FAQ

A moving insurance is really recommended, especially for international removals. Moving accidents like broken chinaware, water damage can happen. Even if you hired the best moving company, you want to make sure that your goods are protected against damage and loss. Consider it a financial protection for a worst-case scenario. 

When moving abroad, you want to make sure that you have the proper documents and necessary information to be able to enter the host country. In addition to a copy of your passport and visa, you will also need an inventory of the goods being shipped. Depending on the country you are moving to, you will need more specific documents. For more info about import documents per country, check out our blog post.

The cost of an international move depends on a few criteria/variables.

• The size of the move. Do you intent to take all your household goods including furniture? Or are you moving to a furnished accommodation and only taking your personal belongings like clothes? Depending on how much you want to take with you, the budget will also increase or decrease. 
• Destination. It won't come as a surprise but moving across the street will be less expensive that an Intra-European move or overseas move. The greater the distance, the more complex and expensive a move will be. So moving to Canada or Australia for example, would be a bigger cost than moving to France. 
• Services. Another decisive factor is which services you would like to use. Do you only want to move your belongings abroad, or do you want additional services like storage, pet relocation, handyman service (to prepare for the exit survey) or electrician services (fordismantling and connecting light fixtures and chandeliers etc). These additional services will have an impact on the price.

If it is your first time moving internationally, you better take your time to do some careful research. After all, your moving company is shipping some of your most valuable items abroad. Your choice for an international moving partner depends also on the goods that you want to ship, the budget you have available and the level of service you expect. Depending on what your answer on these items is, the choice of a moving company might differ. 

The best way to choose an international moving company is via a personal recommendation of a friend, a neighbor or an acquaintance who has recently moved. Another option would be via an Internet review. The best is to consult objective platforms such as Google Reviews or Sirelo. If you relocate internationally on a regular basis, you know after a while which partner is best for you so you do not have to do the whole research again.

A pre-move survey is the best way to obtain information to prepare a removal quote. It is not only a way to show us your items, it is also a perfect moment to understand the moving service, schedule the moving dates, understand the customs documents and answer all your questions related to your upcoming international relocation. 

If you can choose your international moving period, it would be recommended to avoid the summer period. This is peak season in the international removal industry. Therefore, moving companies will have much more capacity from mid September to the end of May. The same applies to the end of each month. Since lease contracts expire then, this is the most desirable time to move each month. 

When choosing your pack dates, try not to squeeze the number of days. Allowing the packing crew 2-3 days instead of 1 day, will not increase the price. The only thing that will increase is your stress level.

Quality is the thread of our story. You will therefore find this quality in several aspects of our service:

• Direct communication: we try to establish a real partnership with our clients by communicating directly with them and establishing an inter-dependent relationship. 
• Continious improvement: we understand that quality must be constantly reviewed. That is why we constantly try to improve ourselves.
• Engaging employees: our employees are the core of our organisation. Making them part of the decision making process, helps them to feel connected with our customers. 

More about our commitment via this link

When moving Internationally it is important to have realistic expectations regarding the timing. International moving companies are not courier companies like DHL and Fedex and they can only offer estimated dates. There are some moving companies promising overnight deliveries or meeting dates. The one tip we want to give here is do not get fooled by companies that make such promises they can not keep.

Estimating a time of arrival depends on several factors. For example for an intra-European road shipment we need to take the driver's restrictions into consideration. When moving overseas there is other factors and stakeholders involved like the shipping line, customs...

We always try to be as transparant as possible regarding the estimated delivery. We think good communication is extremely important during an international move.

An international move can be done via road shipment, sea freight or air freight. Road shipments are the most common mode of transportation for Intra-European moves. One of the benefits of this mode of transportation is that no customs documents are needed for transport within the EU. What should be taken into account here is that the moving schedule can be affected by road works and traffic.

If you are moving overseas you can choose between an air or sea shipment. Via sea shipment you will be able to move a large volume at a reasonable price, while having a worldwide coverage. Air shipment on the other hand, is faster than sea shipment. It has more reliable departure and arrival dates, but it is also much more expensive than a sea shipment.

Compas is happy to provide you with more information about which transport option is best for you. 

A very important aspect of moving internationally is considering the restricted and prohibited items list. By violating these rules, you risk that your items are send back to the country of origin or that they are being destroyed. Depending on which country you are moving to, the rules on restricted items might differ. In our blog article, we listed 18 items not allowed to ship.

We sure will. Moreover, we do it very carefully. Professional packing and unpacking is an important part of our service. Our professional packing process consists of the following items: 

• We avoid any damages on your property by using floor protection
• We use a packing app to keep track of the inventory
• We use special styrofoam insulating cartons to avoid that your alcohol goes bad
• With our tailor-made crates, we ensure that your valuable items stay in excellent condition

Just before you move internationally, you should carefully consider which items you want to take to the new country and which items you want to sell, give to charity, or put in storage. We can help you find a good balance in this.