How To Become A Removals Professional

According to statistics, around one hundred thousand households move home each month in the UK and with each household spending a minimum of several thousand pounds on services which are directly related to the move, that is a lot of moves and a lot of money being spent!

Of course, it is not just household residences that move location. Business premises relocate regularly too but this particular type of moving - ‘commercial moving’ - is separate from residential moving and requires more specialised planning.

This article focuses on residential relocations. I also acknowledge that there are both men and women who do this type of work but as it is a predominantly male dominated profession and for the ease of writing, I will be using the phrase ‘removal man’.

There are no particular formal qualifications that you will need to become a removal man apart from a good level of physical fitness. If driving the removal lorry will be a part of your job then you will need an LGV licence. Additionally, you will need to know about transportation routes, packing materials, health and safety rules and regulations and the costs involved for the move.

You will be responsible for people’s belongings, some of which will be extremely valuable in both monetary terms and sentimental value. Moving home can be a very stressful, emotional and tiring day so you must be able to empathise with your clients accordingly and demonstrate respect for them and their belongings!

You must be able to follow instructions and show great attention to detail. Although you may be working with colleagues, you must have the initiative to work unsupervised and carry out tasks allocated to you. Your clients may be extremely particular about how they want things done and what goes where so you must have excellent customer service skills and the ability to listen. As you can imagine, there may be occasions when you could be criticised for the way you are doing something so the ability to work under pressure is absolutely essential! Remember, not everything fits through the front door!

Hours may be long and you could be working weekends. The nature of the job requires flexibility to accommodate clients schedules. Moving home can be very time consuming, based on the volume of items, the distance involved in travelling to the new location and any unforeseen setbacks and challenges.

As well as liaising with clients, you will be responsible for taking items of furniture apart and then reassembling them in the new property. This can include items such as beds and other larger items that require dismantling. You will not be responsible for the disconnection and reconnection of any electrical or gas appliances such as cookers. You can transport them but everything else should be carried out by the appropriate experts.

Packing and boxing is often an essential part of moving unless the client insists on doing this themselves so it will generally be your responsibility to pack items, taking extra special care with fragile items. You will then be loading everything onto the removal van in a certain sequence so as to ensure safety, efficiency and to maximise space. This strategic and methodical approach is crucial for a successful and smooth moving process.

To become a removal man, you will usually apply directly to the company or respond to vacancies which are advertised. There are opportunities to progress in this area of work, especially in specialist or managerial roles and some even start their own small and personalised removals business which over time can grow much larger.

Becoming a member of a professional body involved with removals such as the British Association of Removers will protect you and also allow customers to benefit as they are trading standards approved, payment protection is put in place for home moves and a free independent ombudsman service is provided, putting customers minds at ease and full confidence in the removers of their choice.