You've made up your mind: you're moving abroad. Whether you're moving for personal or professional reasons, you'll undoubtedly have to manage the transfer of all or part of your personal belongings. And given all the preparations and administrative formalities to be undertaken, it's in your best interest to entrust these operations to a professional. But what information do you need to pass on to the removal company in order to draw up an estimate? And what should be included in the price quote for an international move? To save time, take stock of what's expected before contacting any service providers to request a quote.
As in all service professions, requesting an estimate is an essential step if you wish to call on the services of a removal company. A quotation is obligatory and completely free of charge. It enables the customer and the professional to agree on the service to be provided, and on a costed estimate.
To draw up an estimate, a removal company first needs to know :
You also need to specify whether you are moving to a private residence or a company. The conditions for intervention are not at all the same in both cases.
But as you can imagine, the volume of items to be moved and the distance to be covered won't be enough to give you an accurate estimate of the costs involved.
A move is in fact a tailor-made service whose rates can vary significantly according to different criteria such as :
It is therefore necessary to plan an on-site visit to enable the removal company to refine its proposal and draw up an estimate perfectly suited to your needs.
In the case of expatriation, you can also specify whether your employer will cover the cost of the move. With certain "key account" customers, we sometimes work under a framework agreement for the benefit of employees.
To be complete, the quotation must detail the services offered and define the terms and conditions of acceptance.
First of all, the quotation must include the technical details of your project:
A technical description must also be included in the sales proposal, so that you can understand exactly what is included in the service.
Depending on the removal package chosen, the sales proposal may include :
When you read the estimate, you need to know exactly what the removal company is responsible for, and what it is not, which you will have to pay for yourself. Additional services may be offered as optional extras, if the company sees fit to specify them.
Of course, the quotation must also state the total price of the service and the terms of payment. General terms and conditions of sale may also be attached to the quote, providing additional information.
Take the time to analyze the various proposals in detail, so you can fully understand them. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask for clarification and additional references to help you make your choice.
The estimate is first and foremost an exchange document between the moving company and its customer. It must be as precise as possible to help you fully understand the service and its cost. The aim is then to be able to offer you a quote tailored to your needs. During this preliminary stage, you can always ask for changes to refine the service. Once you've chosen your mover and the offer best suited to your needs, the duly signed estimate must be returned to the service provider for validation. It then serves as the contractual document for the payment of the deposit. Final payment is usually made at the end of the service.
To find out more about our international moving services and to obtain a quote, please contact us using the dedicated form. You can also make use of our furniture storage services to store your furniture while you get organized in your destination country.