My experience of relocating - 2020

This is my 4th relocation in the UK. I am moving from Scarborough to Beverley to start in Hull as a ST4 trainee in Acute Internal Medicine.

I have shared my previous experiences here:
My guideline on relocation when you switch jobs in the UK http://omarsguidelines.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/my-guideline-on-relocation-when-you.html
My experience of relocating ( 2019)
https://omarsguidelines.blogspot.com/2019/08/my-experience-of-relocating-2019.html

MY TIMELINE: 

1. We ( My wife and I) made a list of items we need to move.
2. Once we found an accommodation and confirmed the move in date once our checks were complete ( https://omarsguidelines.blogspot.com/2020/05/my-experience-of-finding-accommodation.html) , I added the list of items to the anyvan website and got a quote.

3. I have a lot of items ( we have a 2 year daughter and our current accommodation was unfurnished other than white goods) so the cost of the premium service was not cheap.
4. I received my starter documents from my new trust and was pleasantly surprised to see that the reimbursement expenses they are willing to reimburse are actually higher than my previous trusts. 
Harrogate was 1000 GBP
York and Scarborough were 500 GBP each
Hull is 4000 GBP.
5. The policy of my new trust is pretty much the same as my previous trusts - I had to send them 3 quotes from different removal companies and they would accept the cheapest quote.
6. I then started searching on Google and emailed my inventory list to different companies and almost all of them replied within 2 working days.
7. I was able to get 3 companies who were quoting a relocation cost higher than what anyvan was quoting.
8. I emailed the 3 quotes ( anyvan, 2 other companies who had quotes higher than anyvan) to my trust and they have confirmed that they have accepted the quote from anyvan.
9. The trust asked me to full out a relocation reimbursement form on which I specifically mentioned that they may need to reimburse more/less depending on any additional costs. They have agreed to amend it if necessary.

A few tips:

RELOCATION POLICY:

Read the relocation policy of your trust carefully. In some training posts, the deanery reimburses the relocation costs and in some ( like York and Humber), the individual trusts are responsible. Either way, you should receive the relocation policy documents a few weeks prior to your start date.

RELOCATION EXPENSES:

Every trust has different reimbursement expenses and what they will reimburse you for.

This is what Hull offers:
Accommodation Search: For doctors who are being appointed from outside of the Health Education Yorkshire and Humber area, the costs of one visit to the Hull area may be reimbursed. This may include the reimbursement of reasonable costs associated with travel (fuel or standard rail fare), hotel, breakfast and main meal costs. The Trust may be able to arrange overnight hospital accommodation if required.
For those doctors who are rotating from within the Health Education Yorkshire and Humber area, the fuel (paid at the public transport rate) or standard rail fare costs of a visit to the Hull area will be reimbursed.
Letting Agent/Estate Agent Fees: The Trust will make a contribution to Letting Agent/Estate Agent fees up to a maximum of £100.
Removal Costs: Reasonable costs associated with the removal of furniture and household effects, together with insurance in transit will be reimbursed, including the storage of furniture, and if necessary the insurance in store. For small removals, reimbursement of a self-hire vehicle and fuel would be considered. Agreement to any level of reimbursement for removal costs must be agreed before proceeding.

Also remember that these policies change annually.

GO FOR WHAT IS AFFORDABLE:

I would have not gone for a service for which I had to pay extra from my pocket. So be careful when accepting a relocation quote.

MY EXPERIENCE OF ANYVAN:

I have used anyvan thrice before - to relocate from Slough to Harrogate ( CMT 1), from Harrogate to York ( CMT 2 )and from York to Scarborough (ST3). They have always been professional and have catered to my needs.
I went for the standard service for all of these moves and they provided boxes , tape and bubble wrap 1 week prior to the relocation so that we had plenty of time to pack everything and label the boxes.

OTHER COMPANIES:

My colleagues have used other companies as well. As long as they have good reviews and you have read the fine print, you should go for them.

REIMBURSEMENT:

In my previous 3 relocations, I was reimbursed in August/September for the amount agreed by HR. It varies from trust to trust but these points are important: 1. Always read the relocation policy 2. Always email the HR/ whoever is responsible for dealing with this in your trust after you have relocated.
3. Always keep an email trail - phone conversations are not good enough! If you have called the relevant people in your trust, always follow it up with an email confirming this.

BUYING A HOUSE:

Trusts also reimburse expenses incurred while buying a house. In Hull this includes:
Solicitor's fees and expenses, including stamp duty and land registry charges.

Mortgage survey charges.
One private survey unless, for unavoidable reasons, purchase does not proceed, in which a further survey will be allowed .
Again, this varies from trust to trust.

CONFIRM EVERYTHING FROM HR:

Never listen to other people. Always contact the relevant people and confirm what they will reimburse BEFORE paying for a service.

ANYVAN PREMIUM SERVICE:

This is what is included:
Packing Service (included in move price)
Packaging Materials (included in move price)
Up to 2hrs Waiting Time (included in move price)
Dismantling Service (included in move price)
Assembly Service (included in move price)

PS: I have no financial gain from Anyvan, despite me advertising their services on a regular basis.

MY EXPERIENCE OF ANYVAN PREMIUM I booked a 12PM to 2 PM slot but unfortunately the removal company had to do another move in the morning and the keys of the property were not handed over to their client. They ended up waiting at his door for 2 hours!
As a result, they came to my property at 1800. They brought boxes and packing material. They packed everything, dismantled the bed, 2 triple wardrobes and loaded everything by 2130. 
They then drove to our new property which was just an hour and started unloading everything. They reassembled all the furniture and put the boxes where we had requested them to. 
They finished everything by midnight. 
They ensured our toddlers room was ready first and remained extra quiet while working. They worked round the clock and did an amazing job!

Here are a few tips:
1. Always book the morning session to avoid delays. 
2. The premium service will pack, dismantle,move and reassemble all furniture as long as it is mentioned in the inventory 
3. Please ensure the inventory is as accurate as possible. You may not be charged for an extra small side table but if you forgot to mention a king sized bed, wardrobe, etc then expect to pay extra ( I personally do not know how this works out). 
4. Ensure you have keys to the property you are moving into. What you do not want is the movers waiting outside while your estate agent is running late/ it is taking hours for the handover process. 
5. Read the terms and conditions properly. 
6.If in doubt, contact the anyvan team. I called them just to confirm what I should be expected on the day of the move as unlike my previous moves, I did not have to do anything this time in terms of packing, etc. 
7. Tip the movers. They do get a reasonable amount but they work very hard and deserve a nice pint after this. Anything from 15 to 30 GBP per person is reasonable. 
8.If you have a toddler, ensure their bedroom is ready before anything else so that their sleeping cycle is not disturbed. 
9. Give a good review on the website. Giving a horrible review will bring down that company's rating so your review and comments matter.