Moving lock, stock and barrel overseas may seem like a daunting prospect.

What happens to all your things after they leave your UK home? Where are they stored? How does the removal company keep all of your things together? What happens when you share a container with someone else? How do they charge for the service?

I wanted to provide you with a short guide to show you what happens - behind the scenes - within a top UK based international removal firm. So… armed with my note pad and pen, I set off to discover more on the world of Removal firms…

Protecting your possessions ready for transit

When the removal team arrive at your home, they can either pack everything on your behalf, emptying cupboards and bookshelves and wrapping everything individually or you might opt to do this yourself.

The wrapping process undertaken by the removal firm is very specific and the materials used are matched to the item. In the case of wooden furniture, the wrapping used is a partially permeable material - a kind of lined bubble wrap – allowing the wood to breathe, thus preventing warping should it begin to sweat in warmer climates and protecting the wood with the air pockets in the wrap. Just as importantly the material is waterproof from the outside and so protects from any water damage caused by condensation dripping from the roof of the container. This is especially important in delivery to warmer climates. The attention paid to each item was incredible.

UK based storage facilities – Where do your belongings go?
From your home, your contents will be loaded into pallets and delivered to the warehouse by a company removal lorry. They are then moved immediately or are stored in the warehouses, dependent on your requirements.

Not all removal companies provide storage facilities. The company I interviewed however pride themselves on being able to cater for all aspects of the removal process.

The removals firm have 3 huge storage facilities at the head office, housing huge wooden storage boxes, each of which holds a volume of around 7 cubic metres, stacked 3 or 4 high and similarly deep. With such valuable contents it’s imperative that the warehouses are in good condition: those that I walked through were just a few years old and are checked daily for any sign of leaks or damage.

While walking around I discovered that the warehouses have 24 hour security – that is a MUST for anyone moving their valuables!

I was told that clients have the option to warehouse their belongings for a few weeks, 10 years, sometimes longer. Storage is typically charged at £10 per pallet per day. They can also accommodate cars, though storage charges would vary.

Once shipment to your final destination is imminent the pallets will be moved by fork lift onto the raised loading area. There they are opened and organised, ready for loading onto the container which will deliver them overseas. During my visit, a new container had just arrived so I was able to see the whole process…

Loading the container ready for shipment

I was very lucky that a container had arrived to be loaded with 2 consignments bound for Vancouver.

The loading men conduct a full inspection of the container, walking inside to check for any holes and to ensure that the container was fully water and air tight. They also sweep the container and check for any sharp edges which might damage the load. Once they are happy, they begin loading.

It appeared to me like a giant game of tetras, where they packed the boxes and items in so well that there were no gaps for movement and no wasted space at all.

When loading cars, they build a wooden structure around them, on which the rest of the consignment is then loaded.

From the removal depot to the dock and onwards

The journey from the removal depot is actually undertaken by the firm who own the container. They are employed to deliver the container to the depot and then to take it to the dockside ready for the sea freight leg. The driver waits while the container is loaded by the removal staff.

Similarly, once the container arrives on dry land the other side, it will be collected by another firm who will deliver it to the rail freight depot. At the destination, the container will be delivered to a removal depot there, where a reversal of the process will take place, with the consignment finally being delivered to its new home.

Each of these legs is undertaken by a separate haulage firm but the consignment is the responsibility of the original contracted removal company at all times, and is insured throughout by them.

Shipment duration times and route planning

This shipment to Vancouver, I was told, would take around 6 weeks to reach its destination, via sea to the East Coast and by rail freight to Vancouver where it would then be unloaded and transported by lorry to its new home.

Each consignment route is also planned according to time and cost. An alternative for transport to Vancouver is by ship through the Suez and then up to Vancouver, this however works out to be far more expensive and the time taken is considerably longer too.

Rules, regulations and restrictions

The emigration rules for entry into your destination country are extremely important too. To move bikes, garden equipment and even shoes, you must ensure that all mud is removed prior to packing and shipping. Sniffer dogs are often used in receiving countries and any items which contain mud will be placed in quarantine and you will be billed for costs associated with cleaning etc.

The rules for entry are often extremely strict, though the restrictions vary greatly by country. Those clients, who wish to pack their possessions individually and label the contents themselves, may find that the boxes will be opened to check the contents upon arrival. It is often much easier to have the boxes packed by the removal company and so minimise the likelihood of this.

The team that I met are experts in removals to all countries internationally and can provide detailed advice on the restrictions for taking items into your destination country. Just let me know if you would like to speak with a member of this team for more country-specific information.

Costs of removal

Costs of removal varies considerably by country and is based on volume / square metre-age of the consignment.

To get a full quote or for more information I will gladly put you in contact with an expert. Just let me know!

Split consignments

The removal firm will always look for the most cost effective way of transporting household goods to a destination. If a client has too few items to fill a container then the container may be shared with another client travelling to the same or similar location at a similar time. Each client would then be charged for their portion of the container only.

For a split shipment like this one, the loading men will load one consignment first then, once all is on board, they will then begin to load the second consignment. The labelling of boxes here is even more important and on each item the label will state the client’s surname, reference number, the inventory number (corresponding to a list of box contents) and the destination.

Cost of moving versus cost of buying again

There were also a host of items which are regularly moved but which I’d never considered; wind surf boards, children’s climbing frames, ladders, garden slides and wheel barrows. It it’s important to note here that to sell these items and to buy them again new would cost a small fortune but to pack and ship with the rest of your household goods costs very little.

Experts in removals

Interestingly, at the removal depot, they also have a ‘training house’, complete with carpets, curtains, kitchen, bedrooms and living rooms – all fully furnished.

They use this to train new staff and to refresh existing staff. The staff enter the house and approach it in the same way that they would a client’s house, covering the carpet with carpet protectors when they enter to avoid any unnecessary wear and tear.

They would then be assessed on how they pack each item, making sure that they choose the correct wrapping materials for each item and that they approach each room in the most effective way. This house had a selection of difficult items in addition to the more usual; candelabra’s, chandeliers and so on.

In the living room they would first pack the small items, knick knacks and photos, once boxed they would then pack the larger items of furniture, televisions, tables and sofas.

Here they would also need to remove and replace a sash window so that they could move the larger items from the house. In the kitchen, they would need to disconnect the washing machine and dishwasher too.

Moving Pets

This firm does not cater for pet removals but they can refer you to a company who can, should you require this service.

If you’d like me to put you in touch with this incredible removals team, please eMail me on mailto:Karen@OverseasGuidesCompany.com