Have you ever dreamed of moving to a distant, sunny location? Gosselin’s international movers help people relocate across the globe every day. And that often occurs through the port! What exactly does such a move entail? Olivier Dewit, Gosselin’s account manager, walks us through it all.
Moving to another country involves a great deal of organisation. That’s where removal companies like Gosselin come in: managing the entire move from door to door. It’s a service often provided for people relocating for work who wish to take all their belongings with them. For example, expats, diplomats, and military personnel.
Some customers, on the other hand, transport more than household belongings alone. For example, Gosselin handles the worldwide transport of all equipment belonging to the world-famous Cirque du Soleil. From the canvas of the tent right down to the clown’s nose, nothing is left behind.
Moves like these are often carried out by sea. Shipping containers are ideal, as they can hold a large volume and are far cheaper than air transport. What’s more, it is often a more sustainable option than transport by plane.
A successful move begins with good preparation. "We visit the customer to assess what needs moving, what items require packing, and the time and space needed", explains Olivier.
"We used to do that by eye, but nowadays we use a smart AI tool." Customers use their camera to scan all items to be moved, and the tool estimates the space required.
"This is my favourite part of the job", Olivier continues. "I meet many interesting people, and always enjoy hearing their stories". I also see many beautiful homes, ranging from vintage and classic to modern. Not bad, right?"
Nowadays, we use a smart AI tool to estimate how much space is needed to move everything.
Step two is packing the items that are coming along. To prevent damage during transport, the removal men wrap fragile items in paper blankets or cardboard. "A sofa is completely wrapped in cardboard, formed to its exact shape. It's truly a work of art!" says Olivier.
We place small items in moving boxes. Sustainable strengthening of the material means the boxes can be reused up to four times. This means they see quite a bit of the world in their lifetime! Pets present their own unique challenges and travel on a special animal flight. Together with other dogs, cats, horses and parakeets, they follow their owners through the air.
A Picasso wrapped to perfection
Some items require extra protection when packing. "I once had a customer who needed to move a Picasso.
A bailiff, an art expert and an insurer supervised as we carefully handled the artwork with gloves. That was quite stressful. But fortunately, our movers have the right knowledge and skills, having done this work for years", says Olivier.
Olivier doesn't need to think long about that: "Preparation! Ensure you start preparing in good time. Then you can leave everything to us on the big day.
The great journey begins. First, all belongings from the house are placed in a container. "I once moved a lady from Venice to Brussels," says Olivier. "She lived by the water, so we had to hoist all her belongings down from the fourth floor and take them to our lorry by gondola. Including a 600-kilogram grand piano. The gondola almost gave way under the weight, but it worked out in the end!" When everything has been packed into a container, it leaves for the port. At the port, our shipment is stored in a warehouse until it can be shipped.
Once at the destination, Gosselin’s local team transports the boxes to the owner’s house. Gosselin works with certified removal partners across the globe, from Djibouti to Kazakhstan. Once everything is in place, the customer can settle into a new home with all their familiar belongings.
The movers handle most of the work, though children are welcome to pitch in if they like. They are given a special box that they can decorate themselves and use to pack their favourite toys. This box is the last item loaded into the container, so it will be the first thing they see when the container is opened at their new home. By getting young children involved, the move becomes smoother and less stressful for them.
