The Removal Company That Saved The House Sale
Whilst living in Northampton, Georgina decided that it was time for a change. It was an opportunity to shorten her daily commute and to live in the close-knit community she had always dreamed of.
From a Victorian terrace house to a converted barn, it would most certainly be the change she was looking for. As it was just Georgina and her beloved cat, she wasn’t expecting a difficult house move. However, she soon realised that it would be a much bigger challenge.
Looking for a Slower Pace of Life
Back in 2019, Georgina, a schoolteacher living in Northamptonshire, had outgrown her Victorian terrace home. Although she loved it still, after living there for over 10 years, it was definitely time for something different.
She had always wanted to live in a quaint, community-based village and so this move brought the perfect opportunity.
“I like the countryside. I wanted to be near places where I could go for walks and things like that and get away from the noise. So, you know, just a quieter, slower pace of life,”
“Also, I had a tiny kitchen in my old house and I love cooking...I wanted to do my kitchen up in my old house. And then I thought, well, actually, I could just move, for around the same money...So I started looking and once I [did], I decided that that was definitely the way to go.”
“So I thought I was going to move to somewhere like Brixworth in Northamptonshire. And I did find a house that I liked, which would have been a bit nearer to work in a village location.”
“But then, at the last minute...I came to see this one, which is actually in Wollaston, which is further away from work than where I lived before. And I just loved it as soon as I walked in. It's a barn conversion and it's not really for everyone, but for me, it was absolutely perfect...I like these quirky properties with a bit of history...”
Finding the Right Home
Luckily, the dream house was only 15-miles away from her previous home and, as it was located on a main road, her commute wouldn’t actually be lengthened like she initially thought. It was perfect.
“When I used to have to travel to work, it was through the town and now this is on a main road, like an A-road,”
“So even though in distance it is further, it doesn't actually take that much longer for me to get there and back each day.”
Using Konnect You’s Moving Guides
Once she made an offer and started the buying process, Georgina knew it was time to get organised. She found Konnect You through a number of articles such as the Moving House Checklist and decided to have a look.
“I think [there’s] another one that you did, which is like ‘four weeks before moving you should do this, two weeks before you should do this.’ So all those kinds of things were helpful,”
Happy with the informative articles, she decided to try our removals service.
“I always wanted to try and support smaller businesses. But I guess I wouldn't really know where to look...Even if you're Googling, you're getting people who’ve paid to have their ad placed up above everyone else. So it's much easier using a company like yours.”
Through this, she found the independent removals company, Complete Move Solutions.
Choosing a Company
Complete Move Solutions have been a Konnect You comapnies since 2018 and proudly offer their trusted removal services across Northamptonshire and other areas of the UK. They have gained an impressive 5-star rating from our users and continue to provide high-quality services to help make your moving journey easier.
With the moving company booked and the exchange of contracts on the horizon, everything was going fairly smoothly. That was, until 2020 hit.
“I actually bought the house in November 2019, it took a long time to get everything through, all the legal documents, et cetera, and then literally two weeks after we exchanged, the government said lockdown. So I was in lockdown with two weeks to go before I had to complete on my house and move. So you can imagine I was absolutely panicking.”
With the pandemic in full force, the whole process halted. COVID-19 had hit the housing market hard and Georgina was just one of the many homeowners affected.
“I was going around thinking, are you still even allowed to move and [the government website] said if you have a completion date, a legal obligation to move, then you should still do it. But I knew that so many big firms, moving firms, just stopped doing business.”
Luckily, as the government had stated that certain house moves could still go ahead, Georgina was able to contact Complete Move Solutions and rearrange her moving date.
“I rang around and they said, oh if you've got an independent firm, they might still agree to do it as long as they're still taking necessary safety precautions and everything...And then I calmed down from that a little bit.”
A Last-Minute Problem in the Chain
As many new developments had to be paused due to the threat of contamination, the seller in Georgina’s property chain was suddenly unable to move out.
“But then, of course, the seller here said his house wasn't going to be ready and his big removals firm had said that they weren't going to do it, [they] had cancelled on him,”
“So it was all a bit of a panic and in the end, my removal firm, I told them [what had happened] and they actually moved the seller as well!”
Whilst the seller couldn’t move into his new-build home, he could still meet the completion date by moving in with his partner. Thanks to the quick-thinking Complete Move Solutions team, the move was able to go ahead in April 2020.
“It was a combination of luck and having found the right person who would agree to do that really...they were just really, really helpful. Nice guys all the way through. And I was just so pleased that I actually found that company because like I said, I think it would have all fallen through if I hadn't gotten a smaller independent company like them.”
How Did Complete Move Solutions Help?
Both Georgina and her seller were incredibly grateful for the company.
“They went the extra mile all the way along, really, by agreeing to do all this at the last minute,”
“But also, they offered another service which was packing up your house, which I think a lot of removal companies do. Which I did get them to do, and I'm so pleased because I hate packing more than anything. So that was great for me. But also, they offered a lot of little extra things.”
The team even helped Georgian disassemble and reassemble a rather complicated daybed, cutting down the length of the process.
“I actually thought, I'm just going to take it to the tip or something because I just can't be bothered with it. But they basically just disassembled it and then assembled it for me at the new house. I think they charged me like £20 or something, but it was nominal for something that would have taken me all day.”
“They were wearing masks, obviously, and I wasn't really in the house while they were because, on the day of the move, everything was there and they just went in and got it. I stayed out of it. So they just maintained social distancing and all that sort of thing.”
Settling Into Her New Home
After a long and gruelling process that had started the year before, Georgina was finally able to enjoy her dream home.
“It's very much a community feel, there's a little village Facebook page. There's also a charity called Wollaston Is Kind that a local woman set up,”
“So it's really a nice community feel and people doing things for each other. So I liked that. And the fact that it's quite open, you know, there's nice views, the open countryside. I just like the smallness of it.”
The beautiful and quirky property was definitely worth the wait and Georgina is incredibly grateful to Complete Move Solutions for saving her moving day.
When reminiscing, she concluded the call by stating:
“I think [the sale] would have fallen through if I hadn't gotten a smaller independent company like them.”
How Can Konnect You Help You?
Konnect You and the trusted professionals in our network have helped over 2 million people move home with more confidence over the years. When you need a removal company you can rely on, we make the search simpler. Complete our online form and we will connect you with removal companies in your local area, matched to what you need.
And if you need support with other parts of your move, we can help there too. Find conveyancers and surveyors suited to your situation, so you can move forward with fewer unknowns and a clearer next step.
