1st Move International

1st Move International: overseas household removals from the UK

1st Move International is a British international removal company that ships household goods from the United Kingdom to destinations worldwide. The company states it has been operating since 1997 and describes itself as one of the UK's largest independent international moving companies, with more than 28 years of experience in overseas removals. Its service covers the whole move: packing, collection, shipping, customs clearance and final delivery to the new home, coordinated by a dedicated move manager who acts as a single point of contact.

The operation relies on a modern fleet and trained packers and movers, and the company indicates that shipment protection cover applies from the home to the destination. Free UK storage is offered up to the next scheduled sailing date, and customers can follow their container and vessel through 24/7 tracking systems.

Shipping options: shared container and full container

The company structures its international removals around two container formats.

• Shared container: the shipment shares a container with other customers moving to the same overseas destination, and the customer pays only for the space the goods occupy. It is presented as the preferred choice for shipments of up to 15 cubic metres (530 cubic feet) and runs on set weekly sailing schedules to the main destinations.
• Full container: a 20ft or 40ft container is used exclusively for one shipment, aimed at larger moves such as a three- to four-bedroom household including furniture and white goods. Depending on access, the container can be loaded directly at the home, or the goods can be packed and collected in smaller vans and loaded later at the company's warehouse. Either process can take up to three days before the container goes to port for the first available sailing.

Because there is no waiting to fill containers, the company says it has pre-booked slots shared with commercial exporters and can ship weekly with major shipping lines.

Palletised packing and measured billing

Every move is packed and palletised, and the finished shipment is shrink-wrapped so individual items are not handled separately. According to the company, this reduces the risk of damage or mix-ups and improves security during transport. For shared-container moves, the packed volume determines the price, so the shipment is measured in cubic metres once packing is complete and photographed with its measurements recorded. The company presents this photographic record of the finished, measured shipment as a distinguishing feature of its service.

Customs clearance and documentation

1st Move International operates as a registered customs broker and handles customs documentation, regulations and inspections for the customer's belongings. The palletised system is described as allowing fast-track customs clearance at destination and quicker delivery to the door.

Remote survey by messaging

Quotes can be prepared without a home visit. Customers send photos or a short video of the furniture, boxes and personal effects, together with the UK collection address, destination country and email; the survey team then calculates the shipment volume and returns a tailored door-to-door quote by email.

Accreditations and consumer protection

The company lists membership of the British Association of Removers (BAR), whose Code of Practice it follows and which it says is approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, with access to an established complaints and dispute-resolution process. It also cites membership of the British International Freight Association and IAM Premier status. Advance payments are covered by the BAR Advanced Payment Guarantee for worldwide moves. The site also displays a rating of 4.5 out of 5 based on more than 500 Trustpilot reviews.

Destinations and booking terms

The company provides removals from the UK to destinations including the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Dubai, the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malta, Cyprus, South Africa, Japan, Thailand and the Caribbean, among others. It advertises an early booking discount of 10% for moves reserved within ten days of receiving the quote, with no deposit and no cancellation fees. The customer-move examples shown on the site, dated October 2026, include shipments to Wellington in New Zealand and to Litchfield, New York and Hastings on Hudson in the United States, with volumes ranging from about 2 to 8.6 cubic metres.