Start with the destination country’s official customs, immigration, biosecurity and import sources before packing. Rules depend on origin, destination, status, item and timing; a shipping quote does not itself confirm admissibility.

Build a destination evidence file

Record the official authority, scheme/form, eligibility, required documents, deadlines, restricted items, tax/duty treatment and last-check date. Separate customs information from carrier prohibitions.

Create the inventory

Use clear item descriptions, quantities, values, ownership period, serial numbers where relevant and box numbers. Avoid vague labels such as “miscellaneous”. The owner supplies accurate information even if an agent submits forms.

Compare transport

Ask about collection, export handling, destination charges, inspection, storage, delivery and customs-agent responsibility.

Avoid country clones

Create a separate destination article only where official rules materially change. This page owns the planning framework.

FAQs

Who prepares the customs inventory?

You remain responsible for accurate contents even when the mover or broker formats/submits it.

How should I compare timelines?

Use door-to-door ranges including collection, consolidation, transit, clearance, inspection, storage and final delivery.

Suggested component

Use an International Move Research Ledger with official-source links and last-checked dates, not automated eligibility.

Related guides

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Long-distance quotes need collection and delivery windows, load arrangement, overnight custody and delay terms in writing. Mileage alone does not describe the service.

Dedicated or shared load

A dedicated vehicle normally carries one customer’s move on the planned route. Groupage or shared-load services combine consignments and may use wider windows or transfers. Ask how items are separated, inventoried, secured and tracked.

Timing questions

• Is delivery same-day, next-day or a window?
• Where is the vehicle kept overnight?
• Who has custody and keys?
• Can the load transfer vehicles or depots?
• What happens if keys or completion are delayed?
• Are driver-hour, ferry or weather changes built in?

Overnight essentials

Keep documents, medicines, valuables, chargers, clothing and bedding with you if delivery is later. Plan pet/child care and accommodation without relying on an optimistic arrival time.

Compare prices

Include fuel/tolls, accommodation, additional crew, storage, waiting and redelivery. A shared load may reduce price but provides less timing control; a dedicated load may still face lawful driving and disruption limits.

FAQs

Will my belongings travel alone?

Only if the contract says dedicated service. Ask about co-loading, transfers and separation.

What if delivery is another day?

Confirm custody, security, access window, insurance and which essentials remain with you.

Suggested component

Use a Long-Distance Move Timeline comparing dedicated/shared options and overnight responsibility.

Related guides

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Book the building and street access as carefully as the removal crew. Lift restrictions, loading windows, concierge rules, stairs and walking distance can change crew, vehicle and price.

Ask building management

• Must the move be booked?
• Are there permitted hours or deposits?
• Is lift protection or a designated service lift required?
• What are lift dimensions and weight limit?
• Can doors be held open?
• Are corridors, floors or walls to be protected?
• Where may a vehicle load?

Obtain written confirmation for both addresses.

Survey the route

Count floors and steps, measure tight turns and doors, note distance from vehicle, check low ceilings and identify items that do not fit the lift. Photographs help, but a complex move may need an in-person survey.

Parking

Check local restrictions, bay suspension or permit lead times at collection and delivery. Agree who applies and pays. A resident permit may not authorise a removal vehicle.

FAQs

Can a building require a lift booking or covers?

Yes. Management rules may set times, protection and deposits. Confirm before fixing the crew schedule.

Who checks parking?

Allocate responsibility in writing. The customer often knows the address, but the mover must confirm vehicle requirements.

Suggested component

Use a Flat Access Survey with lift, steps, distance, management and parking fields.

Related guides

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Start early, measure the new home and let the person moving retain control over decisions. The useful goal is a manageable transition, not clearing the largest volume fastest.

Map the new space

Measure rooms, storage, doors and circulation routes. Prioritise furniture needed for sleeping, eating, seating, mobility and treasured daily routines. Test large pieces against the plan before arranging disposal.

Sort in short sessions

Use keep, family, sell, donate, archive and dispose categories. Work one area at a time and pause before irreversible decisions. Photograph stories or collections where that helps, but do not use a photo as pressure to discard.

How relatives can help

Offer specific tasks: measurements, labels, charity research, document scanning, transport or refreshments. Ask permission before moving, gifting or selling anything. Record decisions and who receives family items.

Continuity

Plan medication, mobility equipment, healthcare contacts, keys, utilities, pets, support visits and first-night setup. If the move involves care or legal/financial decisions, use appropriate independent advice and confirm authority.

FAQs

How can relatives help without taking over?

Ask what role is wanted, offer bounded tasks and obtain consent before irreversible action.

Which belongings should be measured first?

Essential furniture, mobility equipment and the largest sentimental or functional pieces.

Suggested component

Use a Downsizing Space and Decision Planner with consent, measurements and destination fields.

Related guides

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Plan uninterrupted access to mobility, communication, medication and personal support before planning ordinary boxes. Record needs in the removal survey without requiring unnecessary medical disclosure.

Map each stage

Review access at the old home, journey, any overnight stop and new home. Note step-free routes, lifts, door widths, parking, rest areas, toilets, lighting and safe transfer points.

Essential equipment

List equipment that must travel with the person, equipment that needs specialist dismantling and items that can go on the removal vehicle. Confirm who isolates, packs, transports, installs and tests powered or clinical equipment.

Keep critical aids, chargers, medicines and contacts accessible. Arrange a backup for delays or failure.

Briefing the mover

Ask the survey to record extra time, route protection, communication preferences, seating/rest needs, assistance boundaries and the named coordinator. The person moving decides what support is acceptable.

FAQs

How should I plan access to essential equipment?

Create a stage-by-stage handover with named responsibility, transport method, power/charging and backup.

What should the survey record?

Physical access, equipment dimensions, time, parking, communication and any agreed assistance, not irrelevant diagnosis.

Suggested component

Use an Accessible Move Continuity Plan with privacy-minimised needs and responsibility fields.

Related guides

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Keep pets secured away from open doors and vehicle movement, plan species-appropriate transport, and update identification through the relevant register. Ask a vet about health, medication or travel concerns; do not improvise sedation.

Before moving day

Check carrier/crate suitability, vehicle restraint, temperature, breaks, food/water and destination restrictions. Update the vet and prepare medication, records, bedding, cleaning supplies and a recent photograph.

Microchip and registration rules vary by species and country. Change the keeper/address details through the correct database rather than assuming a vet visit updates them automatically.

During loading

Use a closed, quiet room, trusted carer, boarding arrangement or another secure location. Put a clear sign on the door and tell the crew. Collars and verbal instructions are not enough when external doors stay open.

Travel and arrival

Follow veterinary and transport guidance for the species. At the new home, start with one secure area, check fences/windows and introduce space gradually. Keep familiar bedding and routine.

FAQs

Where should pets stay while doors are open?

In a secure closed area away from the work or with a trusted carer/boarding provider. Confirm responsibility.

When should identification details be updated?

As soon as the move changes the registered address/contact, using the correct database and local rules.

Suggested component

Use a Pet Move Safety Planner with species, supervision, travel and ID-update prompts. It must not recommend medication.

Related guides

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Keep children away from active lifting and preserve the routines and essentials that make the first days predictable. Give age-appropriate choices without making them responsible for logistics.

Before the move

Explain what will change using a simple timeline. Visit or show the new area, plan school/childcare records, label a personal essentials bag and let children choose a small set of items that travels with the family.

Arrange supervision for survey, packing and moving day. Open doors, stacked boxes, tools and vehicle movement make the loading area unsuitable for play.

Ways children can help safely

They can choose label colours, decorate room signs, photograph their old room, sort toys with an adult and pack a light personal box away from the crew. Do not involve them in carrying, climbing or identifying hazardous disposal.

First-night access

Keep medicines, comfort items, clothing, bedding, toiletries, school items, snacks and chargers accessible. Set up sleeping space before non-essential unpacking.

After arrival

Walk through safety boundaries, maintain familiar mealtimes/bedtimes where possible and allow mixed feelings. Confirm school, transport, healthcare and emergency-contact updates.

FAQs

How can children help without being near lifting?

Use planning, labels, room choices and light personal packing in a separate safe area.

What should stay accessible?

Medicines, documents, comfort items, bedding, clothes, hygiene, food and school essentials.

Suggested component

Use a Family Move Routine Planner with supervision, school tasks and first-night essentials, avoiding collection of unnecessary child data.

Related guides

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A piano move needs an item-and-route survey, not a price based only on postcode. Type, dimensions, weight distribution, stairs, turns, surfaces and final placement determine crew and equipment.

Describe the instrument

State upright, baby grand or grand; maker/model; width, height and depth; condition; detachable parts; and declared value. Grand pianos usually require different preparation and supports from uprights.

Survey both routes

Measure doorways, corridors, turns, steps, landings, lift dimensions/capacity, slopes and outdoor surfaces. Photograph tight points and note parking/walking distance. Do not plan a hoist or window route without specialist and property permission.

Quote questions

• Is the mover experienced with this piano type?
• What protection and specialist equipment are included?
• How many crew attend?
• Are stairs, cranes or waiting charged separately?
• How does liability apply to the declared value and pre-existing damage?
• Is tuning excluded after the move?
• Who confirms final floor loading and position?

Avoid DIY lifting instructions: concentrated weight, awkward balance and fragile mechanisms create injury and damage risks.

FAQs

Does piano type change the plan?

Yes. Construction, balance, dismantling, supports and route equipment differ between upright and grand instruments.

What should I measure?

Piano dimensions and every route restriction at collection and delivery, including turns and lift limits.

Suggested component

Use a Piano Access Survey Form with type, measurements, route photos, steps, surfaces and declared-value questions.

Related guides

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Some movers include straightforward dismantling; others charge separately or exclude particular furniture. List every item, access restriction and required reassembly before the survey.

What to record

For beds, wardrobes, tables, sofas and fitted items, record dimensions, material, construction, assembly instructions, floor and doorway route. Identify flat-pack furniture, glued joints, fragile finishes, wall fixings and missing hardware.

Flat-pack furniture can weaken after repeated assembly. The mover may exclude damage caused by prior condition or decline unsafe reassembly. Keep instructions and photograph condition.

If a sofa will not fit, do not assume doors or windows can be removed. A route survey may identify dismantling, specialist upholstery, hoisting or a different item, each with separate permissions and risk.

FAQs

Should I dismantle flat-pack furniture myself?

Only if competent and the mover agrees how it will be packed and reassembled. Label parts and retain every fixing.

What if a sofa will not fit?

Pause and assess the route. Obtain permission and specialist input before removing building elements or hoisting.

Suggested component

Use a Furniture Access and Assembly Inventory with dimensions, route photos, scope and hardware fields.

Related guides

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Prepare every appliance from its exact manufacturer instructions and use qualified people for gas, hardwired electrical, plumbing or refrigerant work. Movers transport appliances; they may not disconnect, install or commission them.

Build an appliance list

Record make/model, dimensions, weight, fuel/connection, shut-down time, transit parts, access route and who performs disconnection/reconnection.

The manual, not a generic article, determines defrost, orientation, transit-bolt and restart instructions.

Moving day

Confirm appliances are empty, dry and disconnected by the agreed person. Secure cables/hoses without damaging them and keep model-specific transit parts labelled. Photograph connections before disassembly if permitted.

At the new property, check services and clearances before reconnection. Do not power equipment simply because it has reached the room; follow settling, levelling and commissioning instructions.

FAQs

Who should disconnect an appliance?

The person competent and authorised for its connection. Gas and hardwired work require the appropriate qualified trade; check the mover’s written exclusions.

Where should transit and restart instructions come from?

The official manual or manufacturer support for the exact model.

Suggested component

Use an Appliance Move Planner that stores model-manual links, disconnection owner, transit parts and restart status.

Related guides

Compare House Movers is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write.