How long do the survey takes?
Usually no more than an hour.

What are my responsibilities?
In brief:

• give the same brief to all moving companies bidding for the move.
• be present during the packing of your belongings
• take personal responsibility for jewelry and other high value items.
• check and sign the inventory of your belongings
• ensure that no prohibited items are packed. Ask your FIDI mover for a Customs advice sheet.

So what can or can’t I take with me?
Take the time to discuss this with your mover, who will have Customs regulations for your destination country. Generally speaking, dispose of all flammable items, liquids, foods and other items that should not be shipped. Anything that can deteriorate should not be shipped. Think carefully about electrical goods, including refrigerators, cookers and the like. They may not work at destination or worse, still, may attract heavy duty.

But what about my car?
Good job you asked – in some countries, the import duty on cars is so crippling you may not want to even think about importing one. Others will have special regulations regarding emission controls or even have rigorous steam cleaning requirements. Please check with your mover.

And my dog?
Plan this well in advance. Most moving companies use a specialist firm to handle this kind of work, as air travel is often distressing for pets. However, thousands of animals travel happily all over the world and often, it is quarantine regulations that cause the real problem. Every country has its own regulations regarding the importation of pets (and this is especially true of birds such as parrots) so discuss arrangements well in advance.

Anything that is definitely a no-go area?
Well, mainly those things you might expect – drugs, alcohol (sometimes even valuable wine collections are banned), weapons, ammunition and pornography. And when we say pornography, in some countries, typical news stand ‘girlie’ magazines are considered porn.

And my dog?
Plan this well in advance. Most moving companies use a specialist firm to handle this kind of work, as air travel is often distressing for pets. However, thousands of animals travel happily all over the world and often, it is quarantine regulations that cause the real problem. Every country has its own regulations regarding the importation of pets (and this is especially true of birds such as parrots) so discuss arrangements well in advance.

Suppose I pack myself
Why not? But be aware of the potential problems. For instance, insurance companies will not pay out on goods packed by their owner. Also, Customs officials will almost certainly target goods that you have packed. If you really must pack some of your goods, leave the carton unsealed so that the packing crew can inspect the contents and annotate the inventory accordingly.

All right, I use the professionals – but how long will it take?
Every home is different but for a 2000 sq ft of household effects between two and three days are needed for packing. This is based on a crew of three or four persons. If timing is important, discuss a programme with your mover.

I don’t really need to insure, do I?
Only if you are very brave. A professional mover will use sophisticated packing materials and experienced crews to prepare your goods for their trip. But this journey may be covering thousands of miles, experiencing different weather conditions, wide variations of temperature, and several forms of handling. The forces of nature and physics that a shipment has to undergo are unimaginable unless you’ve seen a freight ship go through an Atlantic swell with 60-ft waves washing over its cargo of shipping containers. Insurance seems the bargain of a lifetime in retrospect as you survey the remains of a much loved dinner service.

All right, you’ve convinced me. What kind of insurance?
Discuss it in detail with your mover. You really need a policy that gives you full replacement costs. Make sure you get a comprehensive cover based on your inventory.

How long is this journey going to take?
Probably longer than you think. If you use air freight, allow up to 14 days door-to-door. If you are talking about remote areas, it will take longer. By sea, it depends where you are going but a reasonable estimate is Europe/USA – 4/6 weeks, Asia/USA – 6/8 weeks and Australia/USA – 8/12 weeks.

And when it arrives, what then?
The destination agent chosen by your mover will contact you as soon as your shipment arrives. The company will clear it through Customs, sort out the paperwork and arrange delivery to your new home. You may be expected to be present if your shipment is inspected by Customs. As soon as you arrive at your destination country, contact the appointed agent and make delivery arrangements. The one thing you can’t do is go off on holiday and leave your shipment on the quayside. The cost of demurrage will remove your holiday tan in a split second!