We have been thinking about this since the New Year so now that the quiet season is upon us, it's time to launch our new initiative. From next week, any customer moving home or office with us can leave their unwanted clothing, furniture and household items with us an we will deliver those items to the appropriate charity:
- Red Cross, we'll donate any good quality, clean and hole/stain free clothing here
​- Salvation Army, we'll donate any clean, secure and undamaged furniture here
- New Lives Animal Rescue, we'll donate toys, games and household items here

These charities do amazing things in our community so we're making it easier for you to help and their good work in our community.

TERMS: Items must be in the local area, if outside of our local area, the items must be able to fit onto the truck with your household items so they can be brought back to the above store. There will be no discount for the space taken on the truck or for the time taken to load the items onto the truck. Items must be clean and in good resellable condition. We have every right to refuse items that we believe are not appropriate to be donated to the above stores. These reasons may include but are not limited to: Not in good enough condition, not clean and stain free, item is too big to fit in the store, item has no resale value. If the items are refused, it is your responsibility to rehome or dispose of these items thoughtfully.

I'm a big fan of reading reviews - before trying a new restaurant, a family day trip of activities, best scenic roads to take... Which is why we make an effort to ensure you have all the information you need to know you're in good hands when choosing us to move your household furniture. There are a few places you can read reviews written by our customers, all are authentic and even the ones we have copied off emails are direct from the customers mouth, or in this case, written email. 

To read our feedback you can:
Pop over to our facebook page (give us a LIKE while you're there) - www.facebook.com/pg/WhitehallTransport/reviews
Log into Trade Me and check out our Services page, scroll to the bottom of the page to read the reviews - www.trademe.co.nz/services/domestic-services/moving-storage/auction-856668346.htm
Here on our website, they are dotted throughout.

After you have moved and are all settled into your new home, we'd love to hear what you thought also!

It's an exciting time here at Whitehall Movers Headquarters, we have almost completed our new office and storage warehouse, holding all the packing supplies you could possibly need to relocate an office or home.

We can now supply:
- Strong, quality packing boxes (second hand to minimise waste) in two convenient sizes at a fantastic price
- Packing take and a take dispenser to tape those boxes up nice and tight
- Rolls of bubble wrap (100m) picture frames, glassware, smaller fragile items
​- Rolls of corrugated cardboard (50m) for wall art, pots, larger fragile items
- Reams of packing paper for glassware, plates, mugs etc
- Bed bags to keep those mattresses dust free and clean

Pro's to using our packing supplies:
- We offer free delivery on every order (locally)!
- All the boxes are uniform, which means they are easier to stack, hold more than a banana box and will save time on stacking
- Larger rolls means you don't have to skimp on wrapping, meaning your items will be better protected during transit
- Bed Bags are an easy one size fits all, single mattress and base will fit in the same size bag as a Super King mattress
- We are a local business supporting local families
​
Even if we're not moving your household belongings, whether you're moving with another company or moving yourself - we'll still deliver locally for free. If you're thinking about moving, feel free to get in touch on 0800 266 839 to view our packing supplies pricelist. 

​Article credit to NZ Hearald - http://www.nzherald.co.nz/residential-property/news/article.cfm?c_id=76&objectid=11791857

​There's evidence Auckland is starting to become a buyer's market as a jump in listings and cooling asking prices begin to emerge. Realestate.co.nz data out today shows new January listings in Auckland are up 5.5 per cent from the same time last year. At the same time demand from buyers has dropped by 25.39 per cent. Average asking prices have remained relatively static at $943,002 compared with $949,898 in December.

Chief executive Brendon Skipper said that meant buyers can approach the market with more choice. He warned it was however, too early to say whether asking prices have been affected by the traditional seasonality. "We've got to get out of this holiday hangover and sort of look at February to get a sure reflection."

The data shows nine out of 19 regions around the country achieved record-high spikes last month; most notably in Central Otago/Lakes where a 17.6 per cent increase raised the average asking price to $888,567. "I think in the regions, we're seeing what we saw in Auckland last year. Things are happening a little bit earlier. "There's still a little bit of a seller's market happening in those regions - especially when you look at the likes of Wellington and some of those outlying areas, which are starting to pick up like Auckland [did]. "You're seeing a really interesting dynamic here. Again, I don't think I would rest...and say this is how things will continue, because we're still in that January market - people are still on holiday,'' Skipper said. "At the end of the day, there may be more choice out there, but the prices will still be relatively high.''

Meanwhile, the latest QV House Price Index out today showed that nationally average residential values rose 1.4 per cent in three months to January 31. But many areas of Auckland including parts of Manukau and the North Shore, are now in negative territory. Average house values in Auckland rose 12.8 per cent year on year but flat lined over the last three months with just 0.2 per cent growth.

Andrea Rush, QV national spokesperson, blamed bank lending restrictions but expects value drops to reverse soon and noted similar drops at this time last year. "We've seen that trend with the introduction of the LVRs each time and then values have risen again. With the 20 per cent LVR, across-the-board growth slowed but then rose again at higher levels over time than previously "However, since the 30 per cent LVR was introduced in late 2015, Auckland's annual rate of value growth has slowed from in the late teens and 20 percentile range back down to under 15 per cent," she said, with further cuts lately.
Values in parts of Hamilton and Christchurch also fell lately while values are rising in Tauranga, Wellington and Dunedin and other areas near main centres.
​
"We are now seeing a strong trend of value growth in regional centres around the country, particularly those situated within two to three hours' drive of the main centres that have seen very strong value growth recently such as Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown," Rush said.
"These include the Kaipara District just north of Auckland where values accelerated 6.4 per cent over the past three months and 25.9 per cent since January last year led by strong growth in places like Mangawhai, now a favourite for those who are selling up and moving out of Auckland," she said.
"Similarly the Hauraki District south of Auckland and also commuting distance to Hamilton and Tauranga accelerated 10.8 per cent over the past three months and 30.3 per cent year on year with towns like Paeroa and Ngatea in high demand from movers and investors alike," she said.

Written by Anne Gibson, Property Editor of the NZ Herald. 

It's early July and the coldness of Winter has only just hit, but that didn't hinder the rain in any way last month. Although Winter is our quietest season of the year for families relocating, it is also a time where the stress of moving house in the rain brings about many last minute relocation bookings. What is planned to be an easy morning shift using a few trailers, followed by a few beers by lunchtime is no longer feasible. If you find that you are falling into this category, don't hesitate to give us a call on the day to see if we are available to help, whether it be the full houselot or just the heavy items that can't be moved in the rain like lounge suits or beds.

Also, here are a few moving tips for our Winter shifters...

• If it's been a good frost overnight, chances are there may be ice on the deck or footpath. This can dramatically slow things down as the surface becomes slippery. If you haven't packed away the hose yet (or it's not frozen), give it a good blast before the truck arrives to make it a safe environment for everyone.
• We are a supplier of all the packing supplies you'd need to complete a move. A good idea for moving in the rain is to purchase a set of bed bags, which also come big enough to wrap your sofa's in! That will keep your items nice and dry.
• Due to a delayed Winter, there is new growth on the tree's. Check driveways for branches that may cause damage to our trucks. If we can't get the truck up to the house without damage then the furniture needs to be carried down the driveway to the truck on the roadside. A quick trim could make the move go alot smoother for everyone.

If you have any questions about moving in Winter, give us a call on 0800 266 839, we love a good chat!