Need a bit of help please.
Have to move contents for a three bedroomed house from just outside Swindon to South west France, and I wonder if anyone in the haulage trade can answer me some questions.
Firstly I have approx 24 cubic metres of stuff - according to some spreadhseet I downloaded yesterday, thus I'm going to need a bigger van than a LWB sprinter (capacity 13 cubic metres), what's the biggest van I can hire on a car licence (I've been told 7.5 tonne box van) and if so anybody got any idea of their loading capacity?
If it's less than 25m3 I'm going to have to hire 2 LWB sprinters and the BIL and me will have to go in convoy. Priced this option up yesterday (hiring the vans for a week) and it will cost about £1k, Norfolk Line only £88 per van return in the middle of August. Cheapest anybody has quoted for someone else to do it is £1.5k, but have to add on flights/car hire if three of us don't travel down in the vans(s), which means an all up cost of about £2.3k.
Would really appreciate any good advice on this subject - thanks
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A 7.5 T lorry will probably have at least 20 ft long x 8ft wide x 9.5 high box = about 40m3 = more than enough! Prob also available w tail-lift - could be usefull. Ins to France would cost extra. Try yellow pages ....
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7.5T on a car license is fine so long as you passed your test a few years ago .... new rules came in about 2-3 years back for passes since then, but you look old enough to me!
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yell.com or save ringing round use this search on here
www.hirecomparison.com/van-hire/
it gave me prices straight away
Althought you will have to contact them to find out about insurance to france ,,But if you leave them with your credit card details or a big enough deposit they should oblige.
good luck Rich
Edited by rickstar on 05/02/2013 at 21:56
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If you can find any way at all to get the cash together to get movers to do it for you, do it. Sell the dog, take in washing, write begging letters in the name of a Nigerian finance minister, anything. It's really, really worth it on a long move like that. If it's really too expensive (not just more expensive than you like the sound of) then try selling furniture and stuff before you move, then buy new when you're there. That way you could get a smaller van and your house will be more "French." Professional movers are worth every penny.
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I moved from just outside Swindon to Surrey-Hants border 9 years ago. Try a certain local removal-haulage company that shoulD be Goodenough for you (hope they are still in business).
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Yokel - thanks for the advice - ChrisR - point taken except we've already bought furniture for this house (2nd home), so we can't sell and rebuy over there. IvorE - Goodenough yard about 1 mile from me so I'll give them a try.
Thanks for advice so far, one more question does anybody know if a 7.5t vehicle is charged as a HGV on the autoroutes and if so what's the charges % difference to a car?
Cheers
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Just moved a friend to the Dordogne, into retirement there. We sold or skipped all the bulky stuff and he's been replacing it in France -- not new but from the salerooms. They have them there as well!
What was worth taking went into a Luton.
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Having moved house to oz and back again, then I can only echo the responses about getting the professionals involved...it was only £2k to move approx 30cubic metres of belongings door to door including all the packing, and unpacking, moving heavy furniture and included insurance. Mind you not a single breakage despite the entire contents of the kitchen being boxed up in under an hour.
StarGazer
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iam in the industry,
whenever we llok at this type of job, we usually do the following
smaller bits that you need instantly we airfreight door to door,
things that you know youll need straight away, clothes docs,small amount of crockery, tools, that sort of thing,
most removal firms will tell you that they have regular departures to that part of the world when in fact its clubbed together and sent out, you could hirea van, with a tail lift but in my experience, they are usually out, and hard to get hold of as most firms want them for shop delieveries,
one removal firm i do get in touch wih is 01270 212610
hunts reomvals, i have nothing whatsoever to do with them but they use my business and i have used theirs, also moved afriend of a friend and they were delighted, its an old fashioned firm, but very good, dont be put off by being in crewe they will be able to do it.
good luck (bon chaunce)
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Quite a coincidence this, was talking to a guy at work today who has bought a holiday home in Spain and he is doing the exact same as you.
He has got all the quotes etc and has finally settled on doing it himself. He has hired a 7.5 tonne from a big named company that for the life of me, I can't remember their name!! Think its big yellow lorries and I am sure they have featured in some film my wife watches! Anyway, my point is he did all the reasearch for weeks before working out that this way was going to be substantially cheaper! Apparently you don't need a tacho if it is for private use?
Also, another thought is if you are not going to fill it, you could advertise somewhere if someone wants to share the cost or if someone wants you to transport something for them?
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A 7.5t would probably be able to take all your stuff, But check what size box it has on the back (they vary in length and height), most will have an unladen weight of about 4.5t so will carry 3t of goods. Watch the height!! You will not need a tacho disc if it is for private use, but I would still put one in as the French Police arent the most forgiving!!! If you do use a tacho make sure you you stick to the tacho regs, Makes sense for safety point of view as well. (4.5 hours driving then 45 minute break then 4.5 hours driving then a 11 hour break, then start again)Also look into the commercial vehicle driving bans that apply to France on weekends and bank holidays, not sure if it applies to 7.5t but would save you getting caught out!!!
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Thanks all for the useful advice - looks like a DIY job after all.
Truckersunite - appreciate info on tacho. Sounds like a good way to avoid trouble with the gendarmes.
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Paul, rental company was Ryder.
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Quick update - managed to find a removal firm who can do it for net cost £100 higher than BIL and me - no brainer really, leave it to them as prevoius posters advised. BobbyG did try Ryder - but v.expensive.
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Is it only the house contents that you are moving, is there anything that could be classed as commercial or bussiness? As it might end up cheaper taking a smaller van that is still within passenger diemsnions and do the route a couple of times, they have Dover-Claais crossings for £25 return these days. If you havent got the time or energy, then I would suggest you contact a price comparison website before booking directly as have found sometimes they give better quotes. I was booking a DFDS Dover-Dunkerque with my Caddy which is near enough the size of a car and went through xxxx who told me when its cheaoer to go and gave me passenger rates, Gave the exact same details for a quote directly to DFDS who insisted it was freight and therefore a lot more expensive. Just have a look around before you book at the first place you look as most cheap ferry tickets are non refundable anyway, unless you pay for a flexi fare which makes the difference significant in the first place..
(Edit - attempt at free plug removed.)
Edited by Avant on 05/02/2013 at 22:10
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Seeing as he posted in 2005, I would kind of hoped he'd made the journey by now.....
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Its a plug for an agency. You can nearly always buy direct from the operator cheaper than from this company plus you have the opportunity to change your ticket .
(Edit: Not any more it isn't. Thanks Collos - I missed that one when it was first posted!)
Edited by Avant on 05/02/2013 at 22:12
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Moving a house to France is one hell of a logistical challenge.
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It can be done - although I wouldn't recommend trying it with a mid-terrace house.... :)
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Where's your aspiration Avant?!
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If I had that, I'd be Havant.
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I can recommend Hunts of Crewe as well, they moved all my gear plus kitcar to Spain some years ago. Very good
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Moving a house to France is one hell of a logistical challenge.
No doubt HJ can recommend a suitable tow car.....
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In house moving the most important thing is that the safety of house and all moving stuff during relocation. So in this regard xxxx giving their best moving services since many years to make your house moving so easy and safe. Our Professionals are much trained and they can give you house, Office, Student, and building removals services in easy price. So that if you want to move your house just give us a single call to hire our relocation services. You can obtain secure and safe moving services with our professionals.
Edited by Avant on 19/08/2015 at 19:15
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In house moving the most important thing is that the safety of house and all moving stuff during relocation. So in this regard xxxx giving their best moving services since many years to make your house moving so easy and safe. Our Professionals are much trained and they can give you house, Office, Student, and building removals services in easy price. So that if you want to move your house just give us a single call to hire our relocation services. You can obtain secure and safe moving services with our professionals.
If you need to advertise on here then you must offer a very poor service. Certainly one to ignore.
Edited by Avant on 19/08/2015 at 19:15
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...plus their website does not give a street address (as well as other 'official' company details [companies house reg. no., etc]), which, if I recall, is against the law these days.
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"if you want to move your house..."
Illiterate as well as spam. Most of us move the contents rather than the house.
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