Across a border · B
Across a border
This is where the count stops being a nicety and starts being the whole decision. On a domestic move the difference between two handlings and four is a matter of degree. On a consignment crossing a border it changes how your goods should be packed.
Every international quotation we send states the handling count in words. Ask any other firm for theirs.
What an international move involves
Two handlings, or six
A dedicated vehicle crossing a border is still two handlings: loaded at your house, unloaded at the new one. Everything between is driving, waiting at a terminal and paperwork, none of which touches your goods.
A groupage consignment on the same route is loaded at your house, unloaded at a UK depot, loaded into a container or trailer, moved across, unloaded at a receiving depot and delivered. That is six, and every one of them is a real event involving a person and a hard surface.
Which is why packing is not optional here
On a six-handling consignment, your packing is the only thing travelling with the goods that knows what is inside them. It will be stacked against strangers' belongings, lifted by people who have never seen your house, and possibly stored at both ends.
Export-standard packing is built for exactly that. We do not sell it as a premium tier; we specify it against the count, and on a dedicated load we will tell you when you do not need it.
The four routes with their own pages
Estonia, Slovakia, Iceland and Turkey. They are not the obvious four, and that is deliberate — they are the routes where the choice between a dedicated vehicle and a shared one genuinely changes the answer, and where almost nobody explains it.
We move to most of western and central Europe besides. The hub page lists the full range and the origin cities we collect from.
The paperwork, split in two
We prepare the half that comes from the inventory: the described list, the export declaration, the import entry and the relief claim. That half is ours and it is finished before the vehicle reaches the terminal.
The other half is attached to you as a person — a registration, a tax number, a residence document, proof of leaving the UK address. It cannot be done for you and it takes longer than people expect, so each country page names it specifically and says to start early.
Across a border
Questions about across a border
- 01
Do you quote both options?
On every international enquiry, without being asked. Dedicated and groupage, side by side, with the handling count written on both.
- 02
Is groupage a bad idea?
No — on long routes it is frequently the only affordable option for a single household. It carries six or more handlings, and knowing that is what lets you pack and insure accordingly.
- 03
Do you do sea freight?
On routes where it is the sensible answer, including Iceland. The sea leg adds handlings and we count them rather than glossing over them.
- 04
Who does the customs paperwork?
We prepare everything that comes from the inventory. The documents attached to you as a person have to come from you, and the country pages name each one.
- 05
Can you collect from outside your usual routes?
From anywhere on the UK mainland, including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Bristol. Ask and we will say whether the routing works.
- 06
Why those four countries?
Because they are the routes where the choice of vehicle genuinely changes the handling count, and where the difference is almost never explained. We move to most of Europe besides.
How many handlings should your move have?
Both addresses, roughly what is going, and how much the dates can move. Where there is more than one sensible option we will quote both, with the count written on each.