Finding a driver and lorry

[cowoman]

We should be moving  quite abit of stuff to limousin in March/February.It is not for the permenent move yet so isnt a whole vanfull of stuff.Can anyone recommend anyone who would take a half load down there for us,also how do you go about trusting that your stuff will actually arrive.I know you can insure it but money wouldnt cover the inconvenience of having to source and replace it all.Or is it a case of just driving it down yourself in a hire van.If this is the best way can anyone tell us of any good hire firms

Please let me know how others have acheived this.I am not sure if i have posted this in the right slot

Thanks in advance

[cooperlola]

Where from?  Not that I can help, but it might help others to help you!

[cowoman]

We are moving from worcestershire to Haute vienne dept 87

Thanks for that it never occured to me....Merry christmas in advance

[nectarine]

I answered an ad some years ago where someone offered to take part-loads to France and store them, so I rang up, agreed a price and asked this chap to take my flat-fitted kitchen down to the Limousin and hold it for a month.  All OK, he rang to confirm it was there.  Then I went down to France and rang up for it to be delivered .... this time he said he had under-quoted what it would actually cost him and that if I paid him another couple of hundred pounds then he would deliver to me.  I contested this, and he said I could come and collect it (not feasible as I was in a small car and there were a LOT of kitchen units!).  So he said, "you don't get it till you pay me more".  I asked him if he was holding my kitchen units to ransom and he said "yes". 

The upshot was that I threatened him with gendarmes, legal action and also notifying the UK tax office (sneaky I know but, heck, all guns blazing!) of his off-the-books activities and eventually he agreed to deliver them, which he did with a lot of crashing and banging, almost throwing them off the van.  No damage but his parting words to me were "don't ever bother to ask me to do anything for you again", as if I would!

Not to worry you, but if you do answer an ad for a part-load (and the ad I had answered was in the back of a French living magazine) then agree outright all the terms and get something in writing!!! 

[cartref]

Hello cowoman,

I used a firm from Wolverhampton (relatively close to you) in September when I moved here permanently. He doesn't have a huge van so he may be useful to you. He was polite, extremely punctual both sides of the channel and very trustworthy. Details are (if I am allowed to post them ) Barretts Van & Driver and they advertise in LF magazine. Web site is www.barrettsremovals.co.uk . As a single lady looking to find a trustworthy company, I can honestly say they were 1st class.

Bon Chance

cartref

[cowoman]

Thanks for that,it is going to be a hard decision to make  so all tips welcome...thankyou

[Nearly Retired (I am now)]

We had a similar problem needing to fill a huge empty house in 17 and the costs of using a van either self drive hire or a removal firm always put us off. We thought about buying a secondhand van for a only a year or two and in the end chose not to. But that might just have been the best idea. We've also nearly gone down the big trailer route too.

I have a small estate car and roof bars for the usual reasons of being a fairly handy chap needing to transport flat pack stuff in UK, ladders, kids to and from uni, Christmas trees, garden rubbish etc.

So it's taken us 3 years so far and more Speedferries trips than I can remember to transport most (but not all) of the stuff we need down from the London area. We've taken 3 beds (inc. a double), countless flat pack furniture items, a washing machine, tumble drier, ladders, scaffolding, carpets, several tables including a 2.2 metre long one. If you take a really good look at what you want to take you can often dismantle it sufficiently to get it in. It might take a few trips though! One big cabinet took three journeys.

We gave up with a sofa . I couldn't get it in/on the car despite careful investigation of cutting it up in several pieces and later hiding the joints (!!!) and the van transport cost more or less equalled its value. We just bought one in France and hired a van very cheaply from the shop.

[Patf]

We had a tow bar on the car already so decided to buy a cheap oldish horsebox to transport half of our belongings. From Essex to the Gers. We found the horsebox very useful for a long time. But if you want to continue using it in France for any length of time it gets a bit complicated eg insurance etc if you still have english reg. and it doesn't meet french standards.

[Rob Roy]

Have a look at this link as there is a guy on there who often advertises part loads and has had very positive feedback from others on the site. You might need to do a search for his postings - try something like 'empty van'

http://www.frenchentree.com/france-limousin-forum/home.asp

[Barbel Bob]

Hi,

We used these for our move over to France recently and found them to be fantastic both in value and customer service. They do part loads and will give you a quote, they were at both ends punctual and helpful.

www.theroadahead.co.uk

Good luck!

J

[plastered again]

Hi cowoman

                  I will, over the next few months be backwards and forwards to the n/w dordogne, i live in herefordshire and will be moving permanently in april! I have my own large van, just a thought but i could be of some assistance to you? p.m or e-mail me if interested!

                                                                                   regards

[lilly]

Hi

We are looking for a removal van too, we move out in April to the Limoge area from Devon, did you manage to find someone? If so can you tell me who you are using??