Whether you’re moving house from Mandelieu to Menton or from Draguignan to Dunstable, UK, or Denver, Colorado, you need to think carefully about the operation. Advice from Phil Heinlein
It’s a well-worn saying: moving house is the third most traumatic experience in life after bereavement and divorce. Asking around to people I know, I sometimes (but by no means always) had confirmation of this. The worst stories involved those who had tried to do a major move themselves without professional help or had pounced on the cheapest quote available and had ended up with cowboys. Even some of those who had chosen a good removal firm had met with difficulties caused by inadequate preparation on their own part. So how to go about moving the contents of your home?“Don’t go for cowboy operators”Unless you live with monk-like austerity in a tiny studio apartment you’re going to need that professional help. A move involving a significant quantity of household goods is not a job for amateurs. DIY is a no-no. It sounds easy, of course: get a couple of guys you know round to help and that’s it. Remember: that means you’re effectively hiring black labour and if anything goes wrong you could be in deep trouble. And that goes for the kind of vehicle you might use: if you just rent a standard 3.5 ton van (or 20 m3) and then cram it to the roof, the van will be overweight and you’ll be breaking the law – and you could face a 1500 euro fine. But when you’re looking for a removals firm don’t go for a cowboy operator offering a cheapo service. You’ll often find their ads in free sheets and even in Yellow Pages. In many cases they too use black labour lacking in the necessary professional skills.Then how to choose a reliable company? Go for firms like those advertising in this magazine - who have been with us for years - and ask for references from within the community. They'll provide these without difficulty. Have a look at the check list accompanying this article. It'll help you spot the illegal and disreputable movers like "Mel" in the following article. One important distinction, of course, is between whole-house moves and part moves. In the first case, a company representative will certainly want to come and visit you; with part moves, it depends on the quantity of goods to be shifted. In both instances, the company will require certain information: the declared value of the goods to be moved and, crucially, details of access at each end of the route. For moves within the EU a detailed inventory isn't necessary; where customs clearance is involved (as with the US) such a listing is required.An important issue is packing. You’ve a choice: do it yourself, or have employees of the removal firm do it to a professional standard. This is important where insurance is concerned. Indemnities are significantly lower when damaged items have been packed by the householder rather than by professionals who use special techniques to secure valuable articles. As a general guide to insurance, within France you’ll pay a premium of 0.8 per cent of the declared value of the goods, for a move abroad 1.5 per cent. It’s also important to check that your removal company has public liability insurance in case of any harm caused to a third party or their property. You should also be sure the firm holds a licence de transport and one of its senior executives has a certificat de compétence de transport or equivalents from another EU state. Cowboys, you can be pretty sure, won’t have any of these documents.“Half of all removals in July and August”Another decision you have to make is when to move. Remember that in France around a half of all removals across the country take place in July and August. This is because parents wish to avoid disrupting their children’s school year and often want to fit in the move with their summer vacation period. If you can avoid the peak season you’ll find firms are more flexible on timing and you might get a rather better price. Before finally coming to an agreement with a removal company, you need to decide how much of the contents of your home you really want to move. The more you leave behind the more likely it is you’ll be able to go for a part-move which will be appreciably cheaper because you will be sharing the trip with one or more other clients. In this case, your goods may be taken directly to an address you specify or to a destination not too far away from where they can be transported to a final point. Incidentally, when looking at dates, it’s important to consider local circumstances. Here on the Coast, traffic is particularly heavy in the summer while at times there may be special factors to take into account (Carnival in Nice, the Film Festival in Cannes, the Grand Prix in Monaco). And remember when making plans that trucks including pantechnicons are banned from the roads on Sundays and public holidays.“Decide who will do the unpacking”When you’ve had a detailed discussion with a firm, you may receive either an estimate (which can be modified) or a quotation (which is binding). All sorts of things can enter into the calculation of these amounts. In Monaco, for example, there are various charges relating to different entrances and lifts of buildings as well as a specific parking fee for vans. Again, you have to decide who will do the unpacking on arrival at your new home – you or the removal men. In the later case obviously you have to pay. It’s difficult to give a general indication of prices but, for a whole-house move (we’re talking a standard family dwelling, not an Ivan-style villa) you’re likely looking at upwards from 2500 euros for a move from Mandelieu to Menton, and a starting price of 5000 euros for a transfer from Draguignan to Dunstable. Rates for overseas moves – to the US or Australia, for example – are naturally higher. As to the time involved, within Europe an operation would normally take 1 to 3 days; to move to North America could need 4 to 6 weeks, to Australia 8 weeks (by sea transport in both cases).“Most moves go off well”One removals boss I spoke to was anxious to be reassuring: “Do make the point that moving doesn’t have to be trauma time. First of all, plan well in advance and when you’ve chosen your firm give them the maximum of information and ask any question that’s bothering you. Secondly, get organised for the day of the move: make sure that everything’s ready in good time for the men who are doing the job and that means marking very clearly everything that’s got to be moved – or not, as the case may be. At the other end, if you’re not going to be there when the van arrives make sure you’ve given plain instructions. Finally, try not to fret: we find women worry about favourite bits of furniture, men about their hi-fi systems or suchlike. Actually, most moves go off well. Just take it easy ...”
Source: http://www.rivierareporter.com/content/view/582/50/
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