Moving Overseas?

As soon as you know where you are moving to and an idea on timescales you should contact 2 - 3 reputable removal companies that have experience of overseas removals. They will ask to visit you and property to do a detailed quote, make sure you are prepared in advance and ensure you know exactly what you are taking with you, what is going into storage, what is being dumped etc. Due to moving and shipping costs they will need to know exactly what needs to be moved, try and create an inventory which you can keep up to date. And don't forget to tell your removals firm of any updates!
Things a removals firm may ask;

• Where are you moving and what is the completion date?
• What is the access like at your current and new home?
• Will people be moving in / out on the same dates as you and in what timeframe?
• What additional services will you require? Packing service, Packing materials, storage?

When you do ask for quotes, make sure you ask them all the same questions and give them all the same information. If you fail to do so then it will be hard to compare the quotes like for like.

Ask as many questions as you can, no matter how small or silly. You need to know everything! Standard questions you may want to ask include;

• Insurance
• What insurance does the company offer, what does that include and is there any excess?
• Experience
• Ask about previous overseas removals and references
• Are they a member of any trade associations?
• What qualifications / criteria do they meet?
• Logistics
• When will the removals team arrive and how many people will it include?
• How long will it take to pack all of the belongings
• Where will the goods be stored while waiting for shipping / transport?
• Customs
• Does the firm provide customs forms and information?
• Will they help you fill out the forms?
• What restrictions are in place for said country?
• Costs
• What does the quote include? Taxes, port charges, customs etc.