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NEW FULL TIME POSITION AVAILABLE

Start Date: 2nd February 2015

Job Title: Office Manager

Salary: Competitive + Benefits

Must Have Skills:

• Visa to work in the UK (min 1 year)
• Excellent communication skills
• Good command of both written and spoken English
• Have good knowledge of office administration, finance management and human resource management
• Have excellent communication skills to liaise with new & prospective clients
• Ability to work under pressure, independently and unsupervised

Kiwi Movers is a growing business with a great team. You will be responsible for managing an office staff of up to 6 people and liaising with all departments, mainly operations that has a staff complement of up to 30 staff.

Whilst prior experience in office administration is desirable, full training will be provided. The successful candidate must be self-motivated, driven and a real people person.

Email your CV, visa expiry date if applicable and reason why you wish to join Kiwi Movers to: [email protected]

NB: Due to the volume of applicants received we may not be able to respond to each one.

Date you joined Kiwi Movers? Feb 2013

Full Name? Matthew Michael Henderson

Nickname? Hendo

Place of Birth? Lower Hutt, New Zealand

What is the most interesting move you have done at Kiwi Movers? Moved the CEO of one of the largest English Premier League clubs, really nice guy and shared some really interesting information about the Premiership etc. Great for me as I’m football mad.

Interesting Fact About Yourself? I’d only been outside of New Zealand once before me and my wife decided to move to London at the age of 26.
In 5 years time where do you see yourself? In a mirror.Favourite Office person and why? Gibbo, loves details!

What do you enjoy most about working for Kiwi Movers? Getting to work with a great bunch of guys who make each day interesting with all the hilarious banter that gets thrown around.

Best place you’ve travelled to so far in Europe? Croatia, sailed the islands from Split-Dubrovnik, stunning beaches, scenery and getting to jump off the yacht  into the ocean for a swim every morning was amazing.

Any advice to the new guys? Watch and learn and don’t get upset if one of the senior staff members ask you to do something! You’ll get your turn to boss other people around if you hang around for long enough! Above all use common sense!

Famous last words? Theodore Roosevelt quote, a favourite of mine.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

This month we say goodbye to a top man and one of the most professional team members we have ever had at Kiwi. To sign off he topped the charts (again) last month and here are a few parting thoughts:

Date you joined Kiwi Movers?  January 2013

Full Name?  Simon Blayne de Vries

Nickname? At kiwi! Tahi 

Place of Birth?  Invercargill

What is the most interesting move you have done at Kiwi Movers?  Moving the CEO of Arsenal was interesting. Also moved a movie prop from war of the worlds which only just fitted in truck.

Interesting Fact About Yourself?  I’m from a place in NZ’s southwest corner making me further from London than almost anyone your likely to meet. I also own an award winning sheep dog.

Hobbies?  Almost all sports. Rugby, cricket are among my favourites. I also enjoy reading and cinema


Which Rugby team do you support?  Waiau Star,Wasps, Stags, Highlanders, All Black’s’s and anyone playing Aussie.

What do you enjoy most about working for Kiwi Movers?  Travelling about London and the home counties are good but the crew you work with on the jobs and in the office are second to none.

Best place you’ve travelled to so far in Europe?  So hard, the Netherlands and Turkey were massively special. Croatia probably gets the nod for a fun time.

Any advice to the new guys? Ask questions, listen and watch the experienced guys. Also take your time so as not to damage anything.

Famous last words?  Thanks to all that made my time at Kiwi the great experience it was. Blast off team rocket.

Ka kite ano

On Thursday the 7th Nov, the management team from Kiwi attended the Wandsworth Business Awards. This was the second time that we have been finalists in the best SME (small, medium size enterprise). Unfortunately we didn’t manage to win, but we had a great night and the fact we have made the finals two years in a row shows the excellent work that all our team does, both in the office, but also the fantastic work that all our teams do working with our clients. 

The great thing about entering business awards is that it forces you to have a hard look at your business to see what is great about your business, but also areas that you could do better. It also forces you to dust off the business plan and to review your goals and what you have achieved. 

We may not have won this year, but we are fortunate to work in the Borough of Wandsworth which has a council with a very positive attitude to business. The Wandsworth Chamber of Commerce are also a very proactive organisation, with networking on an almost weekly basis and well run events such as the Wandsworth Business Awards. 

We’ll keep working hard and working to improve our business, but with a great team we know that winning isn’t far off!

Moving home is a stressful business, more so if you have recently undertaken renovations or are moving into a new house when the last thing you want is any damage to the walls or floors. During the normal course of removals, it isn’t unreasonable to expect the odd bump or scratch as normal wear and tear, especially in areas of tight access. This does not however, excuse negligence! Your removal company should use blankets to protect your goods and floors when moving, however for additional protection and peace of mind it may be cost effective to use additional protective measures such as floor coverings and foam protectors for your doors and fixtures.

Protective coverings for your home will not be too expensive and your removal company can recommend what you will need for the day. It may simply be that this will be useful if you have difficult access, narrow corridors or door frames.

Another useful way to protect your home and also speed up the moving process is to use an external furniture hoist. This is particularly so if you live in a flat above the third floor. Reducing down the access points will speed this up and also reduce the labour required.

Other useful measures can be to use bedding, linen and towels to protect your home, especially draped over doors or placing old sheets on the ground. In the event of rain, then buying some disposable shoe covers maybe a very easy solution.

If you have to move plants or outdoor furniture through the house, then try and make sure these are the very first things you bring in, or if you can bring these into the backyard before any decorating is finished inside. Plants can be a bit awkward to move and this also helps to avoid dirty hands or clothing when moving all your household items in.

Name: Hami Tangiora
When did you start with Kiwi? June 2013
Nickname? Hotcakes McFlurry
Where are you from? Christchurch, NZ
Interesting fact about yourself? I once had to tell a joke to Ricky Gervais on the Graeme Norton Show, it didn’t go well.
What you enjoy most about working at Kiwi? Seeing a new part of London every day
Favourite sport and team? Tennis
Favourite place travelled to? Iceland
Most interesting move? Any move that takes me outside the M25

Recently we have been doing some work for the nice team at the Handel House Museum here in London as they refurbish Handel’s old home. You can read all about the recent work and the move we did by clicking on the link here.

http://hendrixathome.wordpress.com/2014/08/12/post-52-on-the-move/

Name? Chris Hutch
When did you start with Kiwi? I started kiwi in April.

Nickname? My nickname given to me by Hami is McMassive.

Where are you from? I was born in London but my parents are from Ghana.

Interesting fact about yourself? Interesting facts I have competed in body building competitions, I can also play the drums.

What you enjoy most about working at Kiwi?  – The best thing about working for kiwi is the craic I have with the boys/Emma and getting to show off the guns!

Favourite sport and team? My favourite sport has to be strongman competitions.

Favourite place travelled to? The best place I have travelled to is Switzerland, I highly recommend it.

Most interesting move? The most interesting move I have done so far has to be for a rock star.

Yesterday marked the 100th anniversary of the start of WW1. The conflict would rage for 5 years, across three continents and claimed some 37 million died. Beside the obvious devastation the war also created the conditions which gave us WW2 and shaped the modern world.

In New Zealand and Australia, WW1 and specifically, Gallipoli, is regarded as the birth of these two nations. It was from this conflict that they started to see themselves as distinct from the UK and took on their own unique personalities and independent foreign policies.

One can not help to be moved though by images of the poppies at the Tower of London which creates an incredibly evocative image and shows the sheer number of British dead in WW1.

On a personal level, my family was deeply involved in the war. My Great Grandfather George (standing) and his younger brother John (sitting) both signed up early on and fought in Gallipoli with the ANZAC’s where both where wounded in 1915. John died within months of his wounds and George died from complications of his wounds in 1920. Another relative fought in Palestine and the Middle East as an Engineer, surviving the war, while another died on the Western Front. Fortunately New Zealand has kept a vast array of records and I have been able to collect the war records for the two brothers below, including their medical documents, giving a fascinating snap shot of the past and indeed a glimpse of what my relatives went through.

As we remember the tens of thousands of other young men who died, it is easy with the hindsight of time to be critical of the decisions made that would prove so costly, but in reality no one could possibly have envisaged their consequences. Instead, I believe we should study the past and apply these lessons to the present, but also be grateful for the sacrifices made and for the freedoms that we in the western world are able to enjoy as a result. We should also be grateful that in an uncertain world we still have young men and women who are prepared to defend our interests and freedoms in far of lands.

Do take the time to learn more about WW1, if you don’t already know your own family’s history with the war you may discover some interesting facts.

Lest We Forget

Regan McMillan

Managing Director, Kiwi Movers

A group of us heading back from the seaside on a Saturday decided to go out for dinner, we had heard about Roxies through other friends who had visited their Fulham location. We wanted to keep it local in Wandsworth though and booked a table at the Earlsfield location. 

We arrived pretty earlier in the evening at 6.15pm and managed to get a table next to the window. The restaurant itself is not too big, but was tastefully decorated and the staff were attentive. The waitress very helpfully in selecting the wine, while we also started with Aperitif’s with a selection of Espresso Martini’s and Champagne. These were all very good and the prices were great. I’ve yet to see anywhere in London where a good Espresso Martini is £7.95, while a glass of Prosecco was only £4.95 a glass.  

The restaurant is South African owned and is obvious with the selection of food. Between the four of us we selected two ribs, a filet steak and pulled pork. The meat was excellent for all of these. The ribs were large and tender and the steak was cooked to perfection. We had some hot chips to accompany our mains which were also cooked extremely well and the sizes were generous.

As we dined the restaurant filled up and is obviously popular with the locals. To finish our dinner we all had Dom Pedro’s which is icecream and Kahlua, perfect on a warm summers night. 

Roxies has to be one of the best priced restaurants I have been to in London. The quality was excellent, the service was good and at £13.95 for a filet steak it is hard to beat. We were all thoroughly impressed and we will definitely be back.

Roxies has three locations in Fulham, Earlsfield and Putney. 

Read more of our reviews in our blog, or for information about home removals in London, please contact us on 020 8877 9682*.

When you secure your goods in self storage or containerised storage you do so expecting them to be safe and secure. With our Kiwi Storage we ensure that your goods are constantly under surveillance with restricted access. 

If your goods are stored in our containerised storage, the container is sealed with the date on the tag. Our systems ensure that all information is recorded when entering your goods into storage, including any oversize lane items. Our modern and state of the art container warehousing has 24/7 surveillance by camera and includes fire protection systems. 

If you choose to use our self storage in battersea, Surrey, Chelsea or Twickenham you will have 24/7 access with your own lockable unit. To access your storage unit we will provide a combination lock and access code to enter the facility whenever you need to. Recently our Battersea location underwent a further upgrade with 8 new security cameras, including HD, and number plate and facial recognition. This also includes the lifts. 

It is our aim to ensure that no matter what you are storing, from household goods, business items to antiques, you can feel secure in the knowledge that your items are well looked after as a premium removals and storage company in London.

To learn more about storage options, please call us on 020 8877 9682*

After a hard days home removals in London we recently tried out the latest bar in Clapham at WC – Wine & Charcuterie. WC is located in a converted 100 year old Victorian toilet block next to Clapham Common tube station. This unusual location is actually brilliant. The bar is decorated with magnificent Victorian tile works and mirrors to create an intimate and cosy feel, with the main bar located underground, while upstairs is a large outdoor area that is perfect with the hot summer weather.

The wine list provides a good selection of wines from around the world at reasonable prices, while the food (Charcuterie) is the perfect accompaniment with your wine selection. 

There are plans to expand the bar into the adjoining toilet block, but so far this wine bar is a winner. 

If you are moving in London or are using an overseas removals service then you may be concerned as to how to pack your fine art.

Given the often delicate nature of paintings or statues we recommend that it is always best to crate them. The additional levels of protection this offers is simply invaluable. Any professional removal company should offer this service whatever the size of your move or wherever it is going. We also recommend that you insure your art to the appropriate levels or check that your household policy covers your art in-transit or in storage. With an upcoming move it may also be the right time to get your art re-valued, as who knows, you could have a small fortune hanging on the wall! 

Even if you don’t have fine art, you may have paintings or pictures that are highly sentimental and sometimes you can’t put a price on some things. 

When you decide to get your fine art crated, the process for crating your items is straight forward. Your removal company will measure the items and then arrive with pre-made crating to fit the painting or statue. Given the specific nature of crating, please ensure that you give adequate time to have the crating made up. This isn’t something you want to take short cuts with. 

If you do decide to move without crating then we always recommend that you use moving blankets (alternatively, bedroom sheets) and/or bubble warp. It may also be wise to use a material like Mylar foil. This is a non stick foil that is useful with oil paintings as it won’t damage them or stick to them. Mylar is available from any hydroponics store. 

To give you an idea of how your paintings are crated, here are some images below. 

To learn more about crating your fine art for storage, home removals or shipping, please contact us on 020 8877 9682* for more information.