Gillingham
ME7 Victorian and inter-war terraces, a band of ex-dockyard-era housing, flats above and behind the High Street.
The terraced grid off Canterbury Street, Barnsole Road and Nelson Road is the tightest work we do. Narrow halls, a turn at the foot of the stairs, no driveways, and resident parking that fills by eight in the morning. Bay suspensions through Medway Council are routine here. Where a street genuinely will not take a Luton we shuttle with a 3.5 tonne van from the nearest workable point.
Most common job here: Terraced house moves, first flats, part loads, and a steady run of rental changeovers.
Rainham
ME8 Post-war semis, 1960s–80s estates, newer closes off Maidstone Road and the Berengrave end.
Easier parking than Gillingham proper — most properties have a drive or a bay — but the closes have tight turning circles and a Luton that gets in is not always a Luton that gets out. We check the approach on satellite and in person before committing a large vehicle. Station Road traffic dictates the start time more than anything else does.
Most common job here: Family house moves, upsizers, and a lot of moves within ME8 itself.
Hempstead
ME7 Detached and larger semis on the ridge, backing onto Hempstead Valley.
Long private drives, sloped approaches and plenty of room to work — the easiest access in the area. The difficulty here is volume rather than geometry: garages, lofts and garden rooms that have been filling quietly for fifteen years. We survey Hempstead properties in person more often than anywhere else because the box count is routinely double what people estimate.
Most common job here: Full house moves, downsizing, and the occasional international departure.
Wigmore
ME8 Detached and link-detached houses at the top of the downs.
Wide roads, garages, and a hill. Winter mornings up there can be genuinely icy, so we bring the van up early rather than at the tail of the rush. Loft ladders are common and lofts are usually boarded, which means loft contents are movable but need to be brought down before the crew arrives, not during.
Most common job here: Family moves, retirement moves, and storage jobs where the new place is smaller.
Twydall
ME8 Post-war estate housing, terraced rows, maisonette blocks.
Shared parking bays and communal entrances are the constant. Most blocks need someone to hold the street door, and the bays are marked in a way that makes a Luton awkward. We talk to the block or the managing agent ahead of the day where we can. Maisonette staircases are narrow and turn once — wardrobes come apart.
Most common job here: Flat and maisonette moves, man-and-van jobs, and rental changeovers.
Parkwood
ME8 Cul-de-sac estate housing, mostly 1970s onward.
The cul-de-sac entrances are the whole story. Several will not take a long-wheelbase vehicle past the mouth, so the van parks on the approach road and we shuttle. That takes longer and we price it in rather than discovering it on the day. Bin day matters here more than anywhere — a collection lorry in a Parkwood close blocks everything.
Most common job here: House moves within the estate, moves out to Rainham and Sittingbourne, part loads.