Published
Bath has Georgian terraces on narrow streets, homes on steep hills and flats above shops. It is beautiful and often difficult to park a Luton van outside. Since removals are charged by the hour, access is not a detail. It is often the biggest thing deciding how long a move takes.
Work out where the van can actually stop
Walk out of your front door and look at it as a driver would. Is there a stretch of kerb long enough for a van, and can it get out again afterwards? A dead-end lane where a van has to reverse the full length is slower than one it can drive through.
Check for a low bridge, a weight limit, a bus gate or a width restriction on the approach. Bath has several restricted routes and they are easier to plan for than to discover on moving day.
Note any overhanging trees. A Luton is tall and branches that a car passes under will not clear it.
Measure the carrying distance from the parking spot to your front door. Every metre gets repeated on every single trip.
Talk to the neighbours
This is the most effective thing on the list and it costs nothing. A note through the doors either side a few days beforehand, asking people to leave a gap on the morning, works far more often than not. Most people have moved house themselves and remember what it was like.
Permits and suspended bays
If you are on a permit street or in a controlled zone, the council may be able to arrange a temporary permit or suspended bay for a move. Apply in advance and check the current Bath and North East Somerset Council rules for your street before booking the van.
Clear the route inside as well
Move the car off the drive before we arrive, not while we are waiting.
Prop doors open and take up loose rugs and runners on the route from the door to the van.
Cottage staircases are the tight spot. Steep, narrow and often with a turn at the top. If a wardrobe or a bed came up those stairs in pieces, it is going back down in pieces, so let us know beforehand and we will bring the tools.
When in doubt, send a photo
A picture of the street and of your front door tells us more than a paragraph of description. Send it on WhatsApp when you enquire and we can tell you straight away whether the van will get to the door or whether we need to plan around a carry.
