Removals to France
Removals to France are our most popular and most regular European route — weekly departures across the Channel to every region, from a Dordogne farmhouse to a Nice apartment, Brittany to the Alps. It’s a short crossing but not a simple one: French customs, the primary-versus-second-home distinction and rural access all shape the day. Britannia Sandersteads has run European moves as a family-run firm since 1972, with French delivery partners who take your belongings direct to the door — here’s how removals to France actually work, what affects the cost, and what to sort before you book.
What's Included in Our France Removals Service
France is the most popular European destination for British movers, and one of the busiest routes in our European removals service — with weekly departures rather than occasional runs. A move goes by road across the Channel and on to your French address, handled end to end by our own UK crew and long-standing French delivery partners. Because a French purchase (through a notaire) can run to several months, we plan around your confirmed completion, not a target date — our full UK-to-France moving guide walks through that timeline.
- Weekly dedicated and part-load departures across the Channel, to every French region
- Professional packing and export wrapping in the UK, with a full unpacking service by our French partners
- Post-Brexit customs handled — including the primary-residence versus second-home distinction that changes the paperwork
- UK and French-end storage if your new home isn't ready on delivery day
How removals to France work
Key Information
Customs: primary home vs second home
France draws a clear line at customs. Moving your main home, your personal effects usually enter under transfer-of-residence relief, subject to conditions on how long you’ve owned them and lived outside the EU. Furnishing a second or holiday home is different — duty and French VAT can apply. We prepare the inventory and advise on your position; French customs sets the exact conditions.
Access: rural lanes and city apartments
French property runs the full range. Rural farmhouses and gîtes in the Dordogne, Brittany or the Alps often sit down narrow lanes or long gravel drives a full-size lorry can’t reach, so a smaller vehicle does the last leg. City apartments — Paris especially — bring narrow stairwells and small lifts, where an external furniture lift earns its keep. Tell us the property early.
Storage before shipping
French completions can slip, and a new build or renovation may not be ready the day your goods arrive. We can hold your belongings in our own containerised storage at Godstone before departure, with no minimum period, and our French partners can store them at the far end until the keys are in your hand.
What affects the cost of removals to France?
Every France move is priced on what it involves, not a set rate. What moves the number most:
- Volume — the load size sets the vehicle and crew, and drives most of the cost
- Dedicated or part-load — your own vehicle on fixed dates costs more than sharing a scheduled Channel run
- Packing — a full pack, a fragile-only part pack, or materials-only each price differently
- Which region — the near north (Normandy, Brittany, Paris) is a shorter run than the Dordogne, the Riviera or the Alps
- Access — a narrow rural lane, a long drive, or a Paris apartment needing an external lift all add time or equipment
- Primary home vs second home — the customs position differs, and second-home moves can carry duty and VAT
- Storage and timing — a gap before your French home is ready, or a fixed delivery date, adds cost and reduces flexibility
The honest way to get a real figure is a quick, free survey.
Why Britannia Sandersteads for France
- Weekly France departures and a long-standing French partner network — dedicated or part-load, to every département, delivered direct to your door
- Family-run since 1972 and part of the Britannia Cooperative, the UK's largest network of independent, family-owned removers with 40+ locations
- BAR members and National Quality Award winners in 2023 and 2024, with your removals to France crewed by our own full-time, trained staff
- The same packing and containerised storage standards as our overseas removals and every house move we run
Don't Take Our Word for It
Request Your Free Quote
Send us the details. We aim get back to you within 2 hours during business hours.
01883 741000
info@sandersteads.co.uk
Mon-Fri 7:30am – 5:30pm
How long do removals to France take?
The Channel crossing is short, so France is one of the quicker European routes — but timing still depends on the region (the near north versus the Dordogne, Riviera or Alps), the service (dedicated or part-load) and our schedule. We confirm realistic dates at survey; on a shared load, delivery is a window rather than a fixed day.
How does the quote process work?
It starts with a free video or in-home survey so we can see the volume and the access, then you get a written, itemised quote — crew, vehicle, packing, the crossing, customs and any storage. No sight-unseen phone estimates that drift on the day.
How do you pack and export-wrap for France?
Whichever level suits you — a full pack, a part pack for just the fragile and valuable items, or materials only. Anything bound for France is export-wrapped to a recognised standard, because a Channel crossing and a longer road leg are harder on your things than a move across town.
What documents and customs apply for a move to France?
It depends on whether France is your main home or a second home. A primary-residence move usually enters under transfer-of-residence relief; a second or holiday home can attract duty and French VAT. We prepare the inventory and advise on your position, and French customs sets the exact conditions. One route note: vehicles to France can’t carry more than a token amount of alcohol or tobacco, so leave those out.
Can you handle fragile or high-value items?
Yes — antiques, art, a piano, a wine collection. The fragile and high-value things get specialist wrapping as standard, and we’ll talk through declaring and valuing them separately for insurance and, where relevant, the customs inventory.
Can you store my belongings before shipping to France?
Yes. If your French completion slips or the property isn’t ready, we hold your belongings in our own containerised storage at Godstone before departure, and our French partners can store them at the far end. There’s no fixed minimum period.