Pre-move surveys: in-home, video and self-survey
Every quote you receive for an international move is built on one number: the volume of what you are shipping. The survey is how that number gets produced. There are three ways to do it, they are not equally accurate, and the right one depends less on the size of your house than most people expect.
In short
A pre-move survey lists everything you intend to ship and converts it into cubic metres, which is what international removals are priced on. An in-home survey is the most accurate and suits larger or complicated moves. A video survey gets close to the same accuracy in half the time and is the right default for most people. A self-survey using our volume estimator is free, instant, and genuinely useful for budgeting a small move — but it is an indicative figure, not a quotable one. All three cost nothing.
Which survey suits your move?
Four questions. The answer depends far more on your circumstances than on the size of your house, which is why a generic recommendation is not much use.
Our recommendation
Video survey
The same conversation, over a video call from your phone.
- A video survey is accurate enough for a move this size and needs no appointment at home.
- It produces a firm, quotable volume in about half an hour.
- Takes
- 30–60 minutes
- Firm quote
- Yes
Also worth considering: in-home survey. Worth requesting instead if you would rather someone saw the property.
This is guidance, not a rule. If you would rather someone saw the property, ask for an in-home survey and we will arrange one.
Why the accuracy of the number matters
It is tempting to treat a survey as a formality — someone comes round, you get a price. But container capacity does not rise smoothly with volume. It steps. A 20ft container holds about 30 m³ of household goods and a 40ft about 60 m³, so a shipment assessed at 28 m³ that turns out to be 32 m³ does not cost 14% more. It costs a whole container more.
The corollary is that accuracy matters far less on a small move. If you are shipping 12 m³, being out by two either way changes the price a little and changes nothing structural — you are in a shared container regardless. That asymmetry is most of the answer to which survey you need.
The three methods compared
| Method | Takes | Lead time | Firm quote? |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-home survey | 45–90 minutes | A week or two | Yes |
| Video survey | 30–60 minutes | A day or two | Yes |
| Self-survey | 10–15 minutes | None — do it now | No — indicative |
In-home survey
A surveyor visits and lists everything room by room.
What happens
- 1A surveyor comes to your home at an agreed time, usually within a week or two of the request.
- 2They walk every room, including the loft, garage, shed and garden, and build an item-by-item inventory.
- 3They measure or assess anything awkward — a piano, a full-height wardrobe, a workshop — and note what needs dismantling.
- 4They check access: parking, the width of the street, stairs and lifts, and whether a shuttle vehicle will be needed.
- 5You get a written volume and a quote, usually within a few working days.
Best for
- Three-bedroom homes and larger, where the volume is big enough that a small percentage error is a large sum
- Anyone near a container threshold, where a few cubic metres changes which container you pay for
- Homes with a loft, garage, workshop or substantial garden contents
- Antiques, artwork, a piano, or anything needing bespoke crating
- Difficult access — narrow streets, high floors, no parking
Where it falls short
- It needs a mutually convenient appointment, which adds days to your timeline.
- It requires you to be at the property. If you have already relocated ahead of the family, this is the one option that does not work.
- Coverage is not universal — very remote addresses can wait longer for a slot.
Accuracy
The most accurate of the three. A surveyor sees what you have forgotten to mention.
Video survey
The same conversation, over a video call from your phone.
What happens
- 1You book a slot, usually available within a day or two, and often outside working hours.
- 2You join a video call and walk the surveyor around your home on your phone camera.
- 3They direct you — open that wardrobe, show me inside the garage, pan across the loft.
- 4They build the same item-by-item inventory as an in-home survey, in real time.
- 5You get a written volume and quote on the same timeline.
Best for
- Most moves, honestly — this is the default for a reason
- Tight timelines, because a slot is usually available within a day or two
- Anyone already overseas, or moving out of a property they no longer live in
- Households where getting everyone in one place for an appointment is the hard part
- One and two-bedroom homes, where the total volume is small enough that minor error costs little
Where it falls short
- It depends on your connection. A weak signal in the garage is where volume gets missed.
- It depends on you showing everything. A surveyor in your house opens the cupboard themselves; on a call they can only ask.
- Very large or complex homes are hard to cover thoroughly in one call.
Accuracy
Close to an in-home survey when the call is done properly. It slips when the camera never reaches the loft, the garage or the back of a cupboard.
Self-survey
You list your own inventory using our volume estimator.
What happens
- 1You work through our estimator, which is built on the same per-item cubic-metre data our surveyors quote from.
- 2You add rooms and contents until the list matches your home.
- 3It returns a volume, the container that fits it, and the service level that suits.
- 4You send it to us and we quote against it, flagging anything that looks unusual for a home that size.
- 5If the numbers suggest a full survey is warranted, we say so rather than quoting blind.
Best for
- Early planning, when you want a realistic budget before committing to anything
- Studio, one and two-bedroom moves, where the volume is small and the error cost is low
- Comparing quotes on a like-for-like basis before booking a survey
- Anyone who wants a number tonight rather than after an appointment
Where it falls short
- It is only as accurate as your own list, and almost everyone forgets the loft.
- It cannot see access constraints, so it cannot price a shuttle vehicle or a long carry.
- It cannot assess items needing bespoke crating or dismantling.
- It is not a binding quote and should not be treated as one.
Accuracy
Good enough for planning and budgeting; not a substitute for a survey on a large move. Most people underestimate — the loft, the garage and the contents of cupboards are what get left off.
Our self-survey is not a rough guess dressed up as a tool. It computes volume from the same per-item cubic-metre data our surveyors quote from, which is why we are comfortable telling you when it is enough and when it is not. You can run the volume estimator now, and it will also tell you which container your shipment fits.
Getting the most out of whichever you choose
The single biggest cause of a volume changing between survey and collection is not the surveyor. It is a decision the household had not made yet.
- Decide what is not going before the survey, not after. Every cubic metre you remove comes off the price at the rate your quote is built on.
- Open everything. Lofts, garages, sheds, under the stairs and the garden are where volume hides — and on a video call the surveyor can only see what you point the camera at.
- Flag awkward items early. A piano, a safe, a full-height wardrobe or anything needing crating changes the plan as well as the price.
- Mention access at both ends. A narrow street, no parking, or a flat on the fourth floor with no lift can require a shuttle vehicle.
- Check what you cannot ship at all before you list it — see what Australian biosecurity stops at the border.
That last point is worth doing before the survey rather than after it. Our guide to what you can't ship to Australia covers the categories that trigger cleaning or treatment on arrival, and how shipping methods compare explains what your surveyed volume means for the service you end up on.
Common questions
What is a pre-move survey?
An assessment of everything you intend to ship, which produces a volume in cubic metres. That volume is what your quote is priced on — international moves are charged by the space your goods occupy, not their weight. A survey can be done in your home, over a video call, or by you using our volume estimator.
Does a pre-move survey cost anything?
No. Surveys are free and carry no obligation, whichever type you choose. You are under no commitment to book after one.
How accurate is a video survey compared with an in-home visit?
Close, when the call is done properly. The gap is not the technology, it is coverage — a surveyor standing in your house opens the cupboard themselves, whereas on a call they can only ask you to. Video surveys slip when the camera never reaches the loft, the garage or the back of a wardrobe. Show those and the result is broadly comparable.
Can I just use the volume calculator instead of having a survey?
For a small move, often yes — a studio or one-bedroom flat has little enough volume that a modest error costs little, and our estimator is built on the same per-item cubic-metre data our surveyors quote from. For a three-bedroom house and up we would not recommend it as your only assessment, because that is where forgetting the loft and the garage starts to move you across a container threshold.
How long does a pre-move survey take?
An in-home survey takes 45 to 90 minutes for a typical family home. A video survey takes 30 to 60 minutes and can be paused and resumed. A self-survey takes 10 to 15 minutes, whenever suits you.
What should I have ready before the survey?
Access to every space that holds anything you might ship — the loft, garage, shed, outbuildings and the garden. A rough idea of what you are leaving behind or selling, since that comes straight off the volume. And any items that will need special handling: a piano, artwork, a safe, anything oversized. If access at either end is difficult — a narrow street, no parking, a high floor with no lift — say so early, because that changes the vehicle as well as the price.
Ready to book a survey?
Tell us about your move and we'll arrange the type that suits it. Free, with no obligation.