Frequently asked questions

Price depends on volume, access and how much packing you want, so we quote after a free survey rather than over the phone. A surveyor measures the load in cubic metres, checks the lift and parking, and gives you a fixed written price. That way the number you are given on day one is the number you pay.

Yes, though many buildings restrict moving on Friday afternoons and during public holidays, and some ban it outright. We check your building's rules when we survey. Where a weekend slot is allowed, expect it to cost more than the equivalent weekday slot because crews are on premium hours.

Goods are covered while they are in our vehicles and in our crew's hands. Cover levels and exclusions differ by the type of move and the declared value, so ask your surveyor to confirm in writing what applies to your job before you sign. Items you pack yourself are generally treated differently from items our crew packs.

Yes. A gap between a move-out and a move-in is one of the most common reasons people use our warehouse. Goods are inventoried on the way in, stored on racking rather than on the floor, and released on the date you give us. Short gaps of a week or two are billed differently from long-term storage.

Yes, and it is included rather than an extra. Beds, wardrobes, dining tables and office desks are dismantled at the origin and rebuilt at the destination. Fittings are bagged and taped to the piece they belong to, which is the step that stops a wardrobe arriving without its shelf pins.

Two weeks is comfortable for a normal weekday move. Book earlier for the end of a month, the end of a school term and the weeks around Ramadan and the summer exodus, when demand rises sharply. If your building needs a service lift booking, that lead time usually matters more than ours.

Sea freight to Europe typically runs four to six weeks door to door, to India and Pakistan two to four, and to the GCC a few days by road. Air freight is five to ten days almost anywhere. The sailing itself is only part of it: packing, clearance at both ends and final delivery add roughly two weeks to any sea move.

Often not. Most countries allow used household effects in duty-free under transfer-of-residence rules, provided you have lived abroad for a qualifying period and the goods are genuinely used and owned by you. New items still in their packaging, alcohol and vehicles are usually treated separately and may attract duty regardless.

Yes. Small shipments go as shared container space or as air freight, priced on the volume you actually use. For loads under about two cubic metres air freight is often competitive with sea once you account for the port and handling charges that apply to any sea shipment regardless of size.

Yes, through partner agents in the destination country. They clear the shipment, deliver to your address, unpack if you have booked that, and remove the packing debris. You deal with us throughout rather than being handed to a stranger once the container sails.

Flammable liquids, gas cylinders, aerosols, paint, fireworks and ammunition are refused everywhere. Beyond that each country has its own list: some prohibit drones or satellite phones, several restrict alcohol, and a few control printed material and religious items. We flag anything on your inventory that will cause a problem before it is packed.

Marine transit cover is offered separately from the freight price and is priced on the declared value of the goods. It is worth taking: standard carrier liability on an international move is limited by weight, not by what an item is actually worth, and that gap is where most disputes happen.

A single carton by air or a single pallet by sea. Below about one cubic metre the fixed port and handling charges dominate the cost, so air freight is often the better value even though the per-kilo rate looks higher.

Yes. We collect from suppliers, free zones and warehouses across the UAE, consolidate multiple pickups into one shipment where it helps, and issue a single set of documents for the consolidated cargo.

Yes, by sea to the nearest port and onward by road, or by air direct. Onward inland transport is quoted separately because it depends on the border crossings and the road distance from the discharge port.

Yes. Sea shipments are tracked by container and bill of lading number, air shipments by air waybill. We send the reference once the cargo is loaded and confirm the key milestones rather than leaving you to chase a carrier portal.

Only in a container, and only where the destination country allows it. RoRo carriers prohibit it outright. Even in a container many customs authorities treat loose items as an undeclared separate shipment, so anything inside must appear on the packing list with a value against it.

Allow two to four weeks to Europe, one to two to India or East Africa, and a few days by road within the GCC. The paperwork before departure — deregistration, finance clearance and customs — usually takes about a week and is the part people underestimate.

Not until the finance is settled and the bank issues a no-objection or clearance letter. The licensing authority will not cancel the registration while a lien is recorded against the vehicle, and without cancellation the export certificate cannot be issued.

Yes. Motorcycles are usually crated or shared into a container with other vehicles, which keeps the cost down. The same export certificate and customs process applies as for a car, and fuel tanks must be drained before loading.

Sometimes. Countries differ on headlight beam pattern, rear fog lamps, speedometer units, emissions standards and the age of vehicle they will admit at all. Several ban imports over a set age outright. Check the rule for your destination before you ship, because a non-compliant car can be refused entry.

Rarely from the UAE. Most carriers operating out of the Gulf require cats and dogs to travel as manifest cargo in a temperature-controlled hold rather than in the cabin. Assistance animals are the usual exception. We confirm the specific airline’s policy before booking rather than assuming.

Large enough for the animal to stand fully upright without its ears touching the roof, turn around completely and lie down naturally. Airlines measure this at check-in and refuse crates that fail. We size the crate from your pet’s measurements, not its breed, and recommend introducing it at home several weeks before the flight.

No. Sedation is advised against for air travel by veterinary bodies and most airlines will refuse a visibly sedated animal. At altitude a sedative can depress breathing and impair the animal’s ability to balance itself in the crate. Crate familiarisation in the weeks beforehand does far more to reduce stress than medication.

Birds, rabbits and some small mammals can be moved on certain routes, but the rules are far more restrictive and several countries prohibit them outright. Tell us the species at first contact so we can check the destination rule before you make plans around it.

The crate carries a water container accessible from outside, which ground handlers refill during any transit stop. Feeding is generally withheld shortly before departure to reduce travel sickness. On long routes with a transit we ask the handling agent to check and water the animal, and we confirm that this happened.

One month is the usual minimum because collection, inventory and racking are the same work whether goods stay four weeks or four months. Very short gaps between two tenancies are sometimes handled by keeping the load in a sealed vehicle overnight instead, which can work out cheaper.

Ask us to confirm the conditions for your specific goods before you book. Ordinary furniture tolerates a ventilated warehouse well; musical instruments, artwork, leather, electronics and documents do not, and those need climate-controlled space. Tell your surveyor what is in the load so the right area is allocated.

Storage cover is arranged separately from transit cover and is based on the declared value of what you store. Ask for the terms in writing before collection, and declare high-value items individually rather than lumping them into a general figure.

Yes. Pallets, retail stock, exhibition materials and archive boxes are stored on racking with an inventory you can be sent. Businesses that need regular in-and-out movement are placed near the loading bay so retrieval does not require moving other consignments first.

Heat treatment is the common method and is accepted everywhere ISPM 15 applies. Chemical fumigation is an alternative that some destinations still accept but others now restrict on environmental grounds. We use heat-treated timber by default and confirm the destination’s position before shipping.

Yes. For machinery that cannot be moved before it is protected, the crate is measured and built around the item on site. It costs more than a workshop build because the team and materials travel to you, but for a fixed or delicate installation it is often the only safe sequence.

Yes. The treatment certificate is issued with the shipping documents and the stamp is visible on the crate itself. Customs at the destination check the physical mark against the paperwork, so both must be present and must match.

The standard formally applies to all wood packaging in international trade, and many authorities enforce it on air consignments as well as sea. Treated timber costs little more than untreated, so we use it as standard rather than deciding case by case and risking a hold at arrival.