Question 1

Which countries does Hayes Removals move to?

Accepted Answer

Four: France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, and nowhere else. We collect from Hayes and West London, and from elsewhere in Great Britain when quoted per job, and deliver door-to-door to an address in one of those four countries. Keeping the map small is deliberate. Each route has its own paperwork, crossings and access quirks, and we would rather know four well than many loosely. If your move is to anywhere else, we are not the right firm and we will not quote for it.

Question 2

How is an international removal quote worked out?

Accepted Answer

Every quote starts with a survey at your home. The surveyor notes the volume, anything fragile or awkward, and access at your Hayes-area address, and we ask about access at the other end too. The written quote is a single fixed figure covering packing, transport, the crossing, customs preparation, cover and delivery. What moves it: volume, distance from the Channel, access at both ends, and whether your dates allow a shared load. We don't publish prices because two moves of the same size rarely cost the same.

Question 3

Is the survey free, and do I have to book after it?

Accepted Answer

The survey costs nothing and commits you to nothing. A surveyor visits your home in Hayes, Yiewsley, West Drayton, Northolt, Southall, Hounslow or nearby, walks every room, and talks through the destination address, the paperwork and your dates. Nothing is pushed on the day. The written quote follows by email once we have reviewed the notes, and you decide in your own time whether to book.

Question 4

What customs paperwork is involved in a move from the UK to the EU?

Accepted Answer

Two parts. On the UK side, an export declaration is lodged before the lorry leaves; we or our customs agent make it, and we tell you at survey if it needs an EORI number in your own name. On the EU side, your goods are cleared into the EU once, and relief from import duty and VAT is claimed with the customs authority of the country you are moving to: the douane in France, the Agenzia delle Dogane in Italy, the Agencia Tributaria in Spain or the AT in Portugal. We prepare the declarations and a bilingual inventory.

Question 5

Do I need a ToR1 form to move abroad?

Accepted Answer

Not for a move out of the UK. ToR1 is HMRC's transfer-of-residence relief for belongings coming into the UK. When you move from Hayes to France, Italy, Spain or Portugal, the equivalent relief is claimed in the destination country, under its own name and rules, and we prepare that paperwork for you. It generally requires that you have owned and used the goods for a qualifying period and are taking up residence there. Each country's customs authority publishes the current conditions.

Question 6

Do I need an EORI number for a household move?

Accepted Answer

Possibly. An EORI number identifies whoever is responsible for a customs declaration. On many household moves the declaration is made through the remover's customs agent, but some declaration routes need an EORI number in your own name. We check this at survey and tell you clearly either way. If you do need one, it is free and you apply online through GOV.UK, so it is worth sorting early rather than close to moving day.

Question 7

Is my furniture insured while it travels?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Goods-in-transit cover runs from collection at your Hayes-area address to delivery at the new one, and the certificate is sent with your written quote so you can read the terms before you book. Fragile and high-value items, such as artwork, antiques and instruments, are listed at survey so the cover and the packing match them. Our liability and the claims process are set out in full in our terms of business.

Question 8

Can you store my belongings if the dates don't line up?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If you have to leave your Hayes home before the new place is ready, we can hold your belongings in storage at the Hayes end and deliver once you have the keys. Where the timing problem is at the other end, destination-side storage can be arranged through our partners in France, Italy, Spain or Portugal. Storage is quoted separately from the move, so you can see exactly what it adds.

Question 9

Can my belongings share a lorry with another move?

Accepted Answer

Often, if your dates have some give. A shared load, sometimes called a part load, puts your consignment on a vehicle with other households heading the same way, which can make sense for smaller moves. A dedicated load keeps the vehicle for you alone, with collection and delivery set around your dates. We explain which suits your move at survey, and the written quote states which one you are getting.

Question 10

What can't I take on an international removal?

Accepted Answer

Some things cannot travel on a removal at all: flammables such as paint, gas bottles and fuel, ammunition, and anything illegal at the destination. Others can travel but are treated differently by customs. Alcohol and tobacco sit outside transfer-of-residence relief, and plants, food and some animal products face their own controls on entering the EU. Tell us at survey about anything unusual and we will give you a clear yes or no before the quote.

Question 11

Do you collect from outside West London?

Accepted Answer

Hayes is home, and most of our surveys are across UB3, UB4 and the surrounding towns. We also collect from elsewhere in Great Britain, including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Bristol, quoted per job because the extra leg changes the plan. Multi-address collections, such as a flat plus a storage unit, are fine too; list every address on the quote form and the surveyor will plan around them.

Question 12

Do I need to be at the new property on delivery day?

Accepted Answer

Someone needs to be there to let the crew in and say where things go. It can be you, a family member or someone you trust, as long as we know who in advance. Our destination partner team gets in touch beforehand about access, parking and any building rules, and the delivery crew places furniture room by room and reassembles anything we dismantled at collection.

Moving abroad from Hayes: your questions answered.