After 20 years in France, we will be moving back to the UK within the next few months. The legacy of my husband’s three years of cancer treatment has now made life impossible without family support (which they are anxious to give). I have found a removal company, just started on the form needed to avoid duty on our personal possessions and wondered if anyone had any ideas / experience of the most practical way to go about it. Counting all the spoons, saucepans, books, DVDs etc seems a bit of a challenge. Any other helpful advice would be welcome!
You could reach out to @JohnBoy Emily as he’s just been through this, I think. Although he might not be in the best of moods today!
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When we moved to France, the removers gave me the impression we had to provide a lot more detail than was required. In the end, we had a 15-page list of what was in the packing boxes. The items were listed as “books”, “kitchenware”, etc., with no more detail than that.
We avoided anything potentially dutiable, like alcohol.
Don’t forget to list your car(s) if you’re taking it/them!
Yes, I can give you some advice and thankyou to @Helenochka for reading my mood!
First things first, if you are looking at a move in a few months then no need to rush.
Filling in the form shoild be low on your list of things to do.
When I submitted our form it was approved in less than 3 days.
You really need to systematically pack or at least list everything you are taking and taje your time as just when you think the list is complete you remember that the washing machine needs adding or the seat you are sat on.
No need to list every single item.
Example, box of books rather than number of books and titles.
Kitchen cutlery rather than number of knives folks and spoons
Boxof bedding rather than how many pillows and sheets.
The best advice I can give is take your time and don’t panic.
You are not trying to smuggle contraband into the UK, just your worldly possessions and the custins understand that.
When yiu have completed the list and it is approved your removal company will need a copy but don’t worry if they don’t take it all at once or if you are taking some bits as it can be transferred in split loads over a 12 month period.
Good luck and ask away if you think I can help.
Thank you. I think the removal company will pack, but husband is producing a spreadsheet. No cars involved as lease car will go back and not entirely sure how we will get back yet. 
I will try not to panic, but after getting an almost full price offer from the first people who saw on Sunday it (cash buyers) it feels like it could be quite quick. Thanks for your help, I am sure it won’t be the last question.
Best of luck Emily!
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We realised - too late - that we’d paid for the removers to do the packing (we’d done a lot of it). They also produced the Inventory, as part of their very efficient packing process (the speed they packed was far in excess of what we managed).
No harm in your husband doing a spreadsheet to be on the safe side, but it would be worth checking with the removers as to whether they expect to do the Inventory.
They have said they don’t do the inventory as they will do a virtual tour for an estimate. We send off the TOR1, then they arrive on the planned date, pack and set off for England. Husband’s disabilities would make packing in advance difficult anyway. Did you use a company with a base in France? I had wondered about that but this company is very close to where we are going.
We used a Scottish firm, who subcontracted each end to a local(ish) firm.
Since you’re going in the opposite direction, some things will be different, of course.