Removals in Surrey: why moving day overruns and how to prevent it

Ask anyone who has used removals in Surrey what went wrong and the most common answer is time: the van was not big enough, the loading took three hours longer than planned, the keys came late, and the crew were still unloading at nine at night. Overrunning is not bad luck. It has a small number of causes that are visible before the day, and a good removal company and a prepared householder can remove most of them.

Cause one: the volume was underestimated

Every removals quote rests on a volume estimate, measured in cubic feet or cubic metres, and the van is sized to it. When the estimate is wrong the whole plan fails: the crew loads the vehicle, finds a loft and a garage still full, and has to either make a second journey or bring a second van. Underestimates happen when the quote is given over the phone, when the householder forgets outbuildings, and when packing is still going on when the crew arrive, because loose items take far more space than boxed ones. Removal companies in Surrey deal with larger family homes than most of London, and a four-bedroom detached house with a double garage and a summerhouse is easily two full lorry loads. The fix is a proper survey, in person or by video, that walks every space including the loft, the garage, the shed and the garden.

Cause two: the chain

Most Surrey moves are sales and purchases rather than tenancies, which means a chain. The crew can load from early morning, but they cannot unload until the purchase has completed and the keys are released, which depends on money moving between solicitors up the chain. Completion often happens in the early afternoon and can slip to late afternoon. If the new house is an hour away and the vendor’s own crew are still unloading when you arrive, the day compounds. Removal services in Surrey that regularly handle chain moves will price waiting time, offer an overnight hold on the lorry, or suggest removals and storage with delivery the next morning. Ask about all three when you get quotes, and ask your solicitor for a realistic view of when completion is likely to be confirmed.

Cause three: access

• A lorry that cannot get up the drive or down the lane, so every item is carried further than planned.
• Low branches, narrow gateposts and soft verges that stop a 7.5 tonne vehicle where a car would pass.
• A piano, a wardrobe or a corner sofa that will not go through the door it came in through because the room was fitted afterwards.
• A new-build estate with no parking and a management company that limits hours.

Each of these is discoverable in advance by measuring and photographing, and a firm that asks about them is a firm that has been caught before.

What is different in Surrey

Surrey’s housing is dominated by detached and semi-detached family homes with large gardens, and that is the root of most overruns here. Big houses hold more than their owners think, and gardens hold sheds, furniture, pots, mowers and children’s play equipment that are rarely in the quote. In the rural parts of the county the lanes are narrow, there are weight limits on some bridges and smaller roads, and a crew sent from London in a large lorry may find the last mile impossible. Rural properties on septic tanks and private drainage have manholes and soakaways in the garden that a heavy vehicle must not drive across. Surrey County Council manages the highways and most parking suspensions are handled through the district or borough council for the town, so there are two authorities to deal with. Commuter traffic on the A3, M25 and M3 adds an unpredictable hour to any journey timed around completion.

What a good day looks like

The quote states the volume and the vehicle. Packing finished the day before. The crew arrive at eight, the house is loaded by early afternoon, the keys are confirmed, and unloading finishes in daylight. The householder has a plan for the gap: lunch somewhere, the pets with a neighbour, the children at school. If completion slips, the lorry holds overnight at an agreed price and delivers at eight the next morning rather than at ten at night. None of this is luck; it is what you buy when you compare removal company quotes on what they include rather than on price alone.

When to call a professional

Some delays come from jobs that should never have been on the crew’s list. A gas cooker or range must be disconnected by a Gas Safe registered engineer, booked for the day before. Hardwired electrical appliances and any light fittings are for a qualified electrician. A piano or safe needs a specialist team. Anyone paid to take rubbish away must be registered as a waste carrier with the Environment Agency and the householder keeps a duty of care for that waste. In a pre-2000 house, dismantling fitted boards or outbuilding panels should stop if asbestos is suspected.

If you want to avoid the long day, describe your Surrey move, the size of the house and the state of the chain to The Household Daily help desk and we will help you take the next step.

Guidance is general and refers to the authority that sets each rule. Costs are indicative ranges; always get written quotes. Trade availability and credentials are confirmed when you enquire.