If you are moving abroad and need a reliable removals company to ensure your move goes ahead smoothly, get in contact with Mark Ratcliffe Moving & Storage today!
Many people are choosing to move abroad due to an increasing range of opportunities and experiences abroad, and it is made easier by today's transport system being so accessible. Whether you are moving your business overseas, studying abroad or simply starting a new life somewhere new - we can help make sure your move goes ahead as smoothly as possible. We have many agents worldwide in over 200 countries who are all ready to help with your move. Your goods are closely tracked from the start of their journey, through customs and right up until they are safely unpacked at your new location. We are more than happy to set up all of your belongings so you can start your new life straight away.
We are made up of a fully qualified and insured team who have been in the industry for many years. We have the expertise to safely transport all of your belongings to your new destination, prioritising their safety. When you first enquire, we get to know your exact requirements and can adjust our service to suit your needs. The customer always comes first - we put your needs first so that you have a fantastic experience working with us. Over many years, we have grown into a renowned company with an outstanding reputation for providing reliable removals for international moves - just try us!
We get to know your requirements and create a detailed plan as to which transport methods suit your move best. We have access to transport your goods via road, air and shipping - whichever may be most efficient. We even offer a packing service where our fully trained team will safely pack your belongings, only using the best tools and materials. If you prefer to pack your goods yourself, we recommend taking advantage of our high quality packing materials and tools which are available to be purchased at our shop. We offer various sized cartons, tissue paper, plain paper, bubble wrap and 2" vinyl tape. We are happy to unpack your goods at your new location if you require. We also offer portable wardrobe cartons so your clothes stay clean and crease free on their travels.
Mark Ratcliffe Moving & Storage is an independent Sussex removals company founded in 2017, operating from our purpose-built depot on the A22 at Lower Dicker. We’re BAR-registered and our work is BS 8564 accredited — the British Standard for cross-border consumer moves. We specialise in full-service local, national and international moves, with dedicated UK ↔ Thailand expertise, European removals and worldwide door-to-door shipping.
In our many years we've been established as a removal company, we are lucky to have built a loyal client base. One of our happy customers is Andrew, who moved to Thailand with the help of our services:
"Dear Mark, Thank you for the excellent way that you transported all my belongings from Eastbourne to Sakon Nakhon, Thailand. Everything arrived in good condition and exactly in the timeframe that you had told me. The delivery company accepted that I changed the delivery address without any hassle so everything was delivered to my new home. The guys who delivered were excellent. They were very polite and courteous and spoke excellent English. I can thoroughly recommend your service which, for me, was efficient and worry free."
Read more customer testimonials on our reviews page.
For reliable service which prioritises customer service at affordable prices, get in touch with a member of our friendly team today - call 01323 848 008 or complete the form at the top of this page.
Most of our Tunbridge Wells work falls into one of three property categories. Tile-hung Victorian and Edwardian terraces on the older streets, where the move-out involves narrow staircases, sash windows that need protecting, and original mantelpieces that we wrap individually. Post-war semis and detached homes on the mid-century estates — wider doors, garages that often function as overflow loft space, and gardens that have accumulated sheds, greenhouses and outdoor furniture. And modern detached new-builds, where the move is faster but the inventory is usually bigger thanks to the bonus rooms and double garages.
Wherever you are heading from Tunbridge Wells, the route has its own page with the customs position, the transit window and the delivery realities at the far end: Thailand, Switzerland, France and Paris on our weekly service, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand, the USA and Canada, South Africa and the UAE.
Whichever of those three describes your Tunbridge Wells home, the survey covers the same ground: room-by-room walk, photo of every awkward corner, and a written, itemised quote within 48 hours. We don’t quote off a phone call for anything bigger than a one-bedroom flat — phone quotes too often miss the loft, the under-stair cupboard or the shed, and the price moves on move day. A proper survey is free, takes 30 to 45 minutes, and means the price you see is the price you pay.
Our daily routes out of the Lower Dicker depot put Tunbridge Wells within standard half-day or full-day reach, depending on inventory size and the destination address. A typical Tunbridge Wells pickup with a Sussex or Surrey delivery completes in a single day, including pad-wrapping at the load and unwrapping at the unload. The lorry leaves Lower Dicker in time to be on your driveway ten minutes before the stated load time — we don’t make customers wait around at 6am for a 7am scheduled start.
For chain-day moves out of Tunbridge Wells the timings matter and we plan the schedule from the keys-release time backwards. For longer-distance UK moves — to the Midlands, the West Country, the north — we generally split the day across two crews if the inventory exceeds a single lorry. Anything heading overseas from Tunbridge Wells routes through our customs-controlled holding bay at the depot, where the container is loaded after a final inventory check.
The Tunbridge Wells quote process runs in five practical steps. First, a phone or web enquiry — tell us the address and the rough move date and we’ll suggest a survey slot. Second, the survey itself: either in-home (30 to 45 minutes) or over a video call. Both produce the same paperwork. Third, the written quote, emailed within 48 hours, itemised by line — pad-wrap, transport, packing materials, insurance, any specialist handling — so you can see what every cost line covers.
Fourth, the deposit and date hold: typically 25% on confirmation, fully protected under the British Association of Removers’ Advance Payment Guarantee. Fifth, the move itself — uniformed crew, our own lorry, no agency labour, blankets washed between jobs, and a written inventory at handover. None of this is unusual but it’s worth saying because a meaningful minority of removal firms across Kent cut corners on at least one of those steps.
Most Tunbridge Wells moves use one of three packing options. Full pack — our crews pack everything in the house the day before move day, using removal-grade cartons and tissue. Fragile-only pack — we handle the kitchen, the display cabinets, the framed art, the mirrors, the lamps, and the customer packs the easy stuff (books, clothing, linen, garage). Self-pack with materials supplied — we drop off cartons, tape, bubble and tissue, and you do it yourself with our written room-by-room guide.
Where the dates don’t line up (the sale completes a fortnight before the purchase, the chain slips, or the new property isn’t ready), we hold the load at our A22 depot in steel strong-rooms with 24-hour CCTV. Short-term storage between contracts is charged by the week; longer-term storage is invoiced monthly. For Tunbridge Wells customers needing self-access self-storage, the ground floor of the depot is fitted for that — individual digital-entry doors and 24/7 access via a key fob.
After the move, we come back to collect empty cartons free of charge if you’re within standard delivery range. We also offer an unpack service for customers who prefer the new home set up by us — particularly common for older customers and white-glove relocations.
The map below shows Tunbridge Wells and the area our removals and storage crews cover from our Lower Dicker depot.
Tunbridge Wells is a cross-county run north from our East Sussex depot, so we build the travel into the day’s plan. For end-of-month dates between May and September, six to ten weeks’ notice is sensible. Mid-week, mid-month dates can sometimes be booked two to three weeks ahead. Larger Kent houses with a lot of contents fill the busiest end-of-month slots first, so early is better.
Yes — typically 25% of the quoted price on booking, with the balance payable on the day of completion. All deposits are protected under the British Association of Removers’ Advance Payment Guarantee.
Crew time, our own lorry, the fuel for the run into Kent, pad-wrap (industry-grade blankets washed between jobs), basic transit insurance and labour. Quoted separately: packing materials, fragile-only or full packing service, and specialist handling for a piano, antiques, art or marble. Older Tunbridge Wells houses often hold heavy period furniture that needs a proper handling plan, and that is agreed at survey.
Yes — full British Association of Removers members and audited annually, including the BS 8564 international removal standard. Our membership number and current audit dates are on the BAR site.
Depends on the date and the inventory. A smaller Tunbridge Wells job can often be slotted in within a week. Three- and four-bed houses — and the town has a great many of them — usually need two weeks minimum so we can crew correctly and allow for the drive up from East Sussex. Ring us with the date and we’ll tell you honestly whether it’s possible.
Yes — more than 200 countries through FIDI-network partners, kept with our own crews rather than sub-contracted to a broker. Goods leave Tunbridge Wells for the customs-controlled holding bay at the A22 depot in East Sussex, and the container is loaded there after a final inventory check. BAR Overseas Group membership and the BS 8564 standard govern how the shipment is packed, listed and documented.