Frequently asked questions

The BAR is the British Association of Removers, it is the largest trade association for removers and the only association recognised by the Trading Standards Institute. We have to pass a strict inspection each year to remain a member, and it offers support to customers using member removal companies, if needed (advanced payment guarantee, ombudsman services, etc).

As is standard throughout the removals industry, we ask for cleared funds prior to work being carried out. If you are then using our storage, this will be invoiced at the beginning of each month (you will, of course, be credited back any days you do not use). All payments are of course guaranteed by the BAR’s ‘advanced payment guarantee scheme’.

Either call us, email us or contact us directly through this website. Have a chat with one of our friendly office staff and they will arrange for an estimator to visit your home. There is no charge for this service and of course no obligation. You will then receive a written quotation (usually the next working day).

TFM has been carrying out removals since 1988 and we became a limited company in 1992. We moved to our current storage site at Burnham on Crouch in 1998.

In and around any of the towns and villages that surround our offices (Chelmsford, South Woodham Ferrers, Maldon, Danbury, Wickford, Burnham-on-Crouch etc.) we provide local removals, UK removals, storage, European removals and worldwide removals.

For towns slightly further afield (North Kent, East London and the rest of Essex) we provide European removals, worldwide shipping and storage. We can provide local removals to these areas, but would not be able to compete with the price of a more local BAR removal company.

TFM’s head office and storage yard is in Burnham-on-Crouch, we also have offices in Chelmsford and South Woodham Ferrers.

We accept debit card, credit card, cheque and bank transfer. We can also take cash payments if required, although this is discouraged as removal day can be stressful enough, without the added task of handling/holding cash.

All of the materials are recyclable, although if you’ve moved somewhere local to our offices, we will of course collect and recycle for you.

Our estimators have all got years of experience, and they are very rarely more than 1 or 2 boxes out. In the unlikely event they are out in their estimations we will of course re-visit and provide what is required.

Multiple small boxes will make a load or unload take a lot longer, so we do not load these to our vehicles, they are best to be re-packed into standard sized cartons. Weak boxes will collapse and potentially cause damage to the load, so we cannot accept these. Open topped boxes or plastic bags cannot be stacked, meaning we lose space on the vehicle and it will end up costing you much more in removal costs, and finally avoid having every box a different shape and size it makes the load very difficult to keep tidy and secure.

You can, although we are strict on the size and quality of boxes we will load to our vehicles, and because of this we highly recommend using TFM boxes. If you purchase boxes of the same quality as TFM boxes from a third party you will not save money, as we buy cartons by the thousands regularly.

We can either pack the complete contents of your house, garage or shed or just pack certain specified areas, such as the kitchen. All your needs and requirements can be discussed with your estimator.

As soon as you accept our estimate.

If you are packing yourself we supply all cartons, tape, bedding bags and wrapping paper prior to your removal. On the day of your removal we also provide mattress bags, hanging garment rails and floor coverings. The cost of these will be included in your estimate.

All of the furniture is wrapped by our staff as standard, using high grade removal blankets. We can also offer an export wrapping service when this is required, for worldwide removals or particularly high value/risk furniture. Your estimator will discuss these options further with you and advise when he carries out the home visit.

We take a deposit at the time of materials being delivered, the deposit amount will depend on how many materials you’re having.

We are moving high value items every day, all over the globe. All of our staff are trained in moving clocks, antiques, pianos, barometers and it is the norm for us. When the estimator visits he will note any items such as these that require special attention.

Every item of furniture is wrapped in blankets when loaded into the lorry, our vehicles are specifically designed to carry out removals (fully ramped and equipped with lifting aids) and all of our staff attend BAR run courses in safely moving furniture.

We never use agency staff, all of our staff are full-time workers for TFM and work together on a daily basis.We do use trusted partners for our work that goes abroad.

It will be dependent on the volume of goods you need to be moved, the distance we need to travel and the services you require. A move that can fit in a Luton van and is moving locally will cost less than a move that needs a 44-tonne road train and is moving to Scotland. Also a move packed into cartons by the customer will cost less than a removal if we need to pack all of the cartons. We can also dismantle furniture if required and this will affect costs. We send an estimator to look at every job and will then give a written quotation based on the service required and the information given by the customer.

In the terms and conditions that we enclose with our estimate there is a section “goods not to be submitted for removal or storage”. Simply, the answer is we cannot move or store any goods that are potentially dangerous, such as gas bottles, aerosols, paints, fuels and lithium batteries; or high-value items like jewellery or watches; and no animals, fish or perishable items.

We can either carry out all of your dismantling or just dismantle specified items. Any items that we dismantle we will of course re-build for you in your new home. Our estimator will discuss this with you and the cost of this service will be detailed in your estimate.

All of our vehicles carry specialist metal hanging garment carriers, with waterproof covers to protect your clothes during transit.

Yes, we offer full insurance as standard, up to £100,000 for a standard removals service.

If it is a local removal we will usually load in the morning and unload in the afternoon. If we are doing the packing of cartons this will usually be done the day before. Any removal out of the area will have a unique timetable dependent on travelling time and time to load and unload. The timetable will be clearly indicated on the estimate.

Yes, our premium storage service includes complete insurance as standard, up to £20,000 per container is included in every quotation, free of charge.

We supply hanging garment cartons to protect your clothes during transit and storage.

In the terms and conditions that we enclose with our estimate there is a section “goods not to be submitted for removal or storage”. Simply, the answer is we cannot move or store any goods that are potentially dangerous, such as gas bottles, aerosols and paints; or high-value items like jewellery or watches; and no animals, fish or perishable items.

All of our containers are purchased brand new from China, by us. They are of the highest furniture grade, this means they are fully vented and watertight (no rust, wear, holes, dents or damage in sight). Because of this combination there are no issues with damp, mould or moisture – ever. We have had people come out of storage after 10-15 years plus and there are no issues. This is simply because we not only buy the best containers, in the best condition, we also have staff dedicated to the maintenance and up-keep of all our containers, meaning they stay at this high standard. If a container ages or drops below our strict standards, we sell it.

If you come out of storage halfway through a month, we will of course credit you back for the days you have not used. You only ever pay for each day you use.

You will be invoiced monthly and terms are payment on receipt of invoice.

Premium storage is always charged based on the volume you are storing. The only way to get a definite quotation is to have an estimator visit. Your written quotation will include collection, a daily storage charge and the cost of re-delivery.

As much as you need, the estimator will total up your volume, and we charge accordingly.

All of our storage is containerised. We bring the container to your house and load your goods into it. It is then sealed under your supervision and stored until you choose to have re-delivery. The seal is then only broken under your supervision, at your new home.

This will depend on a lot of factors, where you are going, which service you require (direct removal or part load), how much furniture you have and of course what level of service you’d like (packing, dismantling, re-assembly). The only way to get a thorough quotation is to have an estimator visit your home. Contact us to arrange this, there is no obligation and of course it is free of charge.

Our offices are at Burnham on Crouch, Chelmsford and South Woodham Ferrers, and from these bases we move people from all over Essex, North Kent and East London to most European destinations. We specialise in Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Portugal, although we also carry out removals all over Europe on a regular basis.

This is when we will collect your goods from your current home, then load them to a shared road train, which will be travelling through the area of Europe you are moving to. As it passes your region they will deliver your goods. The goods are still looked after exactly the same, as they are on a direct removal and a full numbered inventory will have been taken. However, you will only be given a window for delivery (usually a 1-week window) and you may not have the same staff loading as unloading (all of our staff are of course trained and experienced).

A direct removal is when the guys will arrive at your current home, load all the goods to a
removal lorry, then travel to your new home, in whatever European country it may be. They will then unload and travel home. This means you can choose the timetable and the vehicle will not be shared by anyone else.

We are moving high value items every day, all over the globe. All of our staff are trained in moving clocks, antiques, pianos, barometers and it is the norm for us. When the estimator visits he will note any items such as these that require special attention.

Every item of furniture is wrapped in blankets when loaded into the lorry, our vehicles are specifically designed to carry out removals (fully ramped and equipped with lifting aids) and all of our staff attend BAR run courses in safely moving furniture. If you are having a ‘part load’ service each and every item is put to a numbered inventory, which can be ticked off during unloading; and if you are having a ‘direct removal’ service a full inventory will be taken, plus we will seal the back of the vehicle with a customs seal.

We can either carry out all of your dismantling or just dismantle specified items. Any items that we dismantle we will of course re-build for you in your new home. Our estimator will discuss this with you and the cost of this service will be detailed in your estimate.

Yes, we offer full insurance as standard, up to £100,000 for a standard removals service.

You can pack your own boxes, although we advise you do not, shipping requires a different level of packing and a professional touch really is required. Plus, if we pack for you all the items will then be insured, if you pack yourself, an insurance company will not recognise your packing as ‘professional packing’, and will deem contents of boxes uninsured.

Every single item of furniture is export wrapped, before it even leaves your home. If you are having a ‘part load’ service each and every item is put to a numbered inventory, which can be ticked off during unloading, and if you are having a ‘FCL’ service a full numbered inventory will still be taken, plus we will seal the back of the container with a customs seal.

Yes, we recommend everyone who ships takes us up on the offer of insurance throughout. The cost of this will be clearly detailed on you quotation.

Our offices are at Burnham on Crouch, Chelmsford and South Woodham Ferrers, and from these bases we move people from all over Essex, North Kent and East London to most destinations around the world. We specialise in Australia, the USA, New Zealand and Canada.

This is where you have sole use of a container, you will see the goods loaded to your container, and then you will see the same container unloaded at the other end.

This is where you will share a container with other clients being moved to the same worldwide destination. At the other end, our agent will break down all the loads and deliver them all separately.

We are moving high value items every day, all over the globe. All of our staff are trained in moving clocks, antiques, pianos, barometers and it is the norm for us. When the estimator visits he will note any items such as these that require special attention.

It’s important to make sure you are at home during the delivery slot that was agreed. If we cannot deliver, you will be charged in full for the original delivery attempt plus an alternative delivery slot.

Yes, 30kg, but we are not fussy. Please just be sensible with what you pack in each box.

We offer two sizes of boxes 18” x 18” x 18” or a smaller box of 12” x 12” x 18”

Our office will discuss a mutually convenient day with you for the delivery or collection of your boxes and materials. Collection time slots are normally 2-hour slots in the afternoon.

We move all kinds of vehicles all over the world, always enclosed and looked after as if it was our own. We can even move your vehicle in the same truck that carries your household removal.

We have moved all kinds of machinery in the past, from small personal workshops to whole factories. Speak to your estimator for more information on what we can move.

We move all kinds of pianos, from small uprights to concert grand pianos, and we can even move them upstairs or through windows using our specialist crane services.

We move all kinds of safes, from complete vaults to small personal safes, within offices. We can move them upstairs, through lift shafts, out of windows and fire escapes or even from the top of building using cranes.

Our offices are at Burnham on Crouch, Chelmsford and South Woodham Ferrers, however we carry out specialist removals from any location within Essex, Kent and East London to all UK and European destinations, and most worldwide destinations too.

Yes, all of our work is fully insured throughout, the cost of this is always included in our estimate, as standard.