches. Always a good thing.
One week to go
We receive an email from Mardan telling us exactly who will be in the team moving us on the day and giving us a full itinerary. It’s getting real. I’m still trying to convince myself to throw out items of clothing last worn when Bucks Fizz won the Eurovision. Husband and kids are keeping out of my way in case I ask them to do the same. Dogs won’t make eye contact with me. I feel the stress levels simmering to number 9. Catch husband trying to keep his leather jacket from the 80s and march him to the charity shop pile myself.
The big day
Carl and his team arrive at 8am on the dot. They are all very smart and friendly. I was right. No meatheads on board. I can see Carl do a mental sweep and work out immediately that I’m the one that needs TLC today. He’s been in the business for years and has a very good aura. He’s also definitely dealt with his fair share of stressheads in that time and knows how to handle them. The place looks like we’ve been ram raided before they start but after only a couple of hours they’ve packed up huge amounts and are already tackling the furniture. They are moving us over two days and it’s like a military campaign. I feel redundant. It’s a great feeling.
Day Two of Big Day
Now all the vans have been packed up, two of the four man team come back to the old house where I am waiting, to finish up the last bits that we needed for overnight and take the last two beds. I see they have put covers on the mattresses. Realise that no other removal company I have used has ever done that. Feel annoyed at all of them for being so lax – it’s raining outside but apparently that’s standard stuff for Mardan. When we moved down to Bath it was raining too but the removal company at the time didn’t provide that. Nor did they cover all the carpets with removal plastic. They just shoved down mats that kept rucking up and were about as much use as a chocolate fireguard. They weren’t a cheap option either.
We arrive at the new house where husband is in place with Carl and the rest of the team, telling him where things should go. Obviously this was a huge mistake on my part as none of the things are where I want them. I try and shoot him a death glare without Carl noticing but I think he’s sussed me. Carl very patiently gets everyone to move them around again. And then again when I can’t make a decision about where the sofas should go. In fact, things get so tense about the sofas I realise to my horror I might be on the verge of a few tears.
And that’s when the wheat is definitely sorted from the chaff as Carl also works that out too and has a quiet word with me about how people can often feel overwhelmed when at the final stages and that he and his team will be happy to move them a dozen times as long as they end up where I want them. I weigh up at this stage whether a hug of gratitude might be a little OTT. It makes everything suddenly all right. We work out the sofas. To my chagrin, it’s the husband who finally cracks it. Curses. But I can’t afford to be churlish.
They are all done and dusted, with everything where I want it, by lunchtime. I never felt rushed into making a decision or that I was inconveniencing them in any way. I have felt that many times with previous removal companies where they acted like they were doing me a massive favour and turned their nose up at my Yorkshire tea.
Even better, Mardan took as many boxes as they could away with them so we wouldn’t have too much clutter. They also were bright, funny guys who put up with my manic ways without batting an eyelid. Probably seen it all before but I was grateful.
Realise I have learnt a great deal about how it should be done during this move and vow never to use anyone but Mardan again. They do international removals too – so wherever we end up they’ll be taking us there.
Now lying on the floor in my new lounge with gin drip attached. The boxes can wait.
Gina
Combe Down
