A Folkestone firm that looks at the lane first

Where we work

Folkestone CT19 and CT20 — the Leas and the seafront, the Creative Quarter and harbour, Cheriton, Morehall and Shorncliffe, plus Sandgate, Hythe, Hawkinge and the downland villages above the town.

Dover, Ashford and Herne Bay have their own coverage on our network, and the Kent county site handles Kent-wide and long-distance work. We would rather point you at the right one than cover a town in passing.

Why we look at the lane

The old-town streets down to the harbour are steep, narrow, cobbled in places and frequently have no standing at all. A full-size vehicle often cannot reach the door.

So nothing in that belt is quoted without driving the approach first. Where the vehicle cannot get close we shuttle from the nearest legal point with extra hands, and it sits in the quote as extra hands rather than appearing on the day. It costs nothing to check and it prevents the only genuinely bad outcome.

Wind and salt

Two things that are not true half a mile inland. Wind on the Leas and the clifftop roads is an operational factor, not weather — a high-sided vehicle with an open tailgate in an onshore gale is a decision, and we will move a start time rather than push through it.

And salt. Gate hinges, railings and outbuilding doors on seafront property have frequently had thirty years of it and are not what they look like. We check at survey, because finding out by leaning on something while carrying a wardrobe is the expensive version.

Artwork

The Creative Quarter means we move more of it than most town firms, and it is genuinely a different job. Framed work gets purpose-made cases rather than bubble wrap. Unframed pieces and work in progress get boards and interleaving. Materials, plan chests and equipment are surveyed as their own category.

If it is artwork, say so rather than calling it 'a few pictures' — the two get packed completely differently.

What the tunnel does and does not change

Being this close to the terminal genuinely shortens a European move: a load from here is at the crossing inside the first leg rather than after a day of motorway. That is a real advantage and we use it.

What it does not do is shorten the paperwork. A move to France is still a customs movement needing an inventory in the right form and evidence of transfer of residence, and the packing specification is still export rather than domestic. We say so plainly, because proximity creates an assumption and the assumption costs people weeks.

What we do not do

We do not quote before we understand the job. We do not promise a transit time we cannot stand behind. We do not take on a property without establishing that we can physically reach it. And we do not claim awards, accreditations, press coverage or customer numbers we have not got — if it is not on this site, it is because it is not true yet.

Cover

Goods in transit and storage cover are in place, with the usual conditions around owner-packed cartons and items of unusual value. Declare anything genuinely valuable at survey and we will confirm in writing what applies. The contractual position is on the terms page.

Getting hold of us

The quote form is quickest. Contact has the rest, questions covers what comes up first, and areas we cover shows exactly where our ground runs out.