What people ask before booking.

Removals questions, answered

Do you do ordinary local moves, or only cross-channel?

Both, and most of our work is local. House moves, flats, man-and-van jobs around Dover, Deal, Whitfield, Aylesham and the villages. The cross-channel side is unusually big for a town firm because of where we are, but it is not the whole business.

Which ferry route would our things go on?

Usually Dover to Calais, sometimes Dover to Dunkirk depending on the operator and the onward route. The advantage of starting here is obvious: the port is minutes away rather than a day of motorway first. For destinations deep into southern Europe the load may travel overland from a consolidation point instead.

What does the customs side actually involve now?

A UK export declaration and an import entry at the other end, plus a proper room-by-room inventory. If you are moving your home rather than furnishing a holiday place, there is relief available but it has to be applied for with evidence. We prepare the paperwork with you. A vague inventory is what causes delays, not the crossing.

Can you get a lorry into the town centre and the seafront?

With planning. Dover town has narrow Victorian streets, a lot of on-street parking and some genuinely steep hillside roads where a big vehicle has nowhere to stop. We check the street before the day and arrange a suspension where one is needed rather than circling.

Do you cover Folkestone?

Our patch is Dover and the CT16/CT17 area out to Deal, Sandwich, St Margaret's, Whitfield, Aylesham and Capel-le-Ferne. Folkestone is served by a separate firm in the network that knows the tunnel side of things properly, so ask us and we will point you there rather than pretend.

What is export wrapping and do we need it?

It is a heavier standard of packing for goods that will be handled more than once and will sit in a vehicle or container rather than going straight into a house. Corner protection, double-wall cartons, moisture control on soft furnishings. For anything crossing the water, yes. For a move to Deal, no.

Do you move flats with no lift?

Regularly — Dover has plenty of converted houses where the top floor is three flights up a narrow stair with a turn. We crew for it rather than sending two people and hoping. Tell us the floor and whether the stairwell has a tight bend.

Can you store things between the two moves?

Yes, and on cross-channel moves it is often part of the plan rather than a fallback. Goods are inventoried in and out. If your completion here and your keys over there are weeks apart, storage is what bridges it.

Do you handle pianos?

Uprights yes, with the right kit and enough people. Grands and anything going down an exterior staircase we will look at first and tell you honestly whether it is a job for us or for a piano specialist.

Is our stuff insured on the crossing?

Goods in transit cover applies through the journey including the sea leg, and the limits and claims process are set out in the booking contract. Declare high-value items at enquiry so they are listed properly rather than falling under a general limit.

What cannot go on the vehicle?

Fuel, gas bottles, aerosols, paint, solvents and anything flammable. Crossing into the EU adds restrictions on certain foods and plants. We send the list before you start packing — it is much easier than unpacking a box at the port.

Do you do office moves?

Small commercial moves, yes. Offices, surgeries, studios and shop fit-outs around Dover and the CT villages. Larger relocations we will talk through first to check we are the right size of firm for it.

We are moving to France but have not completed yet. Can you still quote?

Yes, and it is worth doing early. A provisional quote tells you what the move actually involves while you are still negotiating, and it means the paperwork conversation starts before the date is urgent.

How far in advance should we book?

Sooner than most people do, particularly for a cross-channel move where the crossing and the consolidation schedule both have to line up. Summer and the end of the month are the busiest here as everywhere.

Do you clear a house as well as move it?

Yes — house clearance is a regular request in Dover, often alongside a probate sale or a downsizing move. We can clear what is left after the move, or clear a property outright.