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Key Differences Between Commercial and Domestic Moves
Moving your business to a new site can be a completely different kettle of fish compared to an ordinary house move. Hamiltons Removals arranges commercial removals to both the UK and abroad from our base in Norfolk. Here we outline the key differences between the two types of moves – and why we are the ideal firm to use for both.
Scale of Move
Unless you own a very small company, the amount of furniture and possessions which will need to be transported will be much bigger than most domestic moves – particularly when it comes to desks, chairs and IT equipment. Most house moves don’t involve many filing or storage cabinets either.
At Hamiltons, our fleet of vehicles can cope with corporate moves of any size – our road trains allow us to offer businesses a part or full-load service, while our pantechnicon vans can carry multiple containers. We also have a number of utility vehicles for smaller business moves.
Once You Get There
Commercial moves may have to be completed to a strict timeline, such as early in the morning or late in the evening. This is because all the hassle surrounding a move can be very distracting to other companies who may be operating nearby, or in the same office block.
In domestic moves, people are usually happy to have items placed in the correct room, and to sort out the exact positioning later – often unpacking smaller items themselves. When you are moving your business, however staff may want or need to have the same desks and drawers in place, and you will not want to get them muddled up. In many cases, the floor plan will be pre-arranged to fit in with utilities and internet connections.
In commercial terms, time spent on the move is potentially time wasted – companies need to be earning money rather than unpacking. At Hamiltons we fully appreciate the pressures and will work with you and your staff to get you up and running as quickly as possible. We can appoint a dedicated liaison manager to act as a single point of contact and to make sure that no aspect of the move is overlooked.
Specialist Equipment
Some businesses also have highly specialised equipment which won’t form part of your typical house move.
At Hamiltons we are highly experienced in moving all sorts of commercial items, such as tractors and other agricultural vehicles or large production machinery. We have specialist vehicles and ramps ideally suited to this kind of task, and we can also offer specialist packing services for larger or more unusual items.
Reasons to Use Self-Storage
If you haven’t decided what you want to move to your new premises, or you want to ease the stress of the big day, then you can put some items into storage. At Hamiltons we can look after your business-related equipment for as long as you want.
We have two extremely secure self-storage facilities, at Harleston and Aldeby on the Norfolk/Suffolk border, which you can access at a time which suits you. Our international removals department can store items for you abroad as well.
Self-storage can be used to store old receipts and records, some of which may be commercially or, in the case of employee files, personally sensitive. This has the bonus of freeing up valuable space in your new office or factory.
People Need Moving Too
Moving your office also involves moving your staff as well, and many firms offer relocation packages. At Hamiltons we can take care of these at the same time as the office move, making the whole process much more convenient.
We have more than 25 years of experience in moving people to and from all villages, towns and cities in the UK, including Chelmsford, London, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham, and offer the same high level of personal and professional service as we do with all our commercial removals from our Norfolk headquarters.
If you would like to know more about either our commercial or our domestic removals services, follow this link or call us on 01379 855203.
The Five Most Eco-Friendly Cities in the World to Move to
People are becoming increasingly concerned about carbon footprints and climate change – and not just in this country either. For those people who are thinking of moving overseas from the UK, our team at leading removals firm Hamiltons, based in East Anglia, have compiled this list of the top five eco-friendly cities to move to.
Stockholm
The Swedish capital is trying to follow in Amsterdam’s footsteps by encouraging people to use bikes to get around. It is also one of the cleanest cities in the world, with all its inner-city trains and buses running on renewable fuels. The authorities want the city to become fossil-fuel free by the year 2050.
Stockholm is also very strict on noise pollution, and it has very high standards for water purity. This combination of green initiatives helped the city win the European Green Capital Award in 2010.
Copenhagen
Copenhagen has more than 5,600 windmills, which help supply more than a tenth of its electricity. It also has some of the cleanest tap water in the world, and rigorous quality controls ensure that it stays that way.
Bike use is being encouraged, with around half of the Danish capital’s residents cycling to work or school. There are more than 5,500 acres of public parks and green spaces in the city, and virtually the whole population can reach one of these on foot within 15 minutes.
Amsterdam
The Dutch capital famously has more bikes than people, which has helped the city drastically cut its carbon emissions. For those people who cannot survive without a car, the city authorities have installed more than 300 charging stations for electric vehicles.
Another reason to consider international removals to Amsterdam is the fact that the city has launched its own Smart City programme. This encourages residents to install their own solar panels and small-scale wind turbines, reducing the pressure on the city’s electricity supplies.
Vancouver
There are plenty of reasons for environmentally-conscious people to opt for removals to Vancouver. It is the cleanest city in Canada, and it also ranks in the worldwide top 10 for the lowest CO2 emissions and the highest air quality. The city is generally considered to be the birthplace of Greenpeace.
Vancouver wants to become the greenest city in the world by the year 2020, and the authorities have set up an ambitious eco-friendly programme which includes cutting back on waste, increasing the amount of locally-grown food and ensuring that all new buildings are carbon-neutral.
San Francisco
Half of San Francisco’s population gets to work on public transport, with many people using electric buses and trolley cars rather than petrol vehicles. It was the first American city to introduce a system of coloured waste bins, with the result that 60% of all San Francisco’s rubbish is now recycled.
San Francisco was also the first place in America to crack down on the use of plastic grocery bags, passing its first laws in 2007. And the west coast city is also the country’s leader when it comes to solar energy use.
Moving Abroad with Hamiltons Removals
If you are thinking about international removals to Europe or the USA, then Hamiltons are the people to call. As a highly experienced East Anglian removals firm, with contacts throughout the worldwide moving industry, we can help you with commercial or domestic moves to all parts of Europe, including Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands.
Our international removals department ships to and from most worldwide destinations, including the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.