# Removals



## bernice34 (Nov 3, 2010)

Hi,
Looking for any advice for moving furniture down to Spain, We are moving to the Javea area at the end of March , We are thinking of hiring a Van then driving ourselves down, Any advice ? Also with that in mind I am hoping that we might be able to find someone who wants to come back to the UK and they can drive the van back thus sharing the costs. Any advice on how I can advertise this somewhere ? 

Thank for any help
Bernicelane:


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

If you value your furniture and household effects, best to use professionals.
We have used Pickfords and AGS.
Not cheap, but you do get a professional service and your goods and chattels do arrive intact.....


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## bernice34 (Nov 3, 2010)

Thank you...to be honest I think the cost of hiring a company to move us is probably more than our furniture is worth....We are big Ikea fans so it's all basic stuff !!

I will get some quotes and way up the advantages and disadvantages

Cheers for the advice 
Bernice


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

bernice34 said:


> Thank you...to be honest I think the cost of hiring a company to move us is probably more than our furniture is worth....We are big Ikea fans so it's all basic stuff !!
> 
> I will get some quotes and way up the advantages and disadvantages
> 
> ...


I agree with Mary. Movers International of Preston are also a good firm. I used them and I know others who have, and they pack big items very well and were fantastic. They carefully packed all the big items, including my 52" telly which I was scared to send, but everything was delivered without a single mark on it. 

Regardless of the value of your furniture, the cost to run a van, fuel, tolls, and of course the hassle really needs to be carefully calculated. If you don´t have much and are not in a majoy hurry then enquire about part loads and you may be surprised how little it can cost to use a professional firm. 

Avoid _some _of the "man with van" type firms though, as Mary said... always worth paying a little extra and being able to relax and know your stuff is cared for.. and of course insured for all risks! Even if it is lower value items, it still costs to replace if they get smashed up. A friend of mine recently used a small firm who offered a quote, then on delivery in spain said the weight was more than they thought and demanded another 200€ before they would deliver it and stuff was damaged!


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## owdoggy (Jul 23, 2008)

Try these guys .https://www.way2gohire.com/home/
They do a one way hire & the good thing for you is that their drop off point in Spain is Javea.

We used them a couple of years ago & would recommend them.


:yo:




Doggy


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

We used the cheapest quote firm when we moved from the UK to Prague. Big mistake. We didn't know that they sub-contracted to a Czech firm - lowest tender, I presume - who were a nightmare.
They forgot to deliver on the day promised and slashed at the packing of leather sofas with box cutters (as well as having serious personal hygiene issues, a not uncommon failing in the CR).
No way is our furniture Chippendale or whatever but it's good, middle-of-the-road stuff and it was bought to last for a long time and we thought that having our familiar things around us would help us settle in easier, which it did.
It's also pleasant to just make pots of tea for the helpful and sweet-smelling guys who are busily wrapping your household goods and chattels rather than doing it yourself.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> It's also pleasant to just make pots of tea for the helpful and sweet-smelling guys who are busily wrapping your household goods and chattels rather than doing it yourself.


oh i know !  
make a pot of tea and watch the men work!  worth every penny!!


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## bernice34 (Nov 3, 2010)

Thanks so much for all your input, have now sent out for several quotes so lets see what they come back with !

Just so you know its chucking it down here and miserable !! Can't wait to start our new lives in Spain

Bernice


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

bernice34 said:


> Thanks so much for all your input, have now sent out for several quotes so lets see what they come back with !
> 
> Just so you know its chucking it down here and miserable !! Can't wait to start our new lives in Spain
> 
> Bernice


Last week it was chucking it down here with an intensity I've never experienced in the UK.
It rains very hard and quite often from late November to late March/early February here and although it stays fairly mild down here on the coast it can be bitterly cold with frost and snow just a few km inland.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

bernice34 said:


> Thanks so much for all your input, have now sent out for several quotes so lets see what they come back with !
> 
> Just so you know its chucking it down here and miserable !! Can't wait to start our new lives in Spain
> 
> Bernice




Last week in Spain my pipes froze!!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

MaidenScotland said:


> Last week in Spain my pipes froze!!


no - one ever believes how cold & wet it can be here - or that Spain usually has snow before (and after) the UK!!


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## ajacko (Jan 6, 2011)

*moving costs*



bernice34 said:


> Thank you...to be honest I think the cost of hiring a company to move us is probably more than our furniture is worth....We are big Ikea fans so it's all basic stuff !!
> 
> I will get some quotes and way up the advantages and disadvantages
> 
> ...


Bernice - I'd think twice before going to the expense of driving your stuff down. We spent a few thousand when we came but I reckon we could have bought most of everything new. There 's an IKEA in Murcia and I believe they deliver up here (only aa few hours drive). 

Otherwise, if you want to bring your things out, you can get cheap shipping with a lot of companies that have trucks coming and going on a regular basis. Try the bidding web site - i think it's called Shipley - where shippers bid for your business! good luck.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

ajacko said:


> Bernice - I'd think twice before going to the expense of driving your stuff down. We spent a few thousand when we came but I reckon we could have bought most of everything new. There 's an IKEA in Murcia and I believe they deliver up here (only aa few hours drive).
> 
> Otherwise, if you want to bring your things out, you can get cheap shipping with a lot of companies that have trucks coming and going on a regular basis. Try the bidding web site - i think it's called Shipley - where shippers bid for your business! good luck.


I agree with the first paragraph but not the second.
If our furniture had been IKEA type we wouldn't have transported it around Europe.
But taking the lowest bid is not always the most sensible course for anything, whether removal firms, garages, whatever.
There is nearly always a good reason why A is cheaper than B. Unskilled casual employees are cheaper than those with skills and experience. Clapped-out old trucks are less reliable than newer, purpose built vehicles.
In the end, it all depends on how much you value the things you wish to transport and how much you want/can afford to spend.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> I agree with the first paragraph but not the second.
> If our furniture had been IKEA type we wouldn't have transported it around Europe.
> But taking the lowest bid is not always the most sensible course for anything, whether removal firms, garages, whatever.
> There is nearly always a good reason why A is cheaper than B. Unskilled casual employees are cheaper than those with skills and experience. Clapped-out old trucks are less reliable than newer, purpose built vehicles.
> In the end, it all depends on how much you value the things you wish to transport and how much you want/can afford to spend.


:clap2: Well said Mary, as always!!!


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

From someone who was in the internationsl transport industry most of his life:


You may get good recommendations for some removers, doesnt mean you will get a good service. I have heard terrible reports of Pickfords. I have heard good reports of one man operations. Big organisations often subcontract or use different teams. Not all are good.

I bought my stuff down in a long wheel base Luton van. It will take you two days, and the round trip will cost you £1500 or thereabouts including fuel, rental, ferries and tolls.. You know where your stuff is, and if you pack it well it wont get damaged. It also arrives just when you want it to.

Alternatively there are a couple of one way van hire companies. So you can collect the van in the UK and deliver it to the depot in Spain. One of the van companies is situated in Javea. https://www.way2gohire.com/home/

Given the choice, that would be mine. Your furniture and you moved to Spain in one go at one cost.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

steve_in_spain said:


> :clap2: Well said Mary, as always!!!



So, after years of spending all our money in Spain, our next move will most likely involve rope, canvas bags or sacks, a cart and a donkey.....


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Stravinsky said:


> From someone who was in the internationsl transport industry most of his life:
> 
> 
> You may get good recommendations for some removers, doesnt mean you will get a good service. I have heard terrible reports of Pickfords. I have heard good reports of one man operations. Big organisations often subcontract or use different teams. Not all are good.
> ...


I hear what you say and of course you are quite right: just because a well-known company has a 'good' reputation doesn't mean you'll automatically get good service, just as some small operators will go out of their way to give good service and establish a quality reputation.
I can only comment on our own experiences.
As for DIY...great if you are a big strong man like you! I am a weak, helpless woman! I rather enjoyed sitting watching big strong men pack my china and other stuff -I was amused when they shyly suggested I might like to sort out my own underwear drawer - and I really enjoyed watching them cart sofas, beds, sideboards etc. while I watched the tv they thoughtfully left to last.
I'm afraid it's a case of once bitten twice shy and we have just got round to replacing the leather sofas ruined by the careless application of boxcutters. No point in making an insurance claim as we found we were dealing with Czech subcontractors.
But I accept that such mistakes can be made by anyone.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> I hear what you say and of course you are quite right: just because a well-known company has a 'good' reputation doesn't mean you'll automatically get good service, just as some small operators will go out of their way to give good service and establish a quality reputation.
> I can only comment on our own experiences.
> As for DIY...great if you are a big strong man like you! I am a weak, helpless woman! I rather enjoyed sitting watching big strong men pack my china and other stuff -I was amused when they shyly suggested I might like to sort out my own underwear drawer - and I really enjoyed watching them cart sofas, beds, sideboards etc. while I watched the tv they thoughtfully left to last.
> I'm afraid it's a case of once bitten twice shy and we have just got round to replacing the leather sofas ruined by the careless application of boxcutters. No point in making an insurance claim as we found we were dealing with Czech subcontractors.
> But I accept that such mistakes can be made by anyone.


you've never met Stravinsky have you














sorry Strav


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

mrypg9 said:


> I hear what you say and of course you are quite right: just because a well-known company has a 'good' reputation doesn't mean you'll automatically get good service, just as some small operators will go out of their way to give good service and establish a quality reputation.
> I can only comment on our own experiences.
> As for DIY...great if you are a big strong man like you! I am a weak, helpless woman! I rather enjoyed sitting watching big strong men pack my china and other stuff -I was amused when they shyly suggested I might like to sort out my own underwear drawer - and I really enjoyed watching them cart sofas, beds, sideboards etc. while I watched the tv they thoughtfully left to last.
> I'm afraid it's a case of once bitten twice shy and we have just got round to replacing the leather sofas ruined by the careless application of boxcutters. No point in making an insurance claim as we found we were dealing with Czech subcontractors.
> But I accept that such mistakes can be made by anyone.


you've never met Mary LOL





Sorry Mary 


Jo xxx


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

xabiachica said:


> you've never met Stravinsky have you?
> 
> 
> sorry Strav



Err......no....but I have a mental image..... Tall, early fifties, quite muscular...
Whatever, he's extremely helpful...


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

jojo said:


> you've never met Mary LOL
> 
> 
> 
> ...


this is very un-mod-like behaviour


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

jojo said:


> you've never met Mary LOL
> 
> 
> 
> ...





Well, I'm a bit out of me usual sorts today....


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

xabiachica said:


> this is very un-mod-like behaviour


But it's amusing and is a part of what makes this the friendliest, most interesting and most informative expats site of them all!!
And we get good debates going on all sorts of topics.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> you've never met Stravinsky have you
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'll have you know I am currently now in heavy training, building muscles where I didnt know I had them ......... in preparation for a short cycle ride for charity later in the year from Lands End to John O Groats!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Stravinsky said:


> I'll have you know I am currently now in heavy training, building muscles where I didnt know I had them ......... in preparation for a short cycle ride for charity later in the year from Lands End to John O Groats!


Er.... I know someone who cycled the whole of the UK looking at football grounds with no preparation at all!!!

Seriously tho, good for you. Keep us posted, which charity?


Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Stravinsky said:


> I'll have you know I am currently now in heavy training, building muscles where I didnt know I had them ......... in preparation for a short cycle ride for charity later in the year from Lands End to John O Groats!


I still reckon you need your bumps read!!!



have you got this many?















when do you start & when do you start begging for sposors?


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