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Packing is not an add-on to an international move, it is part of the specification, and the level you choose changes the price, the survey and, most importantly, what your insurance covers. There are three levels and the differences between them are worth understanding before you pick one.
A full pack means the crew brings the materials and packs everything, usually the day before collection. A part pack means they handle the fragile and awkward items, china, glass, pictures, lamps, and you do the books and clothes. Owner packed means you do all of it and the crew loads sealed cartons they have not seen inside.
That last option is where people get caught. Cartons you packed yourself are frequently excluded from cover for internal damage, because no surveyor witnessed what went in or how. The goods are still covered against the container being lost or the vehicle overturning. They are often not covered if a glass inside a box you sealed arrives broken. Ask the question before you decide, not afterwards.
International Removals Companies is a free enquiry service. It does not carry out removals and does not operate vehicles. Your details go to one vetted moving company from the AGM Group network, agm.group, and that firm surveys the move and quotes it. Ask them what their packing levels actually cover, because moving companies define them differently.
A full pack costs more in labour and materials and saves you several days of work, and it keeps everything inside the insurance. It is the usual choice for a full household going a long distance, particularly where the destination has a customs relief application that needs an accurate packing list.
Owner packing saves money and suits people with time and few fragile items. If you take it, pack properly rather than adequately: fill voids so nothing moves, do not overload cartons, label by room and contents, and keep a list. A carton that arrives intact but rattling was packed badly, not handled badly.
On a sea move your goods sit in a steel box for weeks and cross temperature swings that turn the air inside the container to water on the walls. Domestic wrapping does not survive that. Export packing wraps for moisture as well as impact: upholstery in sealed bags rather than blankets, moisture barriers on timber, crating rather than padding for anything with a glass panel.
Export packing and domestic packing are two different prices for two different jobs, so ask which standard your quote is written to before you weigh one firm against another.
The two phrases describe the same trade. Packers and movers is the usual wording across South and South East Asia, removal company is the British equivalent, and international movers and packers means a firm equipped for export packing and overseas shipping rather than local work. That last distinction is a real one and worth asking about.
Cartons packed and sealed by you are commonly excluded from cover for internal damage, because nobody surveyed the contents. External events remain covered. Get the exact wording from whoever is providing the cover rather than assuming, because the difference only matters after something breaks.
Blanket wrap suits ordinary furniture. Antiques, marble tops, glass, mirrors, artwork and instruments are better crated, which is built at the time of packing and has to be in the quote rather than added later. Declare values at the same time.
Whoever packs, there should be a numbered inventory. It is what a customs authority expects to see, what an insurer works from, and what you check against on delivery. For destinations offering a customs relief on used household goods, the packing list is part of the application.
Moving money is part of moving house. Currency exchange comes as part of the service through trusted partners, and it is worth raising on the enquiry form rather than sorting out afterwards.
Send your UK collection address, your destination, and a rough inventory. Your enquiry goes to a single vetted firm from our network who covers both. They contact you, survey the move and confirm the quote.
Get your free quoteUnpacking is usually a separate line on the quote and it is worth pricing even if you decline it. A full unpack means the crew opens cartons, places contents on flat surfaces and removes all the packing material the same day. Without it you are left with a room of cardboard to dispose of in a country whose recycling rules you have not learned yet.
Partial unpacking is common: the crew deals with kitchen and fragile boxes, you do the rest at your own pace. Say which you want at the enquiry stage, because it affects both crew time and the number of people sent.
Network moving companies hold FIDI FAIM certification, which is independently audited by Ernst & Young, alongside memberships including BAR Overseas, IAM, EUROMOVERS and FEDEMAC.
For the current UK position on taking personal belongings abroad, and on customs paperwork at the UK end, check HM Revenue and Customs. Destination requirements are set by the receiving country and differ considerably.
A full pack means the crew supplies all materials and packs everything, usually the day before collection. A part pack means they handle fragile and awkward items such as china, glass, pictures and lamps, and you pack the straightforward things like books and clothes. The choice affects price, crew time and what your insurance covers.
Often not for internal damage. Cartons packed and sealed by the owner are commonly excluded, because nobody surveyed what went in or how it was protected. External events such as the vehicle overturning generally remain covered. Get the exact wording before deciding, because it only matters once something has broken.
In practice, no. Packers and movers is the usual phrase across South and South East Asia for what British customers call a removal company. International movers and packers means a firm equipped for export packing and overseas shipping rather than local moves, which is a real distinction and worth asking about.
On a full or part pack, yes. Cartons, tissue, bubble wrap, tape, wardrobe boxes and protective covers are included and brought on the day. On an owner packed move you buy your own, and most firms will sell you materials in advance if you ask.
Antiques, marble and stone tops, glass, mirrors, artwork and musical instruments. Crating is built at the time of packing and costs more, so it has to be in the original quote rather than added later. Declare the value at the same time so cover is arranged properly.
Yes, and the difference matters on a sea move. Goods sit in a steel container for weeks and the air inside condenses on the walls, so export packing wraps for moisture as well as impact. Upholstery goes into sealed bags rather than blankets and timber gets a moisture barrier. Ask which standard your quote is written to.
Usually it is quoted separately. A full unpack means cartons opened, contents placed out and all packing material removed the same day, which is worth more than people expect when you are new to a country and do not yet know the disposal rules. Partial unpacking is a common middle option.
How collection works when you are not near a depot, and what a local survey involves.
The destinations covered, and how sea, road and air options differ on a household move.
A worked example of a road freight route, with the customs and access detail that changes a quote.
A free enquiry service. We do not carry out removals. Your enquiry goes to one vetted moving company from the AGM Group network, agm.group, that covers your route.