Category Archives: House removals

House removals

Top commuter towns for home buyers in Kent and Essex

Colin Batt Removals Comment

commuter towns

Commuter towns you should consider

Working in London but don’t want to live there? Here are some great commuter towns you can choose instead.

Tonbridge, Kent

A market town with 1,000 years of history behind it, Tonbridge is in many ways the unsung epitome of everything Kentish. It’s got an 11th century castle, and just outside the town is The Hop Farm. Formerly the site of the hop gardens which earned the county its status as the garden of England, it’s packed with attractions for kids. The town is close to the lovely Wealden countryside and itself has plenty of green spaces. Connections to London are excellent from Tonbridge: there are eight or nine peak-time trains an hour to Charing Cross and Cannon Street, all taking around 45 to 50 minutes and calling at London Bridge too.

Maidstone, Kent

Kent’s county town has it all: beautiful green spaces, cultural attractions galore, lively nightlife and fantastic shopping. Just outside the town stands the stunning Leeds Castle, popular as much for its gorgeous parkland as for the fascinating former royal residence itself. Mote Park, a 450-acre expanse of woodland and open grassland with a huge lake and a model railway, is a delightful place to spend a family afternoon; for a rainy day, there’s a theatre, a museum and a range of shops. Maidstone East has two or three trains an hour to London Victoria, taking around an hour and ten minutes. 

Southend-on-Sea, Essex

Out on the coast, Southend is within an hour of central London – there are 15 trains from 7-8am to Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street, mostly taking between 55 and 65 minutes. The seven beaches will provide endless joy if you have kids, but there is much more to the town than its seaside resort status: two theatres, an art gallery, several leisure centres, a cinema and an airport are here too. Leigh-on-Sea in particular is popular with commuters, and has period houses, vintage shops and independent cafés.

Folkestone, Kent

Once a seaside resort beloved of Edward VII, Folkestone has recently experienced significant regeneration, both in the town centre and the harbour area. There are trendy, upmarket bars and restaurants, a thriving arts scene and a creative quarter of independent shops, galleries and cafés along the cobbled Old High Street. The west end of the town has splendid Victorian and Edwardian villas, tree-lined boulevards and a charming seafront, and runs into villagey Sandgate, full of little shops and cafes and cute cottages, upmarket Seabrook and then the quiet, historic former Cinque Port of Hythe. 

Ashford, Kent

A quarter of an hour up the line from Folkestone is Ashford, a town transformed by the advent of its high-speed rail link. There are ten trains to various London stations running between 7-8am, with Stratford just half an hour away and St Pancras a 38-minute ride. A lot of redevelopment is underway here, with independent shops, cafes and restaurants and a new cinema springing up, but the really big draw is still the stunning Stour Valley and Wealden countryside which surrounds the town.

When you’re moving house, you need a removal firm who you can trust with your most treasured possessions. An award-winning, family-run Kent removals company, Colin Batt Removals have been helping people settle into their new homes for more than 40 years. Finalist for the British Association of Removers’ domestic remover of the year award in 2018, we’re specialists in piano removals and have moved some of the world’s most expensive and treasured instruments.

When you work with us, you know your belongings are in safe and capable hands. As well as our house removal service, we also offer a packing service for moving house.We’re based in Ashford, Maidstone and Canterbury, and also cover the Folkestone and Tonbridge areas.  To find out more about our services, give us a call on 01233 740395.

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    House removals

    Celebrating 40 years of Excellence in Removals and Storage

    Colin Batt Removals Comment

    Not only are we celebrating 40 years of high quality house removals and storage services but we have also just won the Kent Excellence in Business Award for Customer Service and we are one of 3 finalists in the national, British Association of Removers Domestic Mover of the Year Competition. We are amazed and so proud to be recognised in this way and this is on top of the Ashford Business Award for Customer Service we won in November. All in all,  we have a lot to celebrate as we turn 40 this year.

    Domestic Mover of the Year Finalist

    The Domestic Mover of the Year award aims to encourage and celebrate high standards, and to reward those companies that excel in customer service. The competition is open to all 430 members of the British Association of Removers, who are a professional trade body for the removals industry. Reaching the final places Colin Batt Removals as one of the top 3 domestic removals companies in the country. What a fantastic achievement for our Kent business. This achievement is a great honour and praise for the team; to be recognised as delivering high quality removals and excellent customer service by our own industry is a fantastic accomplishment.

    Kent Excellence in Business Award for Customer Service

    A couple of weeks later we were amazed to receive the Kent Excellence in Business Award for Customer Service. This award is open to any organisation, irrespective of size or sector, from Kent. The winner had to demonstrate commercial success whilst achieving excellence in looking after its customers. The competition is run by Kent County Council and the Kent Messenger Group with Barclays bank sponsoring and judging the customer service category. To top this list is very humbling, as we were up against some very strong competition from very large businesses across Kent. The judges singled us out for the commitment and passion we have to deliver an outstanding service to every single customer.

    Kent Excellence in Business Customer Service Award Winners 2018

    Simon Batt, the managing Director, said:

    Our success in these rewards is down to the hard work and dedication of the whole team. Our motto is “Where Service is Key” and we are dedicated to helping the customer at every stage of their move. We want to make the process of moving house as stress free as possible. To win these awards and achieve this recognition in our 40thyear is truly amazing. Thanks to all our staff that work so hard every day to make this possible.

    Family-Run Removals Company since 1978

    Colin Batt Removals are family-owned and run and have been operating in Kent since 1978, providing domestic house removals, piano removals, storage and document archive services. Founded in Bethersden by Colin Batt with a single van the business has grown from humble beginnings. We now operate a fleet of vehicles, have 15 staff and our own storage facility on Maidstone Road, Ashford. At this site we can now offer furniture storage, document archive and climate-controlled storage. The Company is going from strength to strength and we are proud of the award-winning services we provide. You agree too, over 99% of our customers recommend our removals and storage services to their family and friends.

    House Removals Accreditation

    On top of the awards we achieved British Standard EN 12522 accreditation for Furniture Removals for private individuals. This is an independent verification of the quality of our removals processes and services. Another guarantee that your house or piano move is in safe hands.

    QSS BS EN 12522 logo

    So all in all we have many reasons to celebrate in our 40thyear; two customer service awards, British Standard Accreditation and National finalists in the Domestic Mover of the Year Award. These are all fantastic recognition of our quality house removals and storage services and a perfect birthday present. Thanks to all our staff and customers who make us who we are and Happy Birthday Colin Batt Removals.

    House removals

    Best places to live in Kent 2018 – Canterbury, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Ashford, Sandwich, Margate, West Malling

    Colin Batt Removals Comment

    We have collated the results of several surveys to highlight the best towns and villages to live in Kent. We know that choosing the best place to live in Kent is very subjective, everyone has their own personal favourite town or village. Selecting the right place for you will depend on your personal circumstances, are you commuting, do you need access to good schools, are you a shopaholic etc? However, research and league tables do help define what each town can offer and provide a different perspective on life in various Kentish Towns. We have been looking online and have pulled together the top lists from a number of areas.

    One Dome – Best towns and villages in Kent

    One Dome, a property technology company, recently conducted some research into the best towns to live in Kent. Each town was measured using data from 70 sources and scored according to their own algorithm. The ranking was based upon education, transport links, lifestyle and nightlife, noise, crime, green spaces, public safety and access to groceries.

    In One Dome’s view, Canterbury topped the charts by combining its cultural and historical heritage with some great education establishments and local nature areas. This makes it a hit with families and students alike. The full top five looks like this:

    1. Canterbury – Scored well for education, green spaces and historic landmarks. Not a great place for noise but good commuter links.
    2. Royal Tunbridge Wells – unsurprisingly this historic spa town scored well culturally, with plenty of green space, shops, restaurants and bars. Moving here does come with a price tag though!
    3. Belvedere – Easily commutable to London, being in zone 5, with lots of ‘Good’ schools as rated by OFSTED.
    4. Ashford – Scored well due to the high speed link to London along with plenty of shops and restaurants.
    5. Sandwich – small but attractive town, quiet place to live and only minutes from the coast. Not great if you’re looking to get to London in a hurry.

    Dartford, Maidstone, Gillingham, Dover and Folkestone finished off the top ten, Sevenoaks just missed out in 11th spot.

    One Dome also looked at Kent’s villages. They ranked our quaint settlements on Local Reality data and the top rated were:

    1. Eynsford
    2. St Mary’s Platt
    3. Ightham
    4. Staplehurst
    5. Brenchley
    6. Marden
    7. Langton Green
    8. Hawkhurst
    ashford removals

    Award Winning House Removals Company Kent.

    Halifax Quality of Life Survey 2017

    Interestingly, Kent has not done so well in the Halifax Quality of Life Survey 2017. We only managed to get one of our great towns into the top 50 this year, in 2014 we managed 5 (see our blog).  Well done to Tonbridge and Malling who secured 16th in the Halifax rankings.

    Overall 17 of the top 50 were located in the South East and 4 in London. The South scored well in Halifax’s assessment due to high employment, and earnings as well as long life expectancy. The full top 20 ranking is here:

    Local Authority Region 2017 Rankings 2016 Rankings
    Hart South East 1 26
    Orkney Islands Scotland 2 2
    Rutland East Midlands 3 28
    Wychavon West Midlands 4 3
    Winchester South East 5 1
    Wokingham South East 6 9
    Waverley South East 7 17
    Craven Yorkshire and The Humber 8 64
    Richmondshire Yorkshire and The Humber 9 33
    Stratford-on-Avon West Midlands 10 21
    Uttlesford East of England 11 35
    Ryedale Yorkshire and The Humber 12 29
    Westminster London 13 44
    South Oxfordshire South East 14 13
    St Albans East of England 15 8
    Tonbridge and Malling South East 16 14
    East Herefordshire East of England 17 47
    City of London London 18 20
    Chiltern South East 19 10
    Rugby West Midlands 20 32

    The Newspapers

    The Telegraph chose West Malling, specifically Kings Hill, as the best place to raise a family in the UK.  The Times rates Margate as one of the bets places to live in the UK in 2017.

    Summary

    There is a variety of choice out there and Kent has something to offer everyone. We have great commuter towns, seaside getaways, up and coming gems and picture postcard villages. Whatever you need for your own piece of perfect, Kent has an option for you. The league tables above offer some insight but are very dependent on the data and algorithms used, take them with a pinch of salt. As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder so don’t take these scores as fact, do your own research and find what is right for you.

    Read more about the research and reports here:

    https://www.onedome.com/blog/lifestyle/the-best-places-to-live-in-kent/ – besttowns

    https://static.halifax.co.uk/assets/pdf/media-centre/press-releases/2017-10-14-halifax-reveals-top-spots-for-kids-press-release.pdf

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/pictures/11072925/Britains-top-20-places-to-raise-a-family.html?frame=3025899

    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sunday-times-best-places-to-live-2017-3qkwjnvrm#/

    House removals

    Quality Removals Services Assured

    Colin Batt Removals Comment

    We are very proud to announce that we have passed our initial audit for the British Standard for House Removals. We are now certified by Quality Standards Services as meeting the British Standard for delivering BS EN12522. This Standard covers all furniture removal activities conducted for private individuals.  The certificate shows that we are operating to the highest standards in the Removals Industry.

    Quality House Removals

    What is really impressive is that we not passed the audit first time, but we passed with zero non-conformities. This means there were no major or minor discrepancies with any of our policies or procedures. This is down to all the hard work the team did in preparing for the audit and the high standards we set ourselves, every day and on every house removal.

    The audit examines every aspect of our house removals services and, therefore, it ensures we have the right processes, people and procedures in place to execute every phase of a removal. From initial enquiry, through the quotation to the move itself and beyond to our complaints procedures (not that we receive many of those). The QSS logo is your indication of a quality removals company delivering a quality removals service.

    External Recognition

    We are extremely proud to achieve this certificate but it is not the only sign of our outstanding removals services. You may know we are a member of the British Association of Removers, who also conduct an annual inspection of our business. Just check out the badge at the bottom of the page or read more about the BAR here.

    Furthermore, last November we were honoured to receive the Customer Service Award from Business Awards Kent. The award was open to all small and medium-sized businesses from the Ashford area from all industries. We are proud to say we won, after beating some stiff competition.

    Don’t just trust the experts. Our customers also provide great feedback of our performance. You can read these independently verified and collated reviews at Checkatrade.

    Externally verified, certified, audited, reviewed and recommended, by any independent measure you can be assured of a quality house move when you choose Colin Batt Removals. Wherever you’re moving in Kent, be that Maidstone, Rochester, Canterbury, Ashford or Dover, we are your quality house removal company.

    House removals

    House & Piano Removal Customer Feedback Jun-Aug 17

    Colin Batt Removals Comment

    Check out some of the reviews we received for our house removals and piano removals services from the last few months. All the reviews are independently verified and are authentic customer comments. A massive thank you to all our customers who took the time to provide this hugely valuable feedback.

    House Removal Feedback Faversham KentPiano Removal Review – Faverhsam Kent 15 August 17

    Extremely competent skillful removers. Took endless care to avoid damage to house walls and instrument, which was very heavy.

    House Removal Feedback DorsetHouse Removal Review from Kent to Dorset 8 August 17

    The team of removal people were very friendly, courteous and polite and we were so happy that they took the time to check details with us and ask questions. It meant the move was much less stressful than it could have been.

     

    Whitstable house removal feedbackHouse Removal Review Whistable Kent 27 July 17

    The whole process was incredibly stress free. Everything went smoothly. Chris and Steven were an absolute delight. Friendly but professional, going the extra mile to ensure I was happy.

    Everything was packed up and installed in my new home speedily but with care. I hadn’t imagined that the process would be so pleasurable but it was!

    Customer review of house removal from Kent to NewportHouse Removal Review from Kent to Newport 20 July 17

    The company made on 3 day removal as smooth as they could. They were helpful and courteous under trying conditions. We would have no hesitation in recommending them.

    Kent house removal customer reviewHouse Removal Review – Sissinghurst Kent 18 July 17

    We have had 8 moves in the last 20 years and this was the best by a mile. Chris H and Mark were brilliant!! We will certainly be recommending your company.

    Many thanks Rob and Jill.

     

    Sandwich house removal customer reviewHouse Removal Review – Sandwich Kent 11 July 17

    The all round service was excellent. The team kept us informed and did what they said they would. Packing, loading and unloading were all smooth and efficient.

     

    Customer comments on our house removal in Maidstone KentHouse Removal Review – Maidstone Kent 12 June 17

    The Colin batt team were very professional, courteous super efficient in packing removal and safe delivery of our belonged to our new house on a hot day.

     

     

    Feedback from a house removal Maidstone KentHouse Removal Review – Maidstone Kent 1 June 17

    Steve and Walter were fantastic crew who made this move as easy and stress free as possible. Would recommend!

     

     

    Check out all of our reviews at http://www.referenceline.com/removers_removals_companies-in-ashford-colinbattremovals-15104