What’s the Cheapest Way To Move Furniture From the UK to France? Comparing Movers

Although exciting and memorable, moving across the Channel from the UK to France comes with many challenges and hurdles. If you're like most British expats in France, you'll probably find one of the largest of these challenges is moving your belongings overseas along with you — a process that requires careful planning and foresight (not to mention high costs).

Fortunately, moving furniture from the UK to France is relatively straightforward. And although the final cost hinges on many factors such as where in the UK you're relocating from and how many belongings you want to have shipped, the total costs are also usually quite manageable with the right planning and know-how.

In this short guide, we go over the costs associated with moving furniture from the UK to France and show you how to save money by finding the cheapest way to move from the UK to France to suit your individual needs.

Moving Furniture From UK to France Is Pricey

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Unfortunately, you can't get around the fact that shipping furniture abroad is an expensive endeavour that adds a considerable cost to any international move. And, despite the close distance between the two countries, this is no different for furniture delivery to France from the UK.

The final costs can vary significantly and depend on how far and how much you'd like to move. For example, moving a four-person household's worth of furniture from the UK to France will generally cost between £2,000 and £4,000. However, moving furniture for a one- or two-person household can be a lot cheaper, starting at around £500 and probably not exceeding £1,500.

It's because of these costs that it's always a good idea to rely on an affordable international mover like Eurosender to get the job done (more on them later).

Let's break down these costs. While you'll probably pay a once-off payment to the international moving company, they'll take care of the intermediary steps for you. If you're shipping furniture to France from the UK, then your belongings probably won't be loaded onto a ship and will instead be brought over by truck (which brings down the costs) or air freight (which is very expensive). However, while this process is simpler than by ship, it still involves third parties and customs clearances.

Generally speaking, moving furniture from the UK to France involves the following parties:

• International mover: As mentioned above, this is the company you'll be dealing with. They'll take care of most of the process for you, from packing, shipping, customs, and delivery of your furniture from the UK to France. In most cases, they'll also be the only company you pay to get the job done, and they'll also be your main point of contact along the way.
• Origin agent: Usually employed or subcontracted by the international mover, the origin agent will be responsible for coming to your home in the UK before your move to help build a more accurate quote and oversee the packing of your belongings on moving day.
• Freight forwarder: Acting as a middleman between the moving company and transportation services, freight forwarders don't move your belongings but are responsible for managing their import and export and the associated regulations.
• Customs: The French Customs, or La douane, will clear the truck that crosses the border from the UK into France.
• Destination agent: In some cases, this is the company subcontracted by the international mover to move your furniture within France to your new home there. It's a good idea to contact them in advance to determine whether they plan to unload the boxes inside your home or unpack them and clear the debris for you.

Regardless of where in the UK you're shipping from, considering many third parties are involved in shipping furniture to France (each charging its own set of fees or taxes), it's easy to see how quickly these costs can stack up. Furthermore, considering the international moving company that arranges everything is itself also its own company seeking to make a profit, it's then easy to see how you could end up paying upwards of £1,000 to move furniture to France!

While the costs can be high, they vary significantly from case to case, and although you'll get a precise quote, you might not know the total cost of the move until after the move has already been completed.

Find the Cheapest Way To Move Furniture From the UK to France

Arron Choi on Unsplash

As we've seen, furniture delivery to France from the UK is far more expensive than furniture delivery domestically (and that's not even to mention all the planning, admin, and other expenses that go along with moving countries!). Whenever you plan to spend £1,000 or more on anything, it's always a good idea to compare providers in advance, as every percentage saved adds up to large amounts of real money!

To find the best rates and service for your move, we recommend shipping your belongings overseas with Eurosender, whose innovative online platform connects shippers with logistics companies worldwide to find you the best price and service for your relocation needs.