How do overseas moving companies in the UK estimate a full household move?
Overseas moving companies in the UK usually start a household sea-freight estimate with a survey of the belongings you intend to ship. A surveyor uses that information to estimate the space the goods will occupy once packed. The mover then considers the route, access at both homes, packing work and delivery arrangements to build your quotation.
Imagine you’re moving from a three-bedroom house in London to a flat in Toronto. You’re taking the dining table because it belonged to your grandparents. The wardrobes are staying because the new bedrooms have fitted storage. The spare room looks almost empty, but the loft holds ten years of family belongings.
The figures below illustrate this family’s move.
What does the surveyor need to see?
Start your video survey at the front door with overseas moving companies. Show where a vehicle could stop and the route the crew would take to the living room. Once inside, walk through in the order you use the house. Include the cupboard under the stairs.
In the dining room, the surveyor can see the table and six chairs straight away. What the camera misses on a quick sweep is the dinner service behind the sideboard doors. Open them. A cabinet travelling empty needs furniture protection. A cabinet full of china adds export packing work and several cartons to the same room.
In the bedroom, point out which furniture belongs to you and which came with the property. Show the contents of the fitted wardrobes even if the wardrobes themselves will stay. Finish in the loft, garage or garden shed. If a space is difficult to film, take photographs beforehand and flag anything the surveyor still needs to see.
For undecided items, use a simple question: “Can you show me what changes if we take this?” Try this for furniture you might sell.
How household belongings translate into cubic metres
For overseas moving companies a cubic metre (m³, also written CBM) is a measure of space. For a rectangular packed item, multiply its outside length, width and height in metres. A carton measuring 0.60 m × 0.40 m × 0.50 m occupies 0.12 m³. Ten cartons of that size occupy 1.2 m³ before allowing for how the load fits together.
Furniture takes more judgement. A dining table with removable legs may pack into a much shallower space than its assembled dimensions suggest. An armchair may need almost its full outside dimensions even though much of its shape is open space. A framed mirror may need a protective case larger than the frame itself. That is why a useful survey records how each piece can travel as well as what it measures.
For a first pass before the survey, enter the larger pieces into the Reloux household moving volume calculator. Keep a separate note of anything the calculator cannot describe accurately, such as a corner sofa that separates into three sections.
A worked example for a three-bedroom move from London to Toronto
Suppose the survey produces the following estimates. These figures are illustrative, and each line includes a packing allowance.
What the family plans to ship | Estimated packed volume |
Living and dining room furniture | 8.0 m³ |
Beds, bedroom furniture and home office furniture | 7.0 m³ |
Cartons of clothing, books, kitchenware and personal belongings | 6.0 m³ |
Loft contents, bicycles and garage items | 3.0 m³ |
Estimated total | 24.0 m³ |
The Toronto living room turns out to be smaller than expected. They decide to leave a sofa estimated at 2.0 m³ and a sideboard estimated at 1.0 m³. They still want the china from inside the sideboard. Those cartons were already counted in the 6.0 m³ line, so only the furniture comes off the list. The revised shipment is 21.0 m³.
“We’re leaving the sideboard but taking its contents” tells the mover exactly what to change. “We’re leaving the dining room furniture” could accidentally remove the table, chairs or
cartons you still expect the crew to collect.
The revision cuts estimated volume by 12.5%. The price needs a separate calculation. The crew still has to attend the property, protect the china, collect the shipment and arrange delivery in Toronto. The saving also depends on whether the change affects the shipping option available.
Shared or dedicated container for a full household move?
A family can move the contents of an entire home using a shared container if the shipment and route suit the service. “Full household” describes what you’re moving. A dedicated container describes the shipping arrangement you book.
Question | Shared container (groupage) | Dedicated container |
How is space allocated? | Your packed goods travel with other customers’ separately identified shipments. | The container is reserved for your shipment. |
What affects the schedule? | The overseas moving companies has to assemble a suitable load for the destination and arrange a sailing. | Departure planning can proceed without waiting for other households to complete the load. Vessel schedules and clearance still affect timing. |
What happens if you leave furniture behind? | A lower chargeable volume may reduce the quote, depending on the service terms. | If the same container size is still needed, the container freight element may stay similar. Packing and handling may change. |
What should the family ask? | “What is the expected dispatch window for our volume, and where will the goods wait?” | “Which container size have you allowed for, and how will you load and deliver our goods?” |
For the Toronto family, the most useful request is to price both services against the same 21.0 m³ inventory, where both are available. If they have flexible dates and furnished accommodation on arrival, waiting for a shared departure may suit them. If they need their furniture within a narrower window, they should ask for the planned dispatch and delivery ranges for each option before choosing. For route-specific service information, see Reloux removals from the UK to Canada.
Why the address matters as much as the inventory
At the London end, a crew collecting from a house with driveway access can plan a different loading day from one collecting the same furniture from an upper-floor flat with restricted parking.
At the Toronto end, imagine the building manager requires residents to book the service lift. The family should establish how long the booking lasts, where the delivery vehicle may stop and whether the largest sofa fits through the lift doors. A photograph of the entrance and the lift measurements give the mover more to work with than a street address alone.
If you’re arranging the move before securing a home overseas, give the mover your likely delivery area and say that final access is unknown. Ask which delivery assumptions the quotation uses and what could change once you confirm the address. That lets you book a survey early while keeping the open question visible.
How to compare two overseas moving companies on price
Start with the amount each company will charge to get the same belongings into the same rooms. A freight rate only covers part of that journey. If one proposal ends at a Canadian port and the other includes delivery to a Toronto flat, the gap between their totals tells you very little about which mover offers better value.
Imagine two quotations for the family's revised inventory from overseas moving companies. Both include export packing in London and sea freight. Company A includes delivery into the flat, reassembly of two beds and removal of the used packing materials on delivery day.
Company B includes delivery to the building entrance and offers an unpacking service on request. The family needs both beds assembled that night. Before choosing, they should ask Company B to price the carry upstairs, bed assembly and removal of materials. They can now compare two prices for the evening they actually want.
Cost to compare | Detail to get in writing |
UK collection | Number of packing days, collection address, parking arrangements and who obtains any permit |
International transport | Shared or dedicated space, shipment volume and the dates for which the price is valid |
Destination handling | Which terminal, handling and clearance services are included, and which charges a local agent will collect |
Delivery into the home | Floor, lift, walking distance, furniture placement, assembly and any unpacking requested |
Optional services | A separate amount for storage, specialist crating and any additional protection you choose |
Keep each amount in its quoted currency. If the UK mover invoices in pounds and the delivery agent invoices in Canadian dollars, record both figures and date any exchange rate you use for your own comparison. Ask which sums are payable before collection, before shipping or before delivery. Two offers with similar totals can require quite different amounts of cash in the month you leave.
What paperwork should a family moving from the UK to Canada prepare?
The survey inventory helps the mover estimate space and labour. Canada also asks people moving or returning there to prepare two copies of a list of their personal effects. Separate the goods travelling with you from the goods arriving later, and include values and identifying details such as model and serial numbers where applicable. Goods arriving later must appear on the original list to qualify under an applicable duty- and tax-free entitlement. Check the guidance for your own circumstances before travelling. Canada Border Services Agency guide to moving or returning to Canada
For the Toronto family, the practical moment to photograph the identifying label on the television is while it is still on its stand. Once it has been wrapped, inventoried and collected, retrieving that number becomes much harder. Keep copies of travel documents, your goods lists and your coordinator's details with you. Give the mover an email address and telephone number that will still work after you leave your UK home.
What changes if you are moving from the UK to Europe by road?
For a London-to-Lyon move, the equivalent choice may be between a shared road load and a dedicated vehicle. With a shared load, the mover groups collections and deliveries along a compatible route. Someone renting a furnished flat for the first month may have enough flexibility to use that service. A family handing back a hire van or meeting a building manager during a booked unloading slot needs to discuss those commitments before accepting a delivery window.
Give a European removals company both postcodes and the latest date you can leave your UK property. Then distinguish the first date you can receive the furniture from the date you would ideally like it. A mover can plan around a genuine three-day opening more easily than a single preferred date that turns out to be flexible. Ask for written confirmation of any fixed appointment and who will contact you if the vehicle's progress changes.
What to check when your estimate arrives
Read the shipment description first. For the family in this example, the revised paperwork should show the 21.0 m³ inventory, the dining table and china travelling, and the sofa and sideboard staying. Check these details before booking.
Packing and handling. Identify who packs the cartons, which furniture needs dismantling, and whether a mirror case or other specialist protection has been priced.
Transport and timing. Look for the agreed shipping service and clarify where the quoted transit period starts. Time from sailing and time from collection can be quite different.
Delivery inside the home. Check the floor and lift assumptions, which rooms the crew will deliver into, and any agreed furniture reassembly or carton unpacking.
Charges at destination. Ask which destination services the quote includes and when costs such as storage, an inspection or a smaller delivery vehicle could be charged separately.
Changes before collection. Ask whom to contact for a revision if you add furniture, change address or need storage. Keep the latest inventory with the latest quote.
One useful final question is: “What are you still assuming about our move?” Ask the coordinator to record any outstanding details.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to pack before my video survey?
You can show the surveyor your home as it is. Open cupboards and wardrobes so they can assess the contents. If you’ve already packed some cartons, count them, note their outside dimensions and point them out separately so the same belongings are counted only once.
Can I get an estimate if I’m still deciding what furniture to take?
Yes. Ask for a main inventory covering the items you are sure about, then identify the pieces you might add. In the London-to-Toronto example, showing the second sofa separately gives the family a useful figure to revisit once they know the size of their new living room.
Does a three-bedroom home need its own shipping container?
Bedroom count alone cannot settle that question. Two households in identical houses can ship very different volumes. The surveyor needs to assess the packed inventory, the shape of the largest pieces, the route and available shipping services before advising on container options.
What if another company estimates a different volume?
Ask both movers for the inventory and the assumptions behind the figure. Start with the biggest pieces, the carton allowance and any loft or garage contents. Then check whether either estimate includes goods you marked as undecided. It is much easier to explain a difference room by room than by comparing two totals.
How can I check an overseas moving company before paying a deposit?
If a mover advertises membership of the International Association of Movers (IAM), look up its trading name in the IAM directory and compare the listed name and location with your quotation. Before paying a deposit, ask the mover to confirm in writing who will receive your payment, which company will arrange delivery abroad and whether your deposit is refundable if you cancel.
How much does it cost to move a three-bedroom house overseas from the UK?
A meaningful price needs the destination, packed volume and services at both homes. In the Toronto example, the same three-bedroom house produces two credible estimates, 24 m³ and 21 m³, depending on which furniture travels. Give each mover the revised list and request a total for packing, transport and delivery inside your new home. If you are budgeting before the survey, ask which details the mover still needs before it can confirm the price.
Will packing my own belongings reduce the price?
Ask for the owner's packing policy for your particular route before buying materials. The mover may need to inspect, repack or inventory your cartons, and the terms of cover may differ for owner-packed contents. If you want professionals to pack the kitchen and artwork but prefer to handle linen yourself, describe that split during the survey. Ask what it saves after cartons, collection and any inspection work have been allowed for.
Is it worth shipping a sofa or buying another one after arrival?
Ask the mover to price the inventory twice, once with the sofa and once without it. Compare the difference with the delivered price of a suitable replacement and any proceeds from selling yours in the UK. Measure the new home's entrance, internal corners and lift as well as the space in the living room. A sofa that fits the room but needs a specialist lift to reach it changes the calculation.
What does door-to-door delivery include on an international move?
Door-to-door describes collection and delivery addresses. Your quotation should describe what the crew will do when they arrive. For a dining table, that could mean carrying the protected pieces inside, removing the wrapping, fitting the legs and placing the table in the dining room. For kitchen cartons, it could mean stacking them in the kitchen or unpacking their contents onto a worktop. Specify the finish you want for each.
How do I plan storage if my overseas home is not ready?
Ask for the weekly charge, how the mover measures the space you use and what it costs to put the goods into storage and take them out. Request a total for a realistic period, such as four weeks, including onward delivery. If you might need your desk or children's beds earlier, raise that before packing. Retrieving individual pieces may involve locating and opening several storage units.
Is the quoted transit time measured from packing day?
Check the starting and finishing points in writing. A sailing estimate can start when the vessel departs and finish when it reaches port. Your family also needs to allow for the interval after UK collection and the arrangements between arrival and home delivery. Ask for those stages separately. That makes it easier to decide how long to keep furnished accommodation and when to book the building's lift.
What protection should I ask about for valuable furniture or artwork?
Show the surveyor each piece and explain how it is made. A stone tabletop, glazed picture and upholstered chair may need different packing even if their values are similar. Ask for the packing or crating price separately from the terms for loss or damage. Before booking, check the valuation basis, limits, excess and reporting deadline. Keep photographs and the agreed valuation somewhere you can access while the shipment is in transit.
How can I keep the final moving bill close to the quotation?
Send changes as soon as you know them and ask for a revised written total. Mention the extra bookcase from a relative, a change from a house to a third-floor flat, or a delay in getting the keys. Keep the latest quote, inventory and confirmed services together. On packing day, walk through the property with the crew leader and identify anything that must stay before wrapping begins.
Arrange a survey for your household move
Have your UK collection postcode, destination city and preferred dates to hand. Make a short list of furniture you’re undecided about and let us know if delivery access is still to be confirmed. During your free Reloux video survey, we’ll walk through the rooms with you and use the belongings you plan to take as the basis for your quotation.
