Terms and conditions

These terms apply to removals, packing and storage services provided by House Removals. They summarise our standard trading terms; the booking confirmation issued for your specific move is the operative document and will set out anything that differs.

1. Quotations

Quotations are given in writing following a survey, whether that survey is carried out in person or by video. A quotation is valid for thirty days from the date of issue unless it states otherwise. After that period we may re-quote.

A quotation is based on the goods, access and services described or observed at the time of survey. If the volume is materially greater on the day, if access differs from what was described, or if additional services are requested, the price may be adjusted. We will tell you before carrying out additional work, never afterwards.

2. Booking and payment

A booking is confirmed when you accept the quotation in writing and, where one is requested, pay the deposit stated in the confirmation. The balance is due in cleared funds before goods are unloaded at the destination, unless the booking confirmation sets out different arrangements in writing.

Where an account has been agreed for commercial work, invoices are payable within thirty days of the invoice date. We reserve the right to charge interest on overdue sums at the statutory rate.

3. Cancellation and postponement

You may cancel by notifying us in writing. Where cancellation is received more than fourteen days before the booked date, any deposit paid is refunded in full. Where cancellation is received within fourteen days of the booked date, we may retain the deposit to cover crew and vehicle commitments already made.

Postponement is treated separately from cancellation. Dates slip in property chains and we will always try to move a booking rather than charge for it. Tell us as soon as you know; a booking moved with reasonable notice is normally simply re-diaried.

4. What we will not carry

We will not accept for transport or storage: prohibited, stolen or illegal goods; flammable, explosive or corrosive substances, including gas bottles, paint, solvents and fuel; anything perishable; plants or living creatures; firearms or ammunition; or controlled drugs.

We also strongly advise against placing in our care jewellery, cash, deeds, passports, securities or items of irreplaceable sentimental value. If you do so without telling us in writing, our liability for them is limited as set out below.

5. Your responsibilities

• Being present, or appointing someone authorised to act for you, at both addresses.
• Telling us about any item requiring special handling or of unusually high value, before the move.
• Obtaining any permission, permit or key needed for access that is within your control, other than parking suspensions we have agreed to arrange.
• Preparing appliances — draining, defrosting and disconnecting — unless you have asked us to do it and we have agreed in writing.
• Ensuring nothing is left behind and nothing of ours is taken away.

6. Our liability

We carry goods-in-transit and public liability insurance. The cover level and the per-item limit that applies are stated on your quotation. Where you have declared an item worth more than the standard per-item limit and we have agreed additional cover in writing before the move, that agreed figure applies instead.

We are not liable for loss or damage arising from: goods packed by you, where the damage results from the packing rather than our handling; inherent defect or normal wear; electrical or mechanical failure of an appliance where there is no external damage; changes caused by atmospheric conditions such as damp, mould or rust; or circumstances beyond our reasonable control.

We are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, including loss of earnings, missed completions or accommodation costs.

7. Claims

Visible loss or damage should be noted on the delivery paperwork at the time of delivery, while the crew is present. Any claim must be notified to us in writing within seven days of delivery, or within seven days of the goods being removed from storage.

Please retain the packaging and the item itself until the claim has been assessed, as we may wish to inspect them.

8. Delays and timing

We plan carefully and we start early, but road conditions, weather, building access, key release and the conduct of third parties in a property chain are outside our control. Where a delay is caused by something outside our control we will do everything reasonable to minimise it, but we cannot accept liability for consequential costs arising from it.

Long-distance schedules are additionally bounded by legally mandated driver rest periods. On international moves, transit is further subject to customs clearance at both ends and, for shared loads, to the consolidation schedule. Expected windows given in a quotation are estimates made in good faith and are not contractual guarantees.

9. Storage

Goods placed in storage are subject to a separate storage agreement issued before collection, which sets out charges, the billing period, notice requirements for redelivery or access, and the insurance basis. Storage charges are payable in advance of each period.

We have a general lien over goods in our possession for unpaid charges. Where charges remain unpaid we may, after giving written notice to your last known address, sell goods to recover the sums owed.

10. Sub-contracting

We carry out work with our own crews and vehicles wherever possible. Where a specialist element is required — piano handling, a hoist, a final leg abroad, or shipping — we may engage a suitably qualified sub-contractor. Where we do, we will tell you, and these terms continue to apply to the work as a whole.

11. International moves

On moves outside the United Kingdom you are responsible for the accuracy of the information on which customs declarations are based, and for obtaining the residency, address and identification documents the destination country requires. We prepare and lodge the export documentation on your behalf using the information you provide.

We are not liable for delay, duty, penalty or seizure arising from inaccurate information supplied to us, from documentation you have not obtained, or from a decision of a customs authority.

12. Governing law

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction. Nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights as a consumer.

13. Questions

If anything here is unclear before you book, ask — hello@house-removals.net. Our privacy policy covers how we handle your personal information.