International FAQs

It is never too early to contact a removal company. Advance preparation is probably one of the most important factors in choosing the right removal company. A household removal can be one the most challenging experiences a family will ever have to cope with, even more so when you are planning to move overseas. Therefore, the earlier you start your search for a removal company, the better. It will be one less thing marked off your list and will allow you and your family time to focus on other aspects of your move.

Generally, we would recommend that you begin your search no less than 12 weeks prior to your move and in some cases, people start their search as much as 12 months prior to their move. Everyone is different, however Its important to allow enough time to ensure that you choose a suitable company for you and your family.

The quickest and easiest way is to complete our on-line quote request. This is ideal if you wish to get a reasonable idea of the costs involved, or if you simply do not have the time to spend on a home visit or video survey. Submit the quote request taking special care to supply as much information as you can and to pay particular attention to storage rooms such as lofts, cellars, garages or sheds. Sometimes these areas do get forgotten about when completing the list and you will more than likely have memorabilia or keep sakes being stored in your loft or a set of tools in the shed or garage that you don’t want to leave behind.

Alternatively, please complete a free home/video survey request form via our website or contact our office and speak to one of our coordinators to book an appointment for you with one of our experienced surveyor’s to visit your property. During a home survey, our consultant will be able to discuss all aspects of your move including any specific questions that you may have. He or she will complete an inventory for all items that you wish to ship, and can also complete a separate list of items that you may wish to take depending on shipping cost. Our consultant will also be able to identify any special requirements that may affect the cost of your removal such as parking restrictions, abnormal size items requiring special handling or special protection for the journey.

A video survey is completed in the same way via our digital platform and our consultant will answer any questions as well as offer you advice regarding your international removal.

Once the results of your home/video survey has been completed you will be assigned your own personal account manager. They will calculate the overall volume of your shipment taking into account any special instructions that may have been received in respect of cases required for specific items, parking permits, special lifting equipment and so on.

Your personal account manager will calculate your quotation and forward this to you by mail, email or fax as indicated by you along with all relevant information on your overseas removal and, in most cases, specific information on the Country to which you are moving. If you have indicated various options such as maybe a small quantity of essential items by air or specific items to be costed separately, your personal account manager will include the cost of these options within your information pack.

Overall costs are broken down into three elements; (a) origin services – packing and removal to warehouse or, loading into the container at your residence depending on your requirement. (b) freight and charges port to port or airport to airport and (c) destination services – terminal handling/port charges, import Customs clearance, delivery to your new home (or storage facility if required), unloading and placing your items within your property, unpacking of furniture and disposal of the packaging debris. When calculating your costs, we have to take into account each of these elements and include or exclude any items which you do not wish us to perform. Generally we will include them as options for your consideration. The actual cost of these services varies depending on how much work you want us to undertake on your behalf, the destination you are going to you and the mode of transport that will be used. Finally, the quotation will vary on the overall volume or overall size of the belongings you wish to ship or, if you are sending your personal effects by air, we will have to also take into account the actual weight of your belongings.

Basically, there are two types of service available

(a) door to destination port/airport whereby our costs will include as much of the origin service element as you require, all documentation and freight and charges up to the point of arrival at the destination port or airport. You will then have to arrange to clear your belongings through Customs and either collect from the terminal/port/warehouse or arrange to have the shipment delivered to your home. Our destination partner will gladly assist you if you choose this option.

(b) door to door; we will include all costs as per above (a) but, additionally, we will perform as much of the destination service element as you require, ie: clear through Customs, pay port/terminal handling fees, arrange delivery to your home (or storage facility), provide a professional removal crew to unload and place within your property, unpack and dispose of debris on day of delivery.

Generally, our prices are all inclusive within the boundaries that you have set and based on the information you have supplied. However, all quotations will exclude import Customs duty or taxes or local Government levies (where and if applicable), rent or demurrage (if incurred beyond our control), storage (available if required both at origin and destination), Customs or local Authority inspection/examination fees (if required or undertaken), fumigation (if directed), tradesman services (i.e. plumber or electrician, handyman etc. available if required), maid services (we can arrange for maids as part of our crew both at origin and destination to clean your new home and your belongings as they are unpacked), marine/transit insurance (available and always offered as an optional extra).

In addition, unless you have indicated otherwise, our quotations are based on your new property having reasonable access for our removal vehicle to be placed outside without the need for an excessive long carry. In addition, your belongings will be placed within a property not above 1st floor level (ground floor for the United States of America which does include a 1st floor within a house). Whilst the same applies to your property at origin, either our surveyor will already have noted any relevant access difficulties or you will have indicated them in your on-line quotation request. Likewise, any special costs incurred for cranes, hoist and such like for heavy or special items such as safes or pianos, will only be included within our quotation if items are identified on your survey report.

If you are moving OUTSIDE of the European Union, your shipping and removal charge will be zero rated for V.A.T. However, ALL removals WITHIN the European Union will attract V.A.T. at the standard rate with Switzerland and the Canary Islands the only exceptions. IF V.A.T. is applicable to your shipment, this will be clearly indicated on your quotation.

As a professional Overseas Removal Company, we provide the option for you to have a full PROFESSIONAL export pack of all or part of your shipment as indicated by you.

If you wish to pack yourself, you may do so and if required, we will supply you with a cost for all necessary packing materials including bubble wrap, void fill, packing tape, wrapping paper, export strength cartons of various sizes, purpose built cases for specific fragile items.

However, we strongly recommend all of our clients carefully consider the option of a professional export pack as there are many benefits such as higher degree of insurance cover, increased level of protection for your valuable household and personal effects by allowing highly qualified staff with many years experience in handling and packing. The cost of a professional export pack is relatively small compared with the benefits it offers.

We have long standing partnerships with select agents worldwide who we have tried and tested for many years. Our partners are carefully selected to ensure that you receive the very best attention and service.

For sea freight shipments, our nominated partner will make contact with you in advance of your goods arriving at destination. They will supply you with a an arrival notification as well as any additional forms or documentation which may be necessary to clear your shipment through Customs. If you have paid for a door to door service, they will clear your shipment through Customs and Quarantine (where necessary). When clearance is completed, they will contact you to discuss a suitable date and time for delivery. If you are not ready to accept delivery, you can then arrange for our partner to store the items for you, otherwise, they can deliver to a storage facility of your own choice. On delivery, our partner will supply a crew to unload and place all items into your property, unpack as much of the furniture as you require and dispose of the packaging debris on day of delivery. Boxes will be placed in the appropriate rooms for you to unpack. If you have paid for a door to port/airport service, our partner will gladly arrange clearance and delivery for you if required at an additional fee.

For airfreight or European road shipments where transit times are considerably less, our partner will contact you by telephone or email to advise you of arrival of your shipment. They will then perform services in the same way as with a sea freight consignment.

It goes without saying that all due care is taken to ensure the safe delivery of your personal effects irrespective of the size of your shipment, however, accidents can happen. Fortunately, this happens very rarely but we always strongly recommend that you have adequate shipment protection or marine transit insurance cover and that your effects are covered to their full destination replacement value including shipping costs. Our own comprehensive policy is underwritten by Basil Fry who are one the UK’s leading international removal and shipping insurers. Our policy insures your shipment against the risks of loss or damage in transit or whilst in storage.

Insurance or shipment protection cover commences at the time of packing and removal at origin and is valid through to delivery at destination. It will also cover you for up to 30 days in storage at origin or destination and can be extended for a further period if required at an additional premium.

Our consultants will supply you with a valuation proposal form which will need to be completed to place cover if required.

You should consider how much it would cost to replace your household goods and personal effects in the country of destination. An excellent source of such information would be the local press in that country which maybe a family member or friend living overseas could supply. This information is particularly good for high value items such as kitchen appliances, furniture, motor vehicles etc. You may also find that the information is available via your destination Country’s Embassy here in the U.K., you should start with their immigration department. Finally, you should be able to obtain suitable details via the internet.

When completing your proposal form please be as detailed as possible. Whilst many everyday household items can be collectively valued, it is essential that specific high value items (over £500) with a high replacement cost are indicated in as much detail as possible with an appropriate value. If you have any questions or require assistance, please contact your personal account manager.

There are certain items and products we cannot accept for transportation or that are restricted under general conditions of carriage. There are also other items which it is inadvisable to pack and ship and which may affect the terms of your insurance cover.

For example; foodstuffs of any description or liquids which may leak in transit causing damage to other items, cash, bonds, jewellery, alcohol, fireworks or other explosives, flammable gases, liquids or solids, poisons, corrosives, ammunition or firearms, swords, sabres, daggers, spears and switch blades, scuba diving tanks, gas cylinders, aerosol cans, butane lighters and other pressurised articles. Additionally, you must not pack perfumes in an airfreight consignment and we recommend that you check ALL cosmetics as to their contents and potential hazardous nature before packing.

You should also not pack wood, bricks, cement, sand, rocks and soil of any type, plants of any kind including dried flowers, bulbs, seeds, pine cones and pot pourri, untreated animal pelts, furs and hunting trophies and pornography of any description including articles of simple nudity if you are relocating to a Muslim country.

You should also take special care when packing household cleaning products or items from your garage or shed, check their contents, if they are flammable or hazardous in anyway, DO NOT PACK THEM. Speak with your local Council as to where and how you can dispose of them safely.

The above is not a complete listing by any means and each country will have its own regulations. Above all, common sense will dictate what you should or should not pack and if in doubt, please contact one of our consultants who will be able to offer you advice.

We appreciate that there are a number of factors which will determine when you will actually move such as completion of a house sale, validity of visas, commencement of a new job. However, it is important that you do not leave it too late to book your packing and removal especially during the height of the summer period when removal crews are heavily committed.

We would recommend that you notify us as soon as you have a completion date and it is vital that this is confirmed within 2 weeks of your actual move. We will also try to accommodate you wherever possible so if in doubt, contact your personal co-coordinator and discuss any problems or difficulties that you may have.

We will supply you with general information that is available along with your information pack and quotation, however, details and policies can and do change without prior warning on a regular basis.

Most Customs departments around the World now have their own websites although often they are not updated as regularly as they should be. You can also contact the Customs department within the Embassy of your destination country who will be able to give you assistance.

There is no set guidance to this question as each destination Country will vary as will the value of the items themselves. If you wish, we can supply quotations for specific items of furniture as optional extras to your main shipment.

Through investigation in local press, internet and friends and family currently living in your destination Country, you will be able to establish the actual replacement value of those same or similar items. You will then be able to make the comparisons yourself and make a final decision.

However, you should always consider that having ones own familiar furniture and personal effects with you will greatly assist the settling in process in your new country. You may also have some items which simply have sentimental value and this alone may make it well worth shipping rather than replacing.

We ask for a £350 deposit to secure your removal dates and then the balance of your account is payable prior to your removal.

You may make payment by credit or debit card, or by direct transfer into our account.

We do offer both short and long term storage in the UK and at destination.

For further details please view the storage services section of our website.