East London movers

May 9, 2010 2:53 AM

Best movers in London?

We've had a huge number of questions from Americans moving to London over the last year* but this one isn't about moving to London, but moving in London. It's been a couple of years since the last question about this.

I'll be moving out of my first flat in Bethnal Green and moving into a new place in Limehouse in about a month and I'm looking for a mover recommendation. Who's had a good experience with a man with a van or a moving company for an intracity move?

Thanks in advance for your help, as ever.




*Including mine - I can't thank enough the folks who responded to my question. I landed neatly on my feet when I got here and that people in that thread were no small part of that.

posted by CRM114 to Home & Garden (12 answers total)

Best answer: I've had two excellent experiences with Aussie Man and Van, and one not so great but still not terrible. I'd recommend them for larger moves (2 bed flat's worth or greater) but not smaller as they are not that cheap.
posted by goo at 3:23 AM on May 9, 2010

I used Amber Moves in 2008 to move within central London and they were by far the best company I have used (this was my fourth major move in 15 years). The people were nice, and friendly, and seemed genuinely to want to help.
posted by sueinnyc at 5:51 AM on May 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

We used the Green Man & Van last year and they were really great- nice, helpful, professional, etc. And environmentally friendly too!
posted by Kirjava at 7:35 AM on May 9, 2010

I've used these people movinghomecompany.com twice - once for a one-bed flat, then for a two-bed.

It was about £400 - £500 which seemed very reasonable to me since it meant I did nothing whatsoever, but I don't really know how that compares to other companies. They worked bloody hard, and didn't break anything, so no complaints.

We did the packing ourselves, but they'll do it for you, if you pay extra. A chap comes round beforehand to price it up - you show them everything you want moved, and they send you a quote.

First time was a matter of half a mile up the road, second was from Kentish Town to Highgate, so not vast distances.
posted by ComfySofa at 9:01 AM on May 9, 2010

£400 to move a 1-bed flat's worth? I revise my earlier comment about Aussie not being that cheap - the most I've paid with them is £180 for a 2-bed, without packing but not doing anything else myself (two guys and a large pantech). Comparably a bargain.
posted by goo at 10:21 AM on May 9, 2010

Time Out article here on this very topic.

The cost of packing boxes etc can really mount up. Check what your quote includes, in terms of tea crates or not, and a packing service or not.

FWIW I moved a couple of years ago and I "paid" five friends a bottle of wine each. I then hired a big Transit van. We started at 9am and finished at 1pm. It's an option to consider bearing in mind you're only a one bed flat.
posted by MuffinMan at 1:46 PM on May 9, 2010

£400 to move a 1-bed flat's worth? Do you think that's dear? Hmm.. maybe, I'm not sure. I'd be interested to know what others pay in London then.

We got a few quotes and I imagine we took one of the cheapest, I can't really remember. It was a whole day's work for two fit young blokes - it wasn't just boxes of CDs and clothes, it was a full flat's worth of furniture - sofa, armchair, wardobe, drawers, bed, baby stuff, etc etc. and all our stuff.

Since it meant I didn't have to lift a finger, I was happy to fork out. Getting a few mates round and hiring a van is all very well, but I've done that too many times now and frankly, it's a right pain in the arse, and I'm getting abit old for all that malarkey.
posted by ComfySofa at 1:15 AM on May 10, 2010

Response by poster: I ended up going with Aussie Man and Van, who quoted me £55 per hour for the move. Both of the people I spoke to on the phone were genuine Aussies and everything!

Thanks to all you guys for posting, I really appreciate it.
posted by CRM114 at 7:05 AM on May 15, 2010

Response by poster: For anyone who discovers this thread in the future while researching, here's how my London moving adventure ended up:

I had a very good experience with Aussie Man & Van. They billed by the hour but the two gentlemen they sent to move my one bedroom apartment worked very hard and very efficiently and the entire removal was completed in two hours and change. I was so pleased with Aussie Man and Van that I also booked them to clean my old apartment and was happy with the work and value for money there, too.

If there's one thing to be wary of, Google Chrome freaked out when I attempted to use the automated quote generator on their Website - it appears to be infected with some kind of malware. I just called instead.
posted by CRM114 at 3:24 AM on May 24, 2010

Yay! I'm glad they worked out for you, CRM114. I've booked them for the fourth time for next week, and I'm glad your experience reflects mine so far.

The one minor negative experience I've had (and I'm sorry I didn't articulate further previously) was that I'd booked them for 4pm on a Saturday, two days in advance, and they were late due to a traffic accident and so by the time they got to me and loaded the stuff my storage shed was closed. Aussie stored my stuff overnight then dropped it at the storage first thing in the morning, without any hassle or additional cost.

So, so far they've been great for me - I hope my move next weekend is just as good!
posted by goo at 5:18 PM on May 27, 2010

And yes, ComfySofa, that is dear. I also have a full flat's worth of furniture (that I shipped 16,000km because I love my bed and my books) and it takes less than two hours with Aussie, nowhere near a full day, to move so far a minimum of 10 miles. They charge from pick up to drop off, not from base to base, which I think makes a difference. I always give the drivers a reasonable tip, in case they're not being paid much above minimum wage because they've been so efficient, so far.
posted by goo at 5:30 PM on May 27, 2010

In case anyone is still reading this thread, I have to give a shoutout to Rocket Van, who are currently helping me move. They're very, very good people. They supply packing materials but only charge you for what you use, taking back the excess. They also have a useful little shop where you can pop in and talk to them.

1.5 hours with a truck and 3 guys cost me £135, which I guess is a little more than the Aussies, but I was very happy with the service I got.
posted by Pallas Athena at 11:45 AM on March 5, 2011