If you have collected two or three quotes for an international removal and they are significantly different — one
is £1,200 and another is £3,500 for what looks like the same move — the variation is almost never random.
There are specific reasons, and understanding them changes how you read a quote.
Volume: The Primary Driver
Almost every component of a removal quote starts with volume. The more you are moving, the larger the
vehicle and the longer the loading and unloading time. Volume is measured in cubic metres, either by a
surveyor’s assessment or (less reliably) by an online calculator based on room counts and item lists.
A significant cause of quote variation is that different companies are quoting different volumes. If one
company assessed your move as 28 cubic metres and another as 18, their quotes are not comparable — they
are priced for different jobs. This is why a survey matters: it gives both you and the company a specific volume
to price against, rather than an estimate with room for error.
Service Level: Packing, Part Packing, or Self-Pack
A full professional packing service — where the removal company’s crew packs everything — adds both cost
and time but removes one of the most labour-intensive parts of moving from your schedule. Part packing
covers specific categories (fragile items, furniture) while you pack everything else. Self-pack means you box
and wrap everything before the crew arrives.
A full-pack quote and a self-pack quote for the same volume can differ significantly. When comparing quotes,
confirm what each one includes. A quote that looks cheap may be self-pack only, while a higher quote
includes materials, crew time, and professional packing. These are not equivalent.
Distance and Routing
Fuel, ferry costs, driver time, and overnight stays for longer routes all contribute to the price. A move to France
is cheaper than a move to Poland on most of these factors; Poland is cheaper than a move to Greece. The
difference is not proportional to map distance — road quality, crossing options, and driver hours regulations
affect routing costs.
Routes involving ferries have additional fixed costs regardless of volume. A UK to Ireland move includes a
ferry crossing; so does a move to Scandinavia via Denmark. These costs appear in the quote and explain why
shorter-distance island or ferry-dependent routes sometimes cost more than longer mainland drives.
Customs Documentation: In the Quote or Not?
This is one of the most common sources of quote confusion for international moves. Post-Brexit, every UK to
EU removal requires customs documentation on both sides. Some companies include customs handling in
their quote. Others charge it separately, or list it as an additional service, or use a third-party customs agent
whose fees are not in the headline figure.
Ask directly: does your quote include UK export customs documentation and destination country import
clearance? Is Transfer of Residence Relief included in the service, or is there a separate fee for the
application? A company that handles customs in-house and includes it in the quote is simpler to budget for
and faster to respond to issues than one that outsources it and bills separately.
Access and Special Handling
Delivery to a property on the eighth floor of a building with no suitable lift, or to a street in a historic city centre
where a full-size lorry cannot park, carries access charges. External furniture lifts, crane hire, secondary
distribution vehicles for final-mile delivery into restricted zones — these are legitimate costs that appear in
accurate quotes and are absent from quotes that haven’t accounted for the delivery conditions.
If your quote mentions nothing about access and your new property is on the fourth floor of a French
apartment building, something is missing. A quote that accounts for access constraints is more expensive and
more accurate than one that ignores them and adjusts later.
Storage
Storage between collection and delivery is often excluded from the headline quote and charged separately. If
your moving dates have a gap — your lease ends before the new property is available — the storage cost
should be in the plan from the start, not added when the situation arises.
Transit Insurance
Some companies include basic transit insurance in the quote. Others offer it as an optional add-on, often with
a per-item declared value cap that may be insufficient for high-value belongings. Check what is included and
what the single-item limit is. A quote that includes transit insurance is not directly comparable to one that
excludes it.
How to Compare Quotes Accurately
The only reliable way to compare removal quotes is to ensure they are quoting for the same scope. Before
comparing prices, confirm: same volume (based on a survey, not an estimate), same service level (packing or
self-pack), customs documentation in or out, storage included or separate, transit insurance included or not,
and access charges accounted for.
A checklist of these items, asked to each company, quickly reveals whether quotes that look similar are
actually comparable — or whether the cheapest quote is cheap because it excludes components that will
appear as additional charges later.
Red Flags in Low Quotes
A quote significantly below others for the same apparent scope is worth questioning. Common reasons: the
volume has been underestimated (usually evident after a proper survey), customs is excluded, access
charges are absent, or the company uses a third-party carrier whose pricing is initially low but becomes less
competitive with add-ons.
A fixed-price quote, based on a survey, with customs included, from a company that handles the full job with
their own fleet, is more expensive than a loose estimate — and it is more reliable. The price you agree at
booking should be the price you pay.
FAQ
Why is one quote so much lower than the others?
Usually because it is quoting a different scope: lower volume estimate, customs excluded,
access charges absent, or self-pack versus full-pack. Ask each company to confirm exactly
what their quote includes before comparing prices.
Is a survey-based quote better than an online estimate?
Yes, significantly. Online calculators produce estimates based on room counts and standard
furniture lists. A survey produces a specific volume assessment based on what is actually
going. Survey-based quotes are more accurate and less likely to change between booking
and collection
Does JCL provide fixed-price quotes?
Yes. After a survey, JCL provides a fixed price that covers the agreed scope of the move. If
something changes significantly between survey and collection, it is discussed and agreed in
advance — not added on the day.
When you request a quote from JCL, we carry out a survey first — video or in-person — to
ensure the price reflects your actual move. Everything in the quote is explained clearly.
Contact us with your collection and destination details to arrange a survey
