In 2016, author Clare Mackintosh and her family were looking forward to moving to beautiful Bala in North Wales. The family were living happily in Chipping Norton in the Cotswolds until they saw their dream home on Rightmove and travelled to Wales to view the property. The family fell in love with the house and swiftly put in an offer which was accepted. They decided to relocate to Wales before the completion date. This was to enable their children to start school at the beginning of term, and stayed in holiday accommodation while the move went through.
“It was a spontaneous move,” says Clare. “We have no connections in Bala, we just loved the house and the area.”
Losing a dream house
While the family moved a few belongings to their temporary accommodation, House & Carriage packed up the house in Chipping Norton and moved everything into storage. These belongings were to be kept there safely until the completion date. Unfortunately the completion date on this property never happened and the sale of this property fell through. The Mackintosh family had lost their dream home but were still determined to move to Bala. So they moved into a furnished flat and persevered with finding another property to buy.
The family soon found another potential home to purchase. Beganing the process all over again, this time only to be gazumped during the Christmas break. Now settled in the town, they remained in their rented flat and looked for yet another property. While House & Carriage were patient and flexible during this unsettling and stressful time.
“We thought we would only have our belongings in storage for around two to three weeks,” says Clare. “However we had to keep changing the move date and have now have ended up staying in rented accommodation for far longer, meaning we have been without 95% of our possessions for nine months. Tom and the team have been very calm and patient with us – they understand we have had no control over the situation at all.”
Third time lucky
Third time lucky and the family have now finally succeeded in buying and moving to a beautiful home in Bala. House & Carriage have delivered the family’s items to their new home and Clare says it is ‘joyous to have some of our things back and rediscover the children’s toys’. While renovation work is carried out, some of the family’s belongings have remained in the House & Carriage boxes to make it easier for workmen to move around the property.
Clare is pleased to have chosen House & Carriage for removals and storage. Saying they made the move day from the storage facility to the new home genuinely fun and not at all stressful.
“I had heard positive things about House & Carriage for years so I already had confidence in them,” says Clare. “Their quote was competitive and their service and attention to detail was excellent. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending them – they had incredible professionalism and I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Clare is more than happy to chat to anyone considering using House & Carriage. If you would like an informal chat and unbiased opinion from Clare, please contact our office and we can put you in touch.
Are you looking for removal, storage or both? Contact us today or call 01608 811 444 and we will talk you through the next steps.
BAR Accredited!
House & Carriage is a member of the British Association of Removers (BAR). Which is the largest trade association in the removals sector, dedicated to promoting excellence in the removals and storage industry.