Flossy

Hi

Does anyone have any recommendations for UK to Spain removals and return loads?

We're moving from London SW11 to Torrevieja.

Any recommendations much appreciated - along with any useful tips you learnt along the way.

Thanks all
Flossy

jandy44

Hi Flossy cant help much Im afraid ,we are going to do it ourselves,hire a truck and drive over................Welcome to BE

mikelincs

Not a recommendation as such, but there is a company David Dale removals, does full and part loads, and has a base in Playa Flamenca, often large and small vans parked near the Carrefour in Playa Flamenca. Seem a fairly large company, so should be reliable, not a load of cowboys.

Flossy

We thought of doing it ourselves but we're working out the cost of hiring the van versus someone else does all the hard work for us!!

Thanks

(8 weeks and counting...!!)

Flossy

Thanks.

I'll certainly have a look at David Dale as we're moving to Playa Flamenca.

Rosemary

Recommend Witham Brothers who are based in Bexhill, East Sussex and Alicante. We used them and they were uniformed, polite and friendly and quite reasonable.

I have recommended them before so do a search on the forum and you will probably come up with the phone number.

Rosemary

jandy44

Hey not long to go then,you will be busy then at the mo........good luck with it all .......... myself and the O/H have a HGV licence and Iv drove over loads of times so we are looking forward to it........cant wait

jdr

Free beer thread.......

One way van hire.......

debi

Hi flossy,

My OH is a hgv driver in removals and gets contracted to do work for David Dales (hopefully going to see about work with them when we make the move!) he,s only ever heard good said of them. Good luck with the move!

Debi

sarahchirles

Used Union Jack removals, i think it was 100 quid per cubic metre. (god that does sound a lot) Plus VAT.! Not sure if my memory seves me well there. Sorry.

I didn't move the whole house though. Beforehand, OH Took the main furniture over in a hire van (Budget hire) Luton Hi Top, from Morden/Mitcham and put it in storage. Think it was about £400 for hire, then you have tolls, ferry, fuel and expenses. Then the remainder of the stuff moved over with UJ. To be quite honest we worked it out there wasn't much difference in it. But we did NIFs and other stuff on the hire van trip.

UJ have a storage facility which is handy if like us you were waiting for a new build to be finished - just before hell froze over.

Only tip is to be ruthless with chucking stuff out before you leave UK. I am still chucking stuff out now that I thought 'i couldn't live without'. If I had chucked it would have saved me a couple of hundred quid I am sure!



Good Luck


Thanks all
Flossy[/QUOTE]

Mitzyboy

The difficulty with many removers is that many use owner drivers or networks. Therefore a recommendation for one particular company does not mean that you will get the same team as the person who recommended. Quality varies terribly ... especially if you are moving a part load as it will be loaded with other peoples effects.

I spent my life in the freight industry, and heres something I've posted before that I wrote for another forum

One of the most difficult experiences in re locating is the actual shipping of your worldly goods and chattels. Not only are there a huge number of companies offering you the opportunity to use their services, but they all tell you that it will be trouble free and that all will arrive at destination in good order. In reality this is often far from the truth. We’ve all read posts from people arriving at destination only to find that their furniture is elsewhere. Whats that old saying? ….. breakfast in London, dinner in New York, luggage in Bombay!

Here are a few hints from someone who spent his life in the ever so stressful shipping industry and is glad to be out of it!

There are so many different destinations worldwide that it’s difficult to be specific so I will generalise as much as possible. If you want specific help then I have contacts in the industry and can point you in the right direction.

Get three quotes from different removal companies. Prices can vary enormously. Many carriers will not honour insurance claims unless they have packed the goods themselves. When you get their quote ask about full marine insurance cover (get a separate quote from them) and check their conditions of carriage carefully. Check to see if they are members of the British Intl Freight Association (http://www.bifa.org/Content/Home.asp )
It doesn’t mean they are perfect but at least they will be an established company.

Gain separate quotes for insurance. Again be careful about the conditions of cover, i.e. do the goods have to be packed by you, do they have to be packed professionally. How extensive is the cover. Check the exclusions and look for clauses about “atmospheric conditions”. If your goods arrive damp (usually deep sea long voyages) you don’t want the insurance company copping out.

If you pack your goods yourself, always make up a detailed packing list in triplicate of what is in each box with a nominal value (I’m assuming the effects are all used and not new). DON’T attach this to the box but number the boxes (and the packing lists) and keep the list separately as it will be required for (a) the shipping line (b) the Revenue & Customs and (c) you. Mark each box with your destination name, destination address and a destination telephone number.

If you are shipping to sea voyage destinations then your effects will probably ship in a steel shipping container. Although these are checked regularly it is not unusual for holes to appear. When you receive your goods you must check them carefully for wet damage as they come off the container. Once you have signed for them it will be more difficult to make a claim.

If you are shipping to Europe then it is more likely that your goods will travel in a box van / truck. The same rules apply when receiving the goods although quite often the effects will have been transhipped at least twice (unless you’ve commissioned a full load) before they get to you. Also remember that if your new home is in a difficult location then the effects may have to be transhipped to a smaller vehicle. Again, count the number of cartons and check for impact / wet damage.

If (in the case of international removals) the cartons have been examined by customs then there will normally be evidence of this. In the UK they are re sealed with security tape. If any cartons look as if they have been tampered with then call it to the attention of the delivery driver and then open to investigate.

Buy decent tri wall boxes to pack your effects in. Most removal specialists will supply them. Try to avoid cardboard boxes that you bought your last supply of baked beans in. They will collapse in transit.

Complaints: http://www.removalsombudsman.org.uk/yourqas.htm

Google: http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en...ociation&meta=

Marine insurance: http://www.marine-insurance-uk.net/i...=google&kw=all