Moving from Abu Dhabi to the United Kingdom can be a stressful undertaking. ServiceMarket, in collaboration with the moving experts at ISS Worldwide Movers, has compiled this piece to help you get to know the different services that international movers offer and help you identify the genuine experts from fraudulent shipping companies.
What services do they offer?
On-site agent
A good international shipping company will often send an agent to survey the goods that you wish to take to the UK with you. This will allow them to give a more accurate quote and also get to know what goods need to be treated with more care. They will also send an agent to be on-site on packing day to supervise that everything is packed correctly and supervise the unpacking in UK as well.
Packing and unpacking
International moving companies will have the equipment to pack your goods in such a way that it won’t get damaged on the long haul from Abu Dhabi to the UK. The packing service may also include handling of all your appliances and help installing the items once they get to your new home.
Disassembly and assembly of furniture
Many relocation services offer disassembly of furniture in your current home (especially necessary for the larger items) and will also assemble it in your new home in the UK. This service isn’t always included in the quote though, so if make sure to look out for it when searching for a moving company.
Hoisting
Some pieces of furniture and appliances are too big to fit down the stairs or the through the doors, so some moving companies may offer hoisting (pulley) services at both your old and new homes.
Storage
Sometimes there are delays between you and your shipment arriving and your goods may need to be stored. Many international moving companies will be able to store your household goods in a warehouse of their own.
Insurance
Some international movers in Abu Dhabi do include insurance as part of their moving costs, however, it may not be comprehensive coverage. Sometimes you may need to get a additional insurance to ensure that you are covered in any scenario.
Delivery options
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- Door to door – the moving company will pack your home up, ship your goods and deliver them to your new home. The movers will take care of all the paper and customs work.
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- Port to port – you pack your belongings and transport them to the exit port in Abu Dhabi, where the moving company will then take care of shipping your goods to the entry port in the UK, where you need to arrange for pick-up.
- Door to port – the moving company will pack your home up, transport it to the exit port and ship everything to the entry port in the UK, where you need to arrange for pick-up and move the goods into your home.
These are the most common options that the international movers will offer you and the prices will vary accordingly.
Auto-shipping
Many international moving companies in Abu Dhabi also offer motorcycle and motor vehicle shipping. The company will understand the customs regulations and charges in the UK and ensure your vehicles are transported safely.
Pet relocation
There are many moving companies in Abu Dhabi that will handle the relocation of your pet to the UK at the same time as arranging the shipment of your belongings so that you don’t have to worry about trying to arrange the move with two separate companies.
How is the price calculated?
The price of your move is dependent on the weight and size of your shipment, the distance between your current home and your new home and the general labour costs. The hidden costs come in when you start considering the add-ons, such as disassembling and assembling your furniture, the moving supplies (boxes, bubble wrap, plastic bins, etc) and the cost of storage if there is a lag between your arrival in the UK and the arrival of your household goods.
Criteria for a good relocation service
When researching the different international moving companies operating in Abu Dhabi, you may be overwhelmed by the sheer number of services that are available.
Reviews and references
Google is one of the best tools available to you when researching the reliability of different relocation services. A good moving company will have a platform where clients can leave reviews and if a company has no independent reviews, this should cause some alarm. The company should also be able to provide you with references from previous (recent) clients upon your request.
The company website
There should be a company website that has up-to-date information pertaining to the process of moving to various countries. They should have a clear explanation of their services and how they can help you. A messy and disorganised website generally indicates an incompetent company that may not prove very helpful.
Office locations
To verify the company is real, they should list a location for their offices where they work out the paperwork and organise your move. Take the time to go visit the office site to verify that it really exists. A company that is based solely online may be a fraudulent company.
Customer service
When you get in touch with the company, check their response rate. Ask a lot of questions and see how well they answer your queries. If a company is unsure about any of the questions, then they probably aren’t right for you.
Breaking down the quotation
A typical relocation quote will likely include the following:
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- Estimated weight and size of shipping container needed
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- Packing and wrapping services and packing materials
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- Loading from residence
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- A complete inventory of your goods
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- Export documentation
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- Sea or air freight
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- Customs clearance
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- Destination port handling charges
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- Delivery to destination
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- Unloading at destination residence
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- Unpacking at destination
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- Placement of furniture
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- Assembly of basic furniture (i.e. bed frames, tables)
- Removal of packing materials
- Payment options and timeline
Ask the moving companies for their policies on:
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- Demurrage
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- Detention
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- Customs charges or taxes
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- Additional storage at destination
- Difficult access delivery (i.e. several flights of stairs)
- Insurance
There you have it. Everything you need to know about relocation services in Abu Dhabi. If you want further help, ServiceMarket can put you in touch with accredited international moving companies in Abu Dhabi such as ISS Worldwide Movers. They will give you quotations tailored to your specific needs for your move to the UK.
ISS Worldwide Movers is a wholly owned subsidiary of Inchcape Shipping Services, forming an integral part of its Cargo Division from six centers within the Middle East, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman. It has a long and successful history as a meticulous quality relocation provider. It prides itself on its in-house industry experts, courteous and experienced operational staff, usage of superior packing material and streamlined systems.
