Author: Holdsworths

When searching for a new home or moving house, there is a lot to be said for a place name. Certain place names are seen as desirable for example Alwoodley in Leeds or Ilkley in Bradford and others can be seen as opportunities to find a good deal in an up and coming area. Other place names can come synonymous with other things such as Headingley and the student population and sports venues, Otley and its varieties of pubs or Yeadon with Leeds Bradford Airport.

Of course, these place names have an impact on your house in terms of the areas being desirable for one reason or another. But what about when it comes down to the more unique place names in Yorkshire? The Yorkshire Post worked with estate agents Marcus Alderson to investigate whether towns and villages with unusual place names has an impact on the value of homes in the area, regardless of the location.

Yorkshire and the north is rich with unusual place names. The Yorkshire Post article suggests that unique names might be favourable providing they sound pleasant. Whether its tongue twisters such as Ugglebarnby near York or Arkengarthdale near Richmond. Every day words used as place names such as Jump near Barnsley, or unusual sounding ones that are translations from old meanings such as Wetwang near Driffield are also seen as possibly favourable.

But when you have unusual place names that are possibly rude or have negative connotations then it may have a detrimental effect on housing prices despite actually being in nothing but fantastic locations. Some examples being Bedlam near Harrogate or Slack Bottom near Hebden Bridge, both of which tick all the boxes of being a desirable areas to buy a new home and live happily but buyers might be put off simply by the name of the village or town.

All of these pale in to insignificance compared to Scratchy Bottom or Shitterton, both in Dorset, which were voted as “Britain’s worst place names” in 2012.

The Internet has changed the way that we do things. We can order our weekly food shop online to have it delivered to our door, we can track exactly where a package is and when it might arrive as well as having all of our news and television in the palm of our hands. On the back of this there has been a series “simpler” ways to do your shopping in the manner of price comparison and broker websites. The same has applied in the removals industry but we aim to keep things simple for our customers by providing as many benefits as possible by booking your removal directly with us.

The Best Price for your Removal

Booking directly with Holdsworth’s Removals is the most likely way to get the best price for your move. Getting in touch with Holdsworth’s is easy – you can do this via our website, email, over the phone or by paying a visit. You can then get the price for your removal by either completing one of our home contents forms and sending that back to us or by arranging a visit for one of our knowledgeable estimators. This cuts out any unnecessary middle men and in touch with the experts on removals in Leeds.

Expert & Friendly Customer Service

Through all of this there will be one of our Move Coordinators looking after you every step of the way. Our Move Coordinators will deal with your initial enquiry and will be there to help with any question that you might have all the way through until your move day. Even then they will be there to help with any queries after your move.

Reliability

At Holdsworth’s we aim to provide as much care and protection for our customers as possible. We offer insurance against loss or damage to household goods which is a requirement of our membership of the British Association of Removers. These insurance schemes have to adhere to the BAR code of practice. And by using a BAR verified removal company there is an after care service in the unlikely event that you are unhappy with something with your move.

While Holdsworth’s Removals has been affiliated with and based in the city of Leeds for almost a century, something we are very proud of as you will see on the side of our removals vans which are branded with “Holdsworth’s of Leeds”, we are also very proud to serve the North Yorkshire town of Harrogate on a regular basis. We have been providing services to Harrogate as a removal company throughout our history with residents seeing us as reliable for a removal. As proven by the following testimonials from the Harrogate and North Yorkshire area:

“All the staff were efficient, professional & calm. Nothing was broken. Gary & Simon deserve a special mention” – Mr Stokes

“We were recommended by a friend. Pleasant, efficient and easy going throughout but professional with it. All the staff who were involved were excellent” – Dorothy

“Your staff were absolutely brilliant & helpful in every way. They worked incredibly hard on both days of the move & were reassuring and kind all the way. I would recommend them wholeheartedly” – Michael

So we thought we would put together a helpful Holdsworth’s guide for those thinking of a Harrogate removal.

Why Harrogate?

A simple fact as to why people want to move to Harrogate is because it has been consistently ranked as the happiest place to live in the UK according to a survey by website Rightmove. This survey calls upon a number of categories including housing, community, pride, safety and recreation. All areas that Harrogate scores highly with its residents.

Where to Eat, Drink & Shop

Harrogate has a relatively compact town centre which makes it ideal for eating, drinking and shopping. The shopping is centred around the Victoria Shopping Centre which is adjacent to the railway station.

For eating and drinking there a many different areas around the town centre. These are mainly around John Street and the Montpellier Quarter which feature a good mix of traditional pubs, modern bars and a variety of restaurants.

Travel

For a medium sized town, Harrogate has strong transport links with the surrounding area and other major towns and cities. On the roads, the A61 provides direct links into Leeds city centre as well as acting with the A59 to provide links to the motorway network onto the A1(M) providing fast links to the north east, the south as well as West & South Yorkshire. There is also regular bus services linking to the Harrogate District and also longer routes towards Leeds & Ripon.

On the trains, Harrogate has three separate train stations all on the same line which links Leeds to York. There is Harrogate’s central railway station as well as local stations at Hornbeam Park and Starbeck.

Leeds Bradford Airport is Harrogate’s closest airport but road and rail links provide easy access to airports in Newcastle, Manchester, Doncaster and Hull.

What to See

Harrogate has some national renowned attractions that see tourists flock to the town each year. Here is a brief introduction to some of them in the town and the surrounding area:

Royal Pump Rooms – Harrogate is a notorious for its spring water. Based in the heart of the spa town, the pump rooms call upon one of the strongest sulphur wells in Europe.

Betty’s Tea Room – There are two Betty’s Tea Rooms in Harrogate, the original on Parliament Street. This is the home of Taylor’s of Harrogate famous for its Yorkshire Tea.

RHS Harlow Carr Gardens – The site of the second Betty’s Tea Room and also one of only four public gardens run by the RHS.

The Valley Gardens – Situated in the centre of Harrogate, these popular gardens are maintained by the council and feature many family based attractions such as an outdoor pool and mini golf.

The Stray – A huge area of grass parkland in the heart of Harrogate’s town centre that is hard to miss.

The Great Yorkshire Show – Hosted at the town’s showground by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, the three day GYS attracts thousands every year and is the largest agricultural show in England.

Mother Shipton’s Cave – One of England’s oldest attractions in nearby Knaresborough features a petrifying well. It has been open as a tourist attraction since the 17^th century.

Fountains Abbey – A UNESCO world heritage site to the north of Harrogate, the ruins of Fountains Abbey and its grounds are one of the best in the UK.

Brimham Rocks – Also north of the town is the balanced rock formations known as Brimham Rocks. Run by the National Trust, the area is part of the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Photo credit – Foundation Harrogate

With the UK heatwave in full swing and the Summer Solstice coming up this week, it seemed appropriate that the latest Holdsworth’s removals blog explored how summer takes effect on the removals industry as a whole. It isn’t a very well-known fact but removals is a seasonal business so to ensure that our customers are fully aware of this and can plan as much as possible, we wanted to outline how the summer months affect us as a removal company.

Let’s Get Busy

As mentioned previously, removals is a seasonal industry and the summer months are when things start to get busier. There are many reasons for this. More simply it could be put down to having better weather to carry out the move but it also could be down to the school holidays and having more time to carry out the move.

This brings slightly different approaches to the move on a customer level and as a removal company. The main difference is the advance of bookings. During the summer months removals companies can be fully booked a week or at least two weeks in advance. While in the winter you might be able to arrange, pay and carry out the removal within a few days. This is unlikely to happen in the summer so ensure that your removal can go ahead by getting organised and keeping in touch with your removal company.

Move Day

On move day itself, the brighter and warmer weather makes things a little different. Not only do our removal crews ditch their trousers for shorts but they will need plenty of hydration breaks. But this will not stop them from implementing their effort and skills when carrying and loading your items. Each of them is fully trained and has the expertise required. And we are pretty confident that they are happier in the summer weather than the winter weather!

Students

At the start and end of summer there are always students requiring moves up and down the country and sometimes internationally. Sometimes a professional removal company is not necessary for these types of move, a van hire or man and a van service can be a bit better suited. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enquire and get a free no obligation quote from us just to check. We will provide you with the advice you need.

Holdsworth’s of Leeds can also help out with student storage options as well.

Despite the uncertainty provided by the recent General Election and up and coming Brexit negotiations, Barclays Bank has spoken optimistically on the UK housing market. Using many different factors such as rental trends, employment levels and the new behaviours of commuters, Barclays have sought to create an index of property hotspots.

As a result of the study, Barclays came to a prediction that there would be an average 6.1 per cent increase on property prices by the end of 2021. This would see the average value of a house in the UK at just below £300,000. As expected, London expects to see the largest increase by region with areas such as East Anglia, the south east, the East Midlands seeing above average increases.

It was also positive news for owners and buyers in our local region albeit at a reduced rate with an expected price increase of 3.6 per cent across Yorkshire & Humberside.

Dena Brumpton, Chief Executive of Barclays’ wealth and investments division explained, “It’s encouraging to see that property is still viewed as an important part of the investment portfolio with high net worth investors typically owning three properties and over a quarter planning to buy property because they believe that it offers long-term investment security”

Brumpton went on to provide optimism for the rest of the UK, ““There is also increasing confidence among property investors, as many are taking a long-term view when it comes to putting money into property. It’s also interesting to see from our research how investment prospects are emerging outside of the established property heartland of London and the South of England, with economic growth and employment opportunity fuelling growth in hotspots across the UK.”

The study suggested that young buyers would be a key aspect of driving the growth of the UK housing market. So despite possible uncertainty, there are positive signs for home movers and buyers in Yorkshire and across the UK.

Source: Property Investor Today

At Holdsworth’s we do our very best to ensure that each of our removals runs as stress-free for each of our customers as possible. We try and call upon our near one hundred year experience and apply it to each removal in order to make it a success and this has meant that we have developed a reliable and efficient process for each move.

We have put some of this process into a set of handy resources that customers or anyone looking to move home can call upon for advice.

When you are planning to move house then there is a lot of research that is required. Whether it is regarding your house or the area that you are planning to move to – amongst many other things, the removal itself is often forgotten. So to give movers an idea of what takes to go through the removal process, we put together a brief five step guide to outline the key points of a move taking customers from finding the removal company, to getting a quote and eventually the move day.

Choosing a removal company can be the toughest part of the process. As well as cost, there are a number of additional factors to consider. A key factor being why choose a BAR (British Association of Removers) verified removal company. We summarised our credentials to ensure that you know exactly what assurances and guarantees you get when choosing Holdsworth’s of Leeds.

After you have received your quotes for the move and you have decided which removal company you would like to go with, you will be presented with a number of additional extras before paying for your move. A key decision at this point is to decide whether or not you are going to pack yourself or take up the professional packing service provided by your removal company. If it’s the former then we have a handy guide of hints and tips for packing yourself. As well as this, there are a number of insurance options and waivers on offer which will provide you with security and peace of mind. Or if you are considering storage for your belongings while you go through the move, there is a guide on how storage can help you here.

Finally, there are the steps required in the weeks and days leading up to your removal and on move day itself. Whether it’s a domestic home move or an international removal, we have put together a checklist of things to consider in preparation for and on move day. All to ensure that your removal runs as smoothly as possible.

When choosing a removal company, customers are always asked if they would like a packing service as an extra. It may not seem it at the time but this is an important question to consider. Professional removals companies will offer their packing service and this is meant to help you through your removal should you agree to take it up. It adds cost to the removal but it is an additional worth considering due to the following reasons.

Time

Packing belongings will no doubt be the most stressful and time consuming task of your removal when opting to take it on yourself. When removal day is coming up, it is often quite daunting to consider having to pack up the items in your home as well as dealing with the stress of the move. Opting for a professional packing service will allow you to focus your efforts elsewhere while our packers take the stress of this task away from you.

It also allows you take spend more time planning exactly what boxes and belongings you want to go where, focus on labelling the boxes and also frees up some time to declutter your items before the packers get to work.

Materials

If you opt to pack yourself then you will have to source your packing materials yourself. This could be time consuming, costly and still leave you with below standard packing materials. By using a professional packing service, the removal company of choice will supply these packing materials. Removals companies are regularly vetted by the British Association of Removers which aims to ensure that customers are getting an industry standard service from verified members (Holdsworth’s of Leeds are verified BAR members). This includes packing materials used on a removal; therefore a packing service via your removal company will improve the safety of your belongings while in transit.

Protection

Speaking of the protection of your belongings, as well as the materials in use, the expertise of the packers themselves will improve the safety of your items. Professional packers will know exactly how to pack items into a box so that they remain safe while in transit.

Here are a few tricks of the trade:

• To move plates, wrap them individually and then stack them in a box like vinyl records.

• Removal boxes should be packed bottom heavy to protect items and stop the boxes from toppling over.

• Use blankets, bubble wrap, paper, polystyrene chips or anything that can resist a shock to fill spaces with boxes. This will improve the protection of your items while in transit.

Specialised Items

In our near 100 year history, Holdsworth’s have experience of moving almost anything you can think of. If you are concerned about the removal of a specific item that is quite specialised or unique, let us know and we will call upon our experience to ensure that it is protected during the move.

Moving home can be quite a daunting task. When you have got through the process of buying and selling a house, it’s easy to forget that the move itself has to take place. Being as organised as possible in the lead up to your removal and allowing enough time to select the right removal company is essential. We thought by explaining our removal process in this article, it would allow full understanding of what it takes to move house.

Making Your Enquiry

Making your initial contact with Holdsworth’s of Leeds could not be simpler. You can get in touch with Holdsworth’s over the phone using 0113 269 0000 or by email to enquiries@holdsworthsremovals.co.uk and one of our friendly, experienced removals team members will be available to help with your query. Equally, you can get in touch using our online contact form. If you would like to pay a visit and meet us face to face then we are based at Education House which is on Education Road, just on the outskirts of Leeds city centre (LS7 2AL).

Obtaining a Quote

Once initial contact has been made, the next step is to obtain a cost for your removal. This can be done two ways. Firstly, one of our friendly members of staff can send across what we call a “Home Contents Form”. This is to be filled in with the belongings and furniture of the property that needs to be moved. Our Move Coordinators will then use this information to put together a price for the move. Alternatively, it can be arranged for one of our expert estimators to pay a visit to the property to establish the quote.

The quotation that you receive for your removal from Holdsworth’s of Leeds comes with no obligation and our Move Coordinators are always open to discuss any queries with the quote that you receive.

Booking Your Removal

Once you are content with your quote and established the dates for your move all we need to do is explain some of our extra options to keep your mind at ease as move day approaches and then the simple matter of completing our acceptance forms and processing payment.

Move Day

As the day of the move arrives then all you can do is prepare what you can and then allow our fully trained and expert removal crews do the work. Although our removal crews do always appreciate the odd cup of tea! But this is the day where your concerns should be at ease as our removal crews will be doing the work for you.

After The Move

We always provide an after care service where we take any feedback, comments or queries on board. If there is anything that you need following the move then our staff will be more than happy to help.

At Holdsworth’s we feel that the personal touches are ideal for every move. We ensure that every removal is professionally dealt with as each move is individual and different. From our office staff to our removal crews, our aim is to ensure that each move feels as stress-free and runs as smooth as possible. To help you get to know us a bit better, here are some things about us.

Where Are We?

Holdsworth’s have been running removals in Leeds for nearly a century. We have had a number of bases in that time but have predominantly been based towards the north of Leeds city centre where our distinctive red vans are a common sight. Despite this you can see our vans across the whole of Leeds, Yorkshire and the UK as we help people and businesses with removals to, from and across Leeds.

Get In Touch

We have recently moved from Moortown closer to Leeds city centre on Meanwood Road. If you want to pay a visit to book a removal, query anything with your move with your move coordinator or maybe purchase some packaging materials then our new address is at Enterprise House on Education Road.

Equally you can get in touch with our team by phone using 0113 269 0000 or by email to enquiries@holdsworthsremovals.co.uk.

A Bit About Us & How We Work

Holdsworth’s has been operating as a removals company for almost a century and over that time has developed an expertise and set of values on how to complete a successful removal. We believe that our reputation as a removal company that cares comes across as a large chunk of our work comes from repeat customers or word of mouth recommendation.

We have a team of staff that work together to treat every removal professionally and with a friendly manner. This starts when a customer makes their enquiry as the Move Coordinator will act as an approachable point of contact from start to finish of the move. To generate the quote, you will either have to complete one of our home contents forms or one of our removal consultants will have a face to face meeting at your home or office. The personal approach will continue on the move day itself when our removal crew are at your home, fully uniformed and full of expertise. At any point before, during or after your move, these members of staff will have your removal at heart.

Holdsworth’s Removals Are On The Move

If you have moved home with Holdsworth’s of Leeds before or have paid a visit to our packaging store then you will know that we have been based on Harrogate Road (A61) in Moortown for a number of years.

But we are now delighted to announce that we have today (Tuesday 4th April) moved to a new base further down the A61 closer to Leeds City Centre. Our new premises are in Enterprise House on Education Road which is just off Meanwood Road at the post code LS7 2AL. Our new location is closer to central Leeds and has great links to the Leeds Ring Road and the M1 & M62 motorway network. This means we have great access to the rest of Leeds, across Yorkshire and the North of England and will help us develop further as a removal company.

Despite the change of premises, Holdsworth’s Removals will still aim to provide expert and stress-free removals for customers as we have done for almost a century as well as providing our full range of additional services.