Tag Archives: Removals

Coronavirus: New Government Guidelines on Moving House

27 March 2020 Colin Batt Removals 2 Comments

The Government has issued new guidance urging people not to move house during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. New guidelines place restrictions on buyers, sellers and renters as well as the wider Industry including Estate Agents, Solicitors and of course House Removal Companies.

So, what do the latest guidelines mean to you if you are due to move home imminently?

Buying and Selling Homes during the Stay-At-Home Measures

We are all being urged not to move house during the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) and be flexible. This is to limit the spread of the virus and maintain social distancing rules. If the property to be sold is unoccupied the sale of the house can continue with due care. However, if the property is occupied the guidance is to find a mutually convenient alternative date to move after the coronavirus (COVID-19) stay-at-home measures have been lifted.

Coronavirus Home Mortgage Extensions

UK Finance, formally known as the British Bankers Association, has advised that all mortgage lenders are working to find ways to support mortgage customers. Specifically, they are looking to extend mortgage offers for up to three months for those for those who have already exchanged contracts to enable them to move at a later date. In addition to this, new measures have also been put in place to protect those individuals who are tenants, the main one being that there is a current ban on any evictions taking place during this period.

Follow this link for the full Government home moving advice, which cover the full Industry.

The specific advice for removals firms is repeated here:

Removals Firms

There will be people who have already committed to moving home; where possible we are encouraging them to delay their move but a small number of moves may need to go ahead. We would urge everyone to take all sensible precautions to ensure the move can happen safely.

- Removers should honour their existing commitments where it is clear that the move can be done safely for the client and your own staff and it is clear that the moving date cannot be moved.
- Removers should follow the latest Government guidance which currently (26 March 2020) states that work carried out in people’s homes can continue, provided the tradesperson is well and has no symptoms or coronavirus (COVID-19).
- It is important to ensure Government guidelines are followed, including maintaining a 2 metre distance from others, and washing their hands with soap and water often for at least 20 seconds (or using hand sanitiser gel if soap and water is not available).
- No work should be carried out by a person who has coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, however mild.

If you have any questions regarding these guidelines or any part of your home move, whether this relates to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic or not, please do not hesitate to call 0800 328 9175 or email info@colinbattremovals.couk.

Company News

Customer Service Award Winners!

14 December 2017 Colin Batt Removals Comment

Wow – We are over the moon and so proud to have won the Customer Service Award at the Ashford Business Awards 2017. It is an honour and privilege to recieve this award for providing outstanding Customer Service, not just in the Removals Industry but across all businesses in the Ashford area.

Customer Focused House Removals

Winning the Customer Service Award is a fantastic achievement and one that reflects the efforts, skills and passion of the whole team. Customer service spans the entirety of our business and is embedded into the DNA of our House Removal Company. Being recognised with this award is extremely rewarding and moving, as is the great feedback we receive from our customers on a daily basis. Over 99% of our customers would recommend our services to their family and friends. We cannot ask for greater praise than that.

Simon Batt, Managing Director, said:

“This is a great honour for Colin Batt Removals and one that the whole team are rightly proud of. Customer service is at the core of all we do. It relies on every single person doing an outstanding job, from the first telephone call to the delivery of the last box”.

House Removals Customer Service Award|Kent|Colin Batt Removals

Simon Batt receiving the Customer Service Award on behalf of the team

The Awards celebrate small and medium-sized businesses in Kent from Ashford, Folkestone, Deal, Dover, Hythe and Romney Marsh. The competition promotes business excellence in Kent and supported by the Institute of Directors, Federation of Small Businesses and Heart FM, to name a few.

The winners were announced at an Awards Dinner held at the Ashford International hotel on 30 November 2017. The evening was a great success and represented business excellence from across the County from a broad spectrum of industries. It was a pleasure to see so many fantastic companies come together, highlighting the potential and growth of local businesses in the Ashford area. Thanks to Paul Andrews from Bunker Radio who hosted the evening and the main event sponsor, Agilis Mobile. Thanks also go to the Mayor and Mayoress of Ashford, who graciously supported the event and joined us in our celebrations.

Mayor of Ashford with Colin Batt Removals for Customer Service Award

The Mayor and Mayoress with the award winning removals team!

House Moving Excellence

In October we were delighted to find out we had reached the shortlist for not one but two awards. We were finalists for the Customer Service Award and Small Business Award. The Small Business Category recognises businesses that deliver consistent growth and strong financial performance. Five great companies were short-listed in this category but in the end there can be only one winner. Noted In Style were the very deserving winners having grown from a team of one, operating out of their spare bedroom, to a company of thirteen in just five years. Well done Noted In style. However, it was humbling to know that our house removals company has been recognised as achieving excellence in customer service and as an Ashford business overall.

Thanks to all at Kent Business Awards who organised the event and congratulations to all the winners from the 6 awards categories. These were Space Between, who picked up two awards for Creative/Digital and Start-Up. Hospitality/Food and Drink went to Lost Sheep Coffee and Simply Ice Cream impressed the judges in the Innovation category. Well done to all the winners and also all the finalists, they represent the future of great business in Kent.

It is an honour to have received this reward, especially given the calibre of the established businesses that entered the competition and those selected as finalists. A big thank you to the whole removals team, customer service is a team game and this is a team reward. Colin Batt Removals is only successful because of the commitment and hard work of everyone at the Company and this award is testament to that.

Merry Christmas to all from the Award Winning Colin Batt Removals Team. Follow the link if you want to learn more about our removals services.

House removals

House & Piano Removal Customer Feedback Jun-Aug 17

16 September 2017 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.

Piano 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 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.

House 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!

House 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.

House 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.

House 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.

House 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.

House 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

House removals

How to Declutter your House – Help to Sell your Home

9 February 2015 Colin Batt Removals Comment

All the experts say there are huge benefits if you declutter your house which all help with selling your home. By presenting your property in the best light and appealing to the widest audience you can sell your house more quickly and even achieve a higher price,decluttering really helps with this.

One of the biggest reasons people move house is for a lack of space at their current home. Buyers are usually looking for a property with extra space and room to grow. Keep this in mind when you are selling your house, you should always try and “show off” each room and really demonstrate the full potential in your current home.

You should try and display your house in the best light and demonstrate how large your rooms are, this can’t be done if your home is full of removal boxes or large amounts of furniture. You want your potential buyer to visualise their own furniture in your house and picture themselves living there. A busy house that is bursting at the seems it is likely to put off any buyer.

The solution – temporarily or permanently declutter your house.

Temporarily Declutter Your House

A temporary declutter is where you pack up some of your belongings and place them in storage while you sell your home. This allows you to keep all your items without having a cramped home. It also has the added advantage that you can slowly and easily pack up your house without having to do it all at the last minute.

There are lots of storage options available to you: borrow a friends garage or loft, hire some space in a self-storage unit or you can hire a removals firm to store your items in a storage container. The best solution depends on what you want to store – a few small items can easily be self-stored or sent to your friends but large amounts of furniture or belongings are best stored professionally. This removes the hassle of moving the items yourself but it also means you will be insured, which may not be the case if you used your Uncle’s garage.

www.space-saver.co.uk

For self-storage in Kent we would recommend either Space-Saver in Faversham, who are open 6 days a week, or we can help you with container storage in our secure facility.

Permanently Declutter Your House

Permanent declutttering means getting rid of your unwanted or unused stuff. It is always a good idea to have a bit of a spring clean before any move, you don’t want to spend money moving belongings you are just going to get rid of once have moved into your new house. There are lots of options to help permanently declutter your home, you don’t just have to throw your stuff away.

First you can sell your unwanted items; options include eBay, have a garage sale or attend a Boot Fair. There are plenty of auction houses around to help out as well. For instance Swale Auctions in Sittingbourne or Hop Farm Auction Room in Paddock Wood.

www.swaleauctions.co.uk

www.hopfarmauctionroom.co.uk

Another good way to declutter your house, whilst also helping others, is to donate your unwanted items to a charity. There are lots of charity shops on the high street that will accept most of your goods, these include Save the Children, Oxfam and Barnados. Some will also come and collect your furniture such as The British Heart Foundation and the Heart of Kent Hospice.

www.bhf.org.uk/shop/our-local-shops/furniture-and-electrical-shops

www.hokh.org/support-us/visit-our-shops/items-to-donate

Charities will come and collect your unwanted furniture

By permanently or temporarily removing furniture and belongings you can really improve the appeal of your house and widen the pool of buyers. Any work you can do to declutter your house can really help you achieve a quicker sale and a higher price. The sooner you declutter the better and it will also help with your up-coming move.

Good luck with your decluttering and house sale. We are here to assist you with any of your house removal needs or concerns, including help to declutter your house. Please contact us if you want any removal advice, a quote for storage, a strong-hand moving some furniture or if you need some packing boxes and materials.

Ashford 01233 740395 Canterbury 01227 752901 Maidstone 01622 235630

Company News

Our MND Ice Bucket Challenge!

21 October 2014 Colin Batt Removals Comment

Colin Batt Removals Ice Bucket Challenge

Along with the rest of the UK and maybe the world, many of us here at Colin Batt Removals have been getting involved in the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise money for MND – check out our video here!

Thanks to the members of the removals team who took part and withstood the freezing challenge. All parts of the business took part, removal porters, estimators, office staff and even the managers! We appreciate their support and help with this very worthy charity.

The Motor Neurone Disease Association has challenged us all to throw a bucket of iced water over ourselves in order to raise money to combat a debilitating disease. The campaign has gone viral with each participant earning the honour to challenge three more people who have to complete the challenge within 24 hours. You can turn down the challenge by donating to the charity or just be generous and do both!

The campaign has been a huge success, having raised millions of pounds to help find a cure for this debilitating disease. MND is a progressive disease that attacks the nerves in the brain, motor neurones, causing muscle wasting. This effects everything from grip to breathing, standing to speaking.

Presently there is no cure which is why the funds raised by the MNDA are so important. There research is helping to deliver a better understanding of the disease and we hope will eventually provide a cure.

To find out more about this campaign and the great work MNDA do click here:

www.mndassociation.org/news-and-events/Latest+News/the-mnd-ice-bucket-challenge