London is one of the largest metropolises in the world today. The closer you are to the center of the city, the busier the streets become. This can become a real pain on your moving day, because streetwalkers as well as motor vehicles will get in the way.
First and foremost, there is the problem that the man with a van that you have hired to assist you for the duration of your removal will not have where to park the van directly outside the property you are moving out of. He or she might find a parking spot as far away from the desired place as a couple of minutes walk, which will definitely make your task harder, not to say impossible to accomplish.
There is also the problem with pedestrians. Let’s say that your London man and van specialists are experienced (or lucky) enough to find a suitable parking place just outside your front door. You will still need the space between that door and the van clear so that you can load your packed and labeled items on the vehicle. The problem with the busy urban London is that this is something nearly impossible to accomplish. Kids or office workers, housewives and even drunk pub goers or tourists will inevitably get in the way. Getting as much of your boxes on the sidewalk, thus blocking the way will definitely not do the trick. Quite the contrary, such a strategy is likely to cause much more problems and quarrels than you need and desire.
Fortunately, there are several things that you can do in order to avoid the unpleasant experiences during your move. Both you and your man and van contractor will be satisfied by elimination of the problems caused by the pedestrians in central London.
Do not think that you can get without interruptions by passersby by just relying on sheer luck. Cordon off the area that you are going to need in order to operate freely and load your items and furniture on the van. You can use simple expansive tape which is relatively cheap and can be found in any hardware store. The problem is that this strategy is inapplicable if you have to cover a very large area between the house and the van. If the distance between the two is goo great, specialists suggest that you use tall white and red cones to show people passing by that the area is restricted. Have in mind that your man and van company is not expected to provide you with the cones, so you will have to buy them yourself – you can find really cheap solutions online, so just look around.
To get a parking permit in London, you will need to apply to the local council in the borough where you live. Each borough has its own process for issuing parking permits, so you will need to check with your local council to find out how to apply.
Generally, you will need to provide proof of your address, such as a utility bill or council tax bill, and proof of your vehicle ownership, such as the vehicle registration document (V5C). You may also need to provide proof that you have a legitimate need for a parking permit, such as a disabled parking badge or a letter from your employer if you need a permit for work purposes.
As for the parking spot, there is no other way to ensure that it is properly reserved unless you contact the relevant administrative body in the City council for permission. Since the bureaucratic procedure might take quite a while, make sure that you make the contact as early as possible.
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About the Author:
Kim Jacobs
Kim Jacobs is a removals coordinator with over 11 years of experience as part of the Get man and van team and other firms in the home and office relocation industry in London. Before joining our company, Kim has worked in various logistical and transportation companies and institutions such as Transport for London, The Removals Ombudsman, and has coordinated moving projects with some of the biggest suppliers of various goods such as IKEA, HomeBase, Amazon, Sainsbury's and others. While working as a chief removals coordinator, Kim also enjoys sharing her expertise with others through writing in our blog.
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