One thing that I have learnt through being on the road with Van Dude 6.5 days a week for 2.5 years, is that there is very rarely such thing as an easy job. Despite this, the majority of enquiries I get say.."quick/easy/little job/20 minutes max - definitely straight forward". Now I appreciate that removalists have a reputation for trying to squeeze money out of people. I've heard stories of people being charged for stairs, being told that "no furniture will be unloaded from the truck until you speak to my boss and agree to pay extra", I even heard one person say that the removalist cornered her in the kitchen and forced her to sign a 'job completed' form, even though the job wasn't finished. So I get it right? The idea behind these enquiries is to try and negotiate the best price because people want the cheapest possible quote. Money is important to all of us, and it becomes particularly important when we are booking services - probably because we are heading into the unknown. I mean most things we spend our money on are fairly familiar... groceries, restaurants and cafes, pubs, fuel for our cars, rent or mortgage etc..but when a pipe bursts in our kitchen we don't really know how much it will cost to have a plumber come and fix it.

Obviously with Van Dude I am trying to alleviate some of that worry. The basic principles of the business are to be super accomodating, friendly, accountable, reliable, and generally pleasant and honest to deal with. This isn't rocket science, it's pretty simple stuff. Hopefully customers who have used Van Dude in the past can vouch for this, and are subsequently happy to refer me to friends...hence the slogan "The Man and Van you'd recommend to a friend!". But fairness works both ways, I will never knowingly be unreasonable to a customer and I expect the same in return. The reason I ask questions is because based on my experience not many jobs are straight forward. I am not trying to get you to pay more by making a job sound complicated, I am trying to pre-empt any potential pitfalls. One of my biggest frustrations is when I ask somebody questions about the job and they ignore them. For people who have done this to me in the past via text message, this will now explain why I stopped replying and didn't help you!

I think there is a theory that anybody can move furniture, because at some point in our lives most of us have done it. I mean who didn't carry an old sofa down the road when they were a student?! Like with most things in life you 'get what you pay for'...I know it isn't highly skilled work, but there is skill involved. I have seen enough airtaskers out on the road on Saturdays - moving furniture so horribly, that I can guarantee you that not everybody can do it! Not everything can just be shoved up the stairs with a bit of muscle, some things require specific tools, disassembling, taking the doors off, the right trolley, the right dolly, the use of bands to secure doors, a specific technique not to touch the walls or scratch the floor etc etc. I remember when my legendary offsider Tom started working for me. About 2 months into helping me a few times a week, he said "Ali, we haven't had one easy job yet...you said most jobs are easy"... See, even I do it!

So here's a few considerations for you to prepare for moving day. These may also be things worth mentioning when you're trying to get a competitive quote. These things will either help you work out how your furniture is going to be moved or give you some considerations when buying new or second hand items. Some will even save you money, remember the best way to save money on moving day is actually to be well prepared, if you invest a little time you won't have to invest as many $$.

1) Consider whether it's worth paying for 2 removalists. I know your mate is a personal trainer and goes to the gym 5 times a week. But that doesn't mean he's good at moving things? Experience is the best asset in this game and sometimes it's just worth paying for the extra pair of (experienced) hands.

2) You know that the cheapest guy's advertised are going to be the worst. You do, you know it, so why are you still contacting them? Book with somebody that has good reviews, you always get what you pay for. I always find it weird that people will spend $200 in the pub but not on moving house!

3) Sofas. Everybody loves big sofas. They're awesome. And comfy. But they also need to fit up your stair case or into your lift as well as through your door. So get the tape measure out and check the length. Consider your access as it is likely that the sofa will need to stand upright on the stairs. Check if it fits through the door on the smallest width of the sofa (usually on it's back). You may need to remove the feet to get it through so check the width without the feet, and have a quick look what tool is needed to take the feet off and whether it's straightforward.

PIVOT!!!

4) Fridges. Everybody loves big fridges. They're awesome. And look cool. Especially big stainless steel double door one's. But they also need to go up your staircase and fit into the allocated slot in your kitchen. (side note : always measure this slot at the bottom and the top as they are rarely square) As a general rule big fridges should be reserved for people in big houses, or people with ground floor access, or perhaps people with a slick apartment with a big lift. I'm sorry to break the news but you probably need something under 400 litres for the time being, maybe one day hey :) It's ok though, how much happier is a pretty fridge really going to make you?!

Removing the handles from a double door fridge

5) Ensemble beds. This is the name for the beds that come as a box and a mattress, that can't be dismantled. Just let the removalist know you have an ensemble and the size it is. It may not fit in your apartment so think about whether you have narrow access. Balconies are an awesome option for these as well.

6) Wardrobes. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Flat packed one's generally need to be disassembled. If you don't want to pay more then you will need to invest a couple of hours to dismantle them. Otherwise buy new one's and build them in the room.

7) Get the right packaging. It will cost a little at the start, but save you time on moving day! Look out for "epic box" which I'm launching later in the year. Stackable removal boxes dropped at your door. A zero waste alternative for easy moves.

8) Sofa beds. They are a lot heavier than sofas. Make sure you specify that it is a sofa bed when making an enquiry. It will probably need tying in, and the removalist will need to assess the access and weight of the sofa to work out how many people are required to move it. I know it may cost extra to pay for 2 people, but you don't want a serious back injury.

9) Parking. Even with small moves you need to consider where the van or truck will park. Help out by working this out prior to moving day. If there's a neighbours garage you can block, give them the heads up before moving day and nobody will get annoyed. Work out whether it's easier to come in the front or the back, and whether you'll need to wedge any doors open etc. Hold a parking space out front that the van can take when it arrives...This all speeds up moving day and saves you time, and saves me stress!

10) Glass. Glass is fragile. It can also be heavy. Most fragile things aren't heavy, and most heavy things aren't fragile... but glass has the combination. Consider bubble wrapping it neatly. Remove it from other furniture items to move separately. Treat it with care.

11) Empty your furniture. It makes it easier to move. So invest some time in it.

12) Dining tables. If you have a big dining table there's a good chance it doesn't fit through the door. So have a look if you need to take the legs off.

13) Just be honest and tell me what the job is, when you want to do it, and whether you want one or two people. I'll ask the relevant questions and please do me the honour of answering them. You don't need to tell me that it's a 5 minute drive from North Bondi to South Bondi, you don't need to tell me that your job is the easiest removal job of all time and you were going to carry the bed down the road because it's so close but your friend pulled out. I've heard them all before! :)

As I always say... I'm happy to offer any advice for free if you get in touch.

I'll finish with a simple maths exercise... If you pay someone $50 an hour and they sit in the truck smoking so the job takes 3 hours, or you pay someone $70 per hour and they smash the job out in 2 hours with a smile. Who has the cheapest rates? :)

Have a good one x