European Removals
You will notice that we are not only members of the British Association of Removers (B.A.R.) but are also members of the Federation of European Movers Associations (FEDEMAC). This organisation represents professional movers operating throughout Europe and shows our commitment to providing an effective and reliable service for our clients moving within the UK and Europe.
Should you be looking to move to a property in Europe, we can arrange to have one of our surveyors call round to view all the furniture and effects that you have to be moved.
During the surveyors visit he/she will make a comprehensive list of the furniture and effects that will be taken. This allows us to calculate an overall volume of goods to be moved. At this stage, we will also be able to discuss and quote for any additional services that you require.
European removals are carried out in a very similar way to mainland UK removals. The main differences come with the size of the vehicles used and the time between collection and delivery. The larger vehicles allow us to reduce relocation costs for our clients by giving us the ability to transport more than one clients goods at one time.
The vehicle size does come with some disadvantages but these are generally outweighed by the cost advantages that are made.
This makes it essential that we are given a detailed description of all collection and delivery addresses.
This information enables us to plan alternative or additional transport to access properties in rural locations or those with awkward access.
This will avoid embarrassments and additional charges when the removal crew arrive at the delivery address.
After assessing the volume of goods to be moved, the surveyor will be able to consider the clients requirements and cost efficiency before advising whether the consignment should be sent as a part load, (with other customer's goods), or as a full/sole load.
Packing
As with all of our removal services, a full/part packing service can be offered, where all goods will be wrapped and packed as necessary.
It is strongly recommended for any European work, due to the distances involved, that we carry out a packing service to ensure the goods get from A to B in one piece. If this service is required, it would generally be carried out at least a day before the agreed collection date, similar to local and UK removals. See Local and U.K. removals for further details.
Full Load / Sole Load
This type of load is where only one client's goods are loaded onto the vehicle. With full/sole loads we are able to draw up and agree a schedule for collection and delivery well in advance of the removal day.
Loading of the designated vehicle would commence on the agreed date. Upon loading of the goods, an inventory may need to be completed, depending on the country of destination. It is not our standard procedure to complete inventories for all full/sole loads to Europe, but can be carried out upon the client's request. This is because the vehicle will be locked and sealed once loaded, although the crew are required to have keys to all locks to allow customs inspections (if required).
The driver will ensure that you have been given the seal number from the back doors and will ensure that you have a means in which to contact the crew during the journey. Mobile phones prove to be very useful in case of any unforeseen delays for either party. Seals will only be taken off at the delivery address with the client present, this will enable the client to check that the seal numbers match.
The vehicle will travel direct to the destination address where the consignment will be unloaded. All goods are placed into the correct rooms as specified by the client. The time taken to unload will depend upon access (discussed at quotation stage) and may be affected by the need for transhipping by smaller vehicles. This is not a common requirement but may be necessary when the vehicle access is restricted by overhanging trees or narrow roads.
Part Load
This type of load is where one client's consignment will make up part of a larger load going to similar destinations or other destinations on route.
Part loads differ to full/sole loads in the planning stage and length of time between collection and delivery. It is not always possible to give an accurate schedule for delivery at the point of quotation. This is because the load will depend on other client's goods being loaded and delivered whilst on route.
All part load consignments require a full inventory which will be taken at the point of collection. Client's goods may be loaded onto a smaller vehicle at first and brought into our store for consolidation where they will be held until the full load is ready.
When all clients' goods have been collected and brought back to our store, or we can be certain of overall volumes, it will then be possible to plan the delivery schedule for each consignment. This will be discussed with each client to ensure all needs are considered. We will also ensure that contact details are exchanged, allowing each party to contact each other and inform of any unforeseen changes to the schedule.
The designated vehicle will then be ready to be loaded. Upon loading, each client's goods will be separated in one of two ways. The goods will either be loaded into a power pack/lift van (a small cardboard/wooden container) which is fork lifted onto the vehicle, or the goods are loaded onto the vehicle loose with bulkheads being built to separate the consignments. See the following illustration:
Similar to a 'full/sole load' shipment, the goods will be unloaded and distributed around the house as required. Depending on access it may also be necessary to tranship the goods to the new property using a smaller vehicle. This needs to be discussed with the surveyor at the point of quotation to ensure that it can be carried out with minimum hassle to yourself and the schedule.
Back Loads
Vehicles travelling into Europe for the purposes of carrying out removals and deliveries will have the capacity to collect goods anywhere throughout the continent and bring those goods back to the UK or alternatively deliver them within mainland Europe. In such instances it is not possible for us to get a surveyor out to see the quantity of goods needing to be transported or discuss the level of service required. Therefore we would ask that you complete our online quotation form for us to give you an accurate quotation. Failing that, you can email us a detailed list of the goods that are required to be moved, together with all the relevant information regarding collection and delivery addresses.
