Common questions
Asked, considered, answered.
The questions that come up most often when households and businesses talk to us before booking a move. If yours isn't here, send us an email — we'll answer it properly.
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What makes Forge different from other national removals firms?
Position. We are built around craft and considered work rather than speed or scale. Surveyors visit before quoting, crews carry to a plan rather than free-for-all, and the quote you receive is the price you pay. We do not compete on the lowest hourly rate or the fastest turnaround — we compete on whether the move is done properly.
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Why do you insist on a surveyor visit instead of pricing by phone?
A phone call misses the half of the job that decides the cost: how the property accesses, whether the stairs are narrow, where parking actually is, what items need specialist handling, and whether the contents match the room count. A surveyor on site sees all of that in person, and the written quote reflects the real work.
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How do you handle fragile items, art and antiques?
Specialist wrapping the day before, or first thing on the morning of the move. Materials matched to the item — paper for ceramics, double-walled crates for art and instruments, blankets and padding for case furniture. Pieces are catalogued before they are wrapped, lifted with two hands and considered grip, and carried to the van separately from the boxes. At the destination they are unwrapped only when the room is ready for them.
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Can you handle a piano or other large specialist piece?
Yes. Upright and grand pianos, large clocks, full sideboards, art canvases over standard doorway height, and similar pieces are quoted as specialist line items in the brief. The crew uses skids, dollies and humpstraps appropriate to the piece, and the route through the property is walked before any lifting begins.
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Do you do international moves, and to where?
Yes — to France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. We have dedicated route experience and customs handling for all four. We do not pretend to serve countries outside that scope; if your move is to Germany, Switzerland or further afield, we will recommend a firm that genuinely runs the route rather than learn it on your dime.
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What does an international move with Forge involve?
A surveyor visits and writes a detailed brief including the manifest. We lodge the export customs paperwork ahead of pickup so the load travels with documents in place. The crew packs and loads in the UK, and either the same crew or a paired partner crew unloads at the destination. Insurance is arranged appropriate to the route. The written quote covers the whole journey, including any consolidation where it suits.
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Where in the UK do you cover?
Across the UK. We schedule from whichever depot makes the route work: London for southern-England moves, Manchester for the north-west and Midlands, Bristol for the south-west, Leeds for the north-east, Glasgow and Edinburgh for Scotland. The crew you get is the crew that runs your route regularly, not whoever is closest to your postcode.
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Do you provide packing, or do I need to pack myself?
Both options are available, but full packing is what most considered moves use. Crews pack the day before, or on the morning of the move for shorter local jobs. Materials are included in the written quote — no surprise charges for boxes, tape or blankets after the fact. If you would rather pack yourself, we can supply materials and consult on what should be left for the crew.
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Can I store items between moves?
Yes — curated storage is one of our service tiers. Inventoried at the point of intake, palletised where it suits, racked or boxed where it doesn't. We run the storage building ourselves rather than passing you to a third-party self-storage unit. Useful when the new place is not ready, or the move is happening in stages.
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Can you handle a multi-stage move, or a move with overlap?
Routinely. Multi-stage moves — pack up, store, deliver later, or split the load between two destinations — are part of the by-craft-attention service model. The written brief documents each stage so nothing is lost in the choreography.
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How early should I book?
Earlier is better than later, particularly for international moves and weekends in spring and summer. That said, we keep capacity for considered work and can sometimes accommodate short-notice moves where the brief is clear. The surveyor visit and the written quote process don't take long — start there.
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What is your approach to office and commercial moves?
The same considered approach as a household move, with two differences: out-of-hours scheduling so the business does not lose a working day, and pre-move walk-throughs with the facilities team to plan kit, cabling and furniture flow. Records, IT equipment and bespoke furniture are quoted as specialist line items and handled accordingly.
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How does Forge price a move?
Against the work the surveyor actually saw. The written quote lists each line — packing labour, materials, transit, crew, customs (international), specialist items, storage if applicable. Once accepted, it holds. We do not invoice for blankets, tape, fuel surcharges or weekend windows that should have been priced in at the start.
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Are you BAR or FIDI members?
We will list industry memberships and accreditations honestly on this site as they are earned and verifiable. We do not display logos or badges we have not actually been awarded — that is one of the patterns we set out against in the trade.
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What if something goes wrong during the move?
Every move runs under insurance appropriate to the work, and the crew documents condition at both ends. If something is missed or damaged, we want to know about it directly so we can put it right — and the closing-off stage of every move includes a sign-off where condition is reviewed before the crew leaves.
Question we missed?
If your move has a wrinkle that isn't covered above, email a short brief and we'll respond properly. Most genuine queries get a considered written answer within a working day or two.