Moving day.
It has been a busy couple of weeks leading up to this big move to Kent.So as we spend our last night in this flat that's been our home for 2 1/2 years, looking back in our memories, talking about it all. Was very lovely but sad. Its where we first had our home together, got married had our two babies so it will also be special but now we look to the future of a nice big house to raise Ariyah-mai.
The next day arrived, we finished the last pack and clean. Sitting in the hall together eating biscuits while we waited for people to arrive that were helping us move.
So Kate and Ben were going down early taking Ariyah-mai and Oakley with them. The plan was to drop ariyah to my mums but as traffic was bad and they were running late to collect the keys, Ben just kept her with them.
I stayed to Clean and pack the van. Our friend David and Sarah came to load there cars up and drove to ashford. To met been at the house.
Me and my dad's waited for the van. This is where is all went wrong.
So we booked a removal company, weeeks ago, paying extra to have a large Luton van with two men. I also paid extra to ensure they were to arrive betweeen 9-11 helping us all day. It was just before 11 and they were not here so I gave them aa call just to. See how long they would be.
The man who answered did not understand, he stating he be there at 1. He busy, that's all I got. So I tried to explain he was meant to be at mine by 11. He goes oh well 2 then. I was like no 11 - 12 at the lastest because I paid for extra and he was not meant to take another job on. Hee hung up.
I then tried to ring the company and got no answer. I took to there online chat with a customer service team. All o got was well I'm sorry but all I can suggest if you wait til 1. Like are you kinding me. Shee then said all she can do was take off the extra I paid that is it.
My dad then rang the van guy again to explain we needed he to turn up by 1 if he was later then the company would San it on him and he don't get paid. Now all wee could do was wait
Ben and the others were in Ashford with same bits but ould not do anything without our larger furniture to unpack everything. So they went for lunch and me and dad went to the cafe.
1 came around still no van, so we called him and the company. We're were being told oh 10 mins then it went up to 15min. I had been ringing around other vans for backup. Finally at 1:30 these two boys turnt up. Yes boys they were younger then me did not understand anything and one guy was trinng to translate to the other.
On top of all this they had a normal sized transit estate van. Not a large removal van. We had a two bedroom house worth of stuff. My dad was trying to explain that they had to try fit what they could in. The boy goes no, 1 sofa and few items to move. We explained again that we booked a home move to ashford kent. He had no clue, trying to ring his company. So dad made them start loading whole he rang the company.
I could still not lift anything and just told them what to take that was more important like the beds and Ariyah-mai stuff. They Tring to take small things. They Did not have any idea how to pack a van up so my dad ended up doing there job and loaded the van.
We fit a lot in to be honest but there was still A lot left. The van left, while me and dad loaded a few extra bit and the cats into his car. Whilst in ashford, Kate had to leave so Ben and Sarah had ariyah at the house. Sarah was so kind and said that her and Ben would make a second trip to collect the rest of our stuff as soon as we got to ashford to hand them the keys and take ariyah.
Me and dad left about half 2 and got to ashford at half 4. Still no van despite them leaving 20/30 minutes before us. So Ben and Sarah left for London while we called the van. Dad spoke to them and they state the van was broke. Again that is all we got from them. They would not say where they were or how it was broken. Before hunging up again.
This was getting beyond a joke as you can imagine I was past the state of stress now. They had all our stuff, we then could not get hold of them nor could Ben. So we tried ringing the company again, still had not got through to anyone since 11am. I spoke to the person on the chat again and stated we were calling the police unless a manager called me. It took over half hour but finally dad got to speak to the manager. Who actually was very helpful. She got hold of the guys and the vans location. She also stated to us she did not understand them or trust them even though they were her employees.
In the mean time Sarah had rang 101, who were not much help at all. She then rang the men with the van pretending to be police. Conveniently they spoke better and told her where they were. So she got a friend with his van to go hunt them down.
The manager told us a recovery was out to go get the van and take them to a service station but could take over an hour. By this point it was 7pm. We had no stuff, no microwave for ariyah's bottles. Luckly we took the kettle in the car so we at least had that. The manager said she would send another van from London to met them and transfer our stuff and bring it to us however this could take until half 9 at night. I told her that we are not paying for this and are claiming compensation for our troubles.
We of course no longer trust this company so Sarah friends managed to find the van on the hard shoulder. They waited for recovery and followed them to the service station. Ben and Sarah who were on there way back from London managed to also catch up with them and followed too. They were literally 10 mins away from thhe house at the service station just outside of Ashford.
They then moved our stuff between the vans to the other one. After Sarah's friend followed Sarah with all our stuff to our new house. Finally at half 8 we had all our stuff moved in. It was too late to do much or unpack. I had been cleaning the kitchen and trying to do a few bits while we waited but also had Ariyah-mai to look after.
She was actually very calm and good playing on her play mat clueless to the stress going on around her. Which we are thankful about with her still being so young.
So after everything was in and everyone who helped had got to also finally go home we order take away and got into bed. Well the matress on the floor because we had no time to unpack or sort anything.
The next day we got up early and started unpacking the main bits like the rest of the kitchen and bathroom stuff.
My mum and alan come over to help. They brought us some shopping and bits for ariyah. Alan helped us put the bigger furniture upstairs. Then put the Bed and cot together with us. While mum sent time with Ariyah-mai. It was lovely we had so many people to help us.
My family have been amazing and we could not be lucky enough with my dad and our friend on Saturday I don't think we would have got all our stuff moved. I would have stressed and not known what to do. So thank you to anyone that helped and is reading this we appreciate it soo much. Love you all.
Two weeks later, we are all settled. Mostly unpacked just waiting to be paid to buy wardrobes and other furniture we need. Lots going on in the world right now so taken about longer. I will talk about that in another post.
Il post some photos. Now we are all settled in.
(Written in march 2020)
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