What an amazing summer break we received in the North Island, beautiful weather and great fishing. We are now back in full swing into work again after our break and the housing market is yet to cool off with bookings as far forward as late March as pending house settlements are in the planning phase. 

Farm move season in late May/early June is looking pretty booked with those key dates taken over 9 months in advance, we do still have some late May and early June spots available but they won't be around for long so get in quick if you're moving farms this year.

We have had a spruce up on our truck whilst we were closed with a repaint of the front of the cab to stop any stone chips getting the best of us and we have ordered a new box body which is due mid-late February. If we keep the truck in top condition there is less chance of something going wrong and us having to pull it off the road for unplanned maintenance, we are very excited about the new body as the current one is starting to look a little worn out. 

That's all the news from us so far, we look forward to working with some new customers this year as well as our trusted returning customers.

​Happy 2021, let's do this.

There is alot of stress and uncertainty as we watch updates come in in regards to the spread of Covid-19 in New Zealand. We have sat down as a team to discuss what the impact of each level might look like and how we can be as informative as we can in terms of moving through these alerts and managing your bookings. We do encourage phone calls or emails to clarify any of the information below if required and we will be in contact with all customers once we are aware of any alert level changes.

Level 2
New Zealand is currently at an alert level 2 which means we need to reduce contact within our community and have safety and hygiene in mind with every move we do. We have a maximum booking capacity of two bookings per day, which keeps our exposure minimal but it is still a risk for both our customers and ourselves. Our depot is at our private home address in the country so there is no flow of customers through our door.
Here is what we are doing to minimise the risk:

1. From Monday we are checking the temperatures and wellness of the team before they leave the depot each morning. If they have a raised temperature or they are not feeling 100% we will either call another trusted local company to see if they are available to complete the job, get in a fresh set of movers from temp agencies or reschedule the booking. If this happens, we will communicate with our customers as we move through each step.
2. The move team will arrive clean, well and hands sanitized, ready to get underway.
3. We need your transparency and honesty in return, if you have returned from overseas or are not feeling great we need to be notified. We will make a plan to monitor how you're feeling and re-book accordingly.

Level 3
A level 3 alert indicates that there is a heightened risk that the disease is not contained. If and when we reach a level 3 we will:

1. Move to minimal customer face to face contact. The customer's possessions need to be fully packed and ready to go, all surfaces will need to be disinfected and the windows should be opened to allow the house to air out two hours prior to the truck's estimated time of arrival. There will be no need for customers to be at the pick up or delivery addresses and this can be managed from tagging in and out of properties from a vehicle in a driveway or arranging for a key to be left somewhere safe or dropped in to a dropbox at our depot.
2. All payments will be made online to further reduce close contact.
3. If you have returned from overseas or are not feeling great we need to be notified. We will make a plan to monitor how you're feeling and re-book accordingly.

Level 4
Level 4 indicates that there are widespread outbreaks. At this point we will cease all non-essential bookings and contact all clients to discuss how we proceed once the level 4 alert is no longer in effect. 

By working together we can reduce the spread, keep everyone safe and still operate with the above restrictions in place. We'd like to extend a massive thank you to all of our customers for still making bookings with us and checking in to see how we're feeling and giving us updates on your health also. We welcome any phone calls to ease any anxiety, check in to see if we are all well or advise us of any changes to the health of yourself or someone you have been in close proximity to or to go over any of the above procedures.

It's February 2020 which means we have been officially operating for SIX entire years! We don't usually make a song and a dance about it because it's 'just another day' as some people may say. But this year we wanted to do a special blog post to say thank you to a wide range of people.

The first goes to the regulars (one has moved five times in two years!), we love that you choose to keep coming back to us every time, it says alot. The second thank you is to each and every person who has booked with us over the past six years, whether it is moving a chair from home to just round the corner to the retirement village or a full six bedroom pack and move that has taken four days to complete. You're the ones who keep this business running and we hold you all in high regard.

Our next thank you is to those who recommend us to other people whether face to face or on social media, recommendations go a long way when people are a little concerned about who they should choose to move their belongings. For some it's an incredibly stressful scenario (and we get that) so we are thankful that those people are stared them in the right direction time and time again. We are thankful to those that like and share our posts on face book, whilst we aren't savvy on any other form of social media, we seem to understand facebook, we see your likes and shares and appreciate them alot.

And lastly to our friends and family who put up with us mulling over ideas and asking for opinions on stuff! Without those chats we'd be quite in the dark, our social circle has a depth of knowledge that money could not buy.

So that's our first and only soppy post for 2020! Please feel free to join the conversation on facebook or give us a call if you'd like to have a chat. 

We've been raised being told that no question is a silly question but everyone always feels silly for asking so we've decided to write down the three most common questions people have been asking lately to help alleviate the silly feeling some people get when asking. Sounds silly, right!

The most commonly asked question: Do I need to remove my clothes from my drawers?
No, not at all! The guys are strong with good spacial awareness and will happily do a 2 man lift and carry out to the truck. We do ask you to remove any non-clothing items though. This is because we don't want any products to spill or heavier items to roll around and cause any damage.

Shortly followed after the above question: Do I need to tape my drawers closed?
A definite no, no, no, no. One thing that really gets us cringing is damaged furniture. Tape may pull of any coats of paint or varnish when being removed. Please, please don't tape any of your furniture. Ever. For any reason.

The 3rd most common question: I'm moving on key settlement day and it may not go through until 5pm. Are your guys happy to wait around?
We are 100% familiar with key settlements and their usual settle times, we deal with it on a daily! 90% of key settlements have gone through prior to the truck getting to your new house due to Friday no longer being the only day that properties settle. This change was made around 2 years ago-ish and we all cried out with a HURRAH! It meant not everyone needed to move on a Friday and not everyone was waiting around 'till the last minute to move into their new abodes. We usually ask when you make the booking if it is key settlement and if you're not keen on paying for wait time and don't need to be out by midday for the new family moving in, we'll pop a small booking before yours (if suitable) and get started around 11am-midday. 

If you've got a question you'd like added to this list, we created a little spot for the questions people don't want to call up about here http://www.whitehallmovers.co.nz/faq.html  just scroll to the bottom of the FAQ's and you'll find a spot to ask all kinds of 'silly' questions.

2019, I'm going to go ahead and dub it the year of change. The year we all (well, perhaps just a large portion of us) decide enough is enough. It's on everyone's minds due to the mass of images of non-recyclables overfilling landfill, pollution, the decline of bees and the impact these things have on our environment... We can tell you, it's on our minds too. So what are we doing to lesson the effects on our environment? Let us explain.

Over our Summer break we had some time to unwind and focus on the year ahead. One of the topics that repeatably came up was what changes we could make and these were some of the solutions we are putting into practice/focus this year.

Bubble wrap is one product we think is pretty hard to replace. A few replacement ideas that were thrown around were either messy (shredded paper that would create an unpacking nightmare for our customers), not as soft and flexible for delicate pieces (corrugated cardboard) or not as protective (packing paper). And since soft packaging recycling is put on hold we are a wee bit tied on this one. So we did some testing... and we found a way which will reduce a third of our use of bubble wrap when packing a home. Although a third is not all, it's still a THIRD of the amount we would usually use in a home. We will call what a win until we can find a recycling station that takes it again or a product that can be easily recycled. In the meantime, once you've unpacked, offer it to someone you know who is moving. Reuse, reuse, reuse. 

Packing tape, the other non-recyclable plastic item we use that is in no way reusable. We have recently discovered water-activated tape which is 100% biodegradable, pressure sensitive paper tapes and 100% biodegradable clear tape. We will be testing these products over the next few months, but don't worry, we won't use them on site until we are entirely happy that the product will hold tight and not break open a box of fragiles on the floor...

Driving a big ole diesel truck, environmentally friendly? Ours are! Sure, they aren't electric and they are still a diesel, but they do have their own Diesel Particulate Diffuser (DPD) which minimises the amount of PM a truck emits via the exhaust. PM is a combination of black smoke and invisible particles emitted from a truck exhaust under load, and is formed during incomplete combustion of fuel. Composed of elemental carbon, heavy hydrocarbons and hydrated sulphuric acid. Neat huh! The trucks are also serviced often to keep them in tip top shape!

Our boxes, corrugated cardboard and packing paper are all made from recycled paper, non-coated and are 100% reusable and recyclable. Hurrah!

And last but really not least, we have planted a flower garden outside our office which is FULL of bees and also leave parts of the yard unmowed because those sweet little critters love the lawn weeds. Which makes us super happy. And them too!

Fell free to ask us any questions about our ongoing attempt to reduce waste or any suggestions you may have are always welcomed :)

Enter our Christmas colour-in competition and you could WIN a mystery pack valued at over $100*! 

HOW TO ENTER:
KIDS Ask a grown up to print off a colour-in page below, then colour me in how ever you like. Once you're done, write your first name and age on the spaces provided and ask a grown up to take a photo of your amazing artwork.
- Digital screen shot entries are welcomed also!
GROWN UPS Once you’ve taken a snap of this beautiful piece of art, head to our facebook page and find the pinned post. Upload the photo of this entry into the comments section and they are in the draw! It's that easy.

​TIP: Give our page a like so we can tag you if your mini artist has won. ​

*There is one mystery prize pack to be won valued at over $100, the winner will be randomly drawn on 31st of December 2018 and notified by Facebook Messenger. Prizes are not transferable for cash. Only open to NZ residents aged 0-13.

​**GIVEAWAY**

The annual WAIKATO HOME & GARDEN SHOW is fast approaching and we're a bit excited!
So excited in fact that we're GIVING AWAY TWO DOUBLE PASSES!

It's easy to enter, head to our facebook page and find the post with the above image.
Tag a mate you'd bring along below and you're in the draw. It's that easy!

Like our page and you double you chance!!

Winners will be randomly drawn and the passes will be sent via email.

Hey, Megan here from Whitehall Movers! I'm co-owner of this Moving Company, alongside Chris, my husband and business sidekick. I'm in the office managing the moves while he is out there doing all the heavy lifting for our wonderful customers. Doing the job we do, we often hear about the horror stories of the time before. The time they booked in the Movers without doing any background checks. You are moving your worldly possessions, prized heirlooms, things you've worked so hard to save up and buy so let's chat about how you can check up on who is moving you, the background story behind the company and what people are saying about them (actual client feedback, not the town gossip).

When you are about to book in with a mover, ask as many questions as you need about processes. Know how the move is going to be planned and executed. If they can't clearly answer your questions without getting annoyed by your million questions... Next please!

​Who is this company, how long have they been is business? Check the about us page on their website. Don't have one? Next please!

Feedback, it's so necessary to see what's being said about the business you're about to trust with your belongings. With the internet and Social Media, it's pretty easy to see what's going down. Can't find anything online about the company you're thinking of using? Next please! (You can read about us on Facebook and Google Business.)

Who is actually coming? Names and a contact number will make you feel a little better about them being in your home, especially if you're home alone (speaking to our women customers out there). Some of the larger companies send in labor hire, they may have never lifted a piece of furniture (as paid employment) before. Maneuvering furniture through door-frames is a skill that is learnt, and when the furniture is heavy and bulky, well... you know how the walls are going to feel about that. Feel free to ask "Labour hire or trained movers?", if they answer 'Labour hire'... Next please!

- When calling us, we are happy to answer as many questions that you can ponder up!
- When you book with us, you will be informed who is coming, a direct contact number and we can happily say "Trained staff"

Experience the Whitehall Movers difference, give us a call on 0800 266 839 and let's have a chat about your move and how we can help.

We made the decision earlier this year about switching from second hand boxes to new boxes because the quality of the second hand boxes had started to change to soft sides and ripped flaps. These changes had the potential to have the contents inside damaged because they were no longer well supported during transit.

After a bit of trial and error we designed two boxes that stack perfectly in the truck, are the right size to hold common items that are a particular size  (kitchen items like chopping boards and oven trays for example), have strong sides for stacking heavier contents, like those with personal libraries, and look more professional that the tatty ones we were being left to use.

On the top of each box we have left an easy to use tick box system to easily identify which room the box is destined for in the new house. Genius, right!

Our smaller box is 410mm x 300mm and 410mm high and is priced at 4.50+gst each.
Our larger box is 590mm x 390mm and 410mm high and is priced at 5.50+gst each.

We are also offering free delivery to our local Cambridge area, Hamilton since we're over there most days and inbetween (Tamahere, Roto-o-rangi, Matangi). A delivery fee to all other nearby Waikato areas (at our discretion) a $10 fee will apply. Pick up from our Karapiro depot is welcomed after we have made up your order.

Keen to place an order? 
- Check out http://www.whitehallmovers.co.nz/packing-services.html
- Place an order on the ordering system, or
- Give us a call and order over the phone, or
- Email us to place an order

Apartment buildings, a long-time feature in metropolitan areas around the world and only recently popping up in Hamilton, are on their way to Waikato's service towns. Cambridge is at the sharp end of growth in the Waikato. The St Kilda development feeds the quarter-acre dream. The Lakewood development overlooking Lake Te Ko Utu fulfils the town's commercial and residential home aspirations.

And construction will start in July on the latest development: a high-rise six-apartment block on Alpha Street in Cambridge's CBD. "For a provincial town, it's new," Fraser said. "Land is at a premium. "Ideally, it's a way people should go. It's secure, it's safe, it's sociable." Fraser grew up in Tamahere and after a few years living abroad, she moved back.

"As soon as I got here, I loved it. There is a real sense of community and there are some amazing shops and some great restaurants and I never would have thought there would be that standard of cafes and restaurants in Cambridge," she said. The building is designed to fit Cambridge's heritage look and it has retail space on the bottom floor, as well as car-parking for residents.There are six apartment units in her Alpha Street block. Prices range from $750,000 to $950,000.  "We want to make a safe, warm, luxurious place for people to live and to enjoy the community," Fraser said.

Waikato University environmental planning Professor Iain White said the Cambridge market is developing innovative living options as house prices soar.
"There is not much choice, so it's good. It allows people to make different housing choices at different stages of their lives," White said. Apartments and duplexes have been cropping up around the country, White said. They succeed in creating more living space on each square meter of land and drive innovation in the retail area. "And it's good that people are living within walking distance of city centers. It generates a lot of income for the regional economy. They tend to spend a lot of money there - they don't need to drive around looking for car-parking places and it also fuels more investment in the CBD."

Apartments and duplex townhouses cater to a broad spectrum of the market. Statistics New Zealand projects that by 2030, those aged 65 and older will comprise about 25 per cent of the total population. In the same period, birth rates are projected to decline. As a result, more people will be looking for smaller homes to live in. "Perhaps it's home for someone who wants to be close to the centre of town or someone downsizing and doesn't want the maintenance."

Cambridge Real Estate consultant Sacha Webb, who is marketing the Alpha Street apartments, said the units appeal to a hungry market and will change the face of Cambridge. "Cambridge is seen as this beautiful picturesque place and now we are getting the accommodation to go with that," Webb said. Lodge City Rentals managing director David Kneebone agrees. His Hamilton-based company is fielding interested parties from Auckland, and more are asking to rent in Cambridge. "A lot of people coming into Hamilton are asking for Cambridge. I can't speak for the Cambridge market, but I'm imagining it's a real tight squeeze there as well. Everybody wants to live in Cambridge at the moment."

Waipa District Mayor Jim Mylchreest​ said Cambridge is reaping the rewards of the Waikato Expressway, which has removed heavy vehicles from the town and makes the commute to Hamilton easier. He expects, in time, to see similar developments elsewhere. "I think it is going to happen in Te Awamutu and Morrinsville. The fact is, people are resisting the complications of living in Auckland with all those travel and traffic issues, Smaller communities are, obviously, becoming more attractive," Mylchreest said. 
​
 - Stuff