Moving overseas is an adventure. What to take? What to leave behind? And finally, how to move everything you decide to bring with you? Some people decide to just bring extra luggage on a flight, but this isn’t realistic for many. If you are organising your own move, you will need to decide how to get your belongings to the US.
Air or sea forwarding?
Air freight can take as little as 2-3 days; but this massively depends on where you are coming from and going to in the US. Nairobi to Buffalo is going to take much longer than London to New York. The time available for the provider to deliver has a large impact on the cost.
Sea freight also depends on the same factors, but obviously the time starts to get measured in weeks (boats are slow, and don’t leave every day). In addition, there will be larger differences in time depending on the company you choose to do the shipping and how much you are willing to pay.
Speed is the biggest factor
By sea
Going from Europe to an East coast port in the US is going to take 10-14 days sailing time, Europe to the West coast is going to be a month. Bear in mind, this is the time on the boat and whatever boat is carrying your belongings won’t be sitting there waiting to cast off as soon as your stuff arrives!
No company will be able to give you exact dates - boats are not like planes and weather can have large effects on journey times. Many won’t be able to be very exact at all as they will be looking for the cheapest option (especially if your belongings are not filling a full container, as they will need to combine the load). Others publish schedules and will be more exact, a good example is 1st Move International which publishes their UK to US shipping timetable . The important thing to keep in mind is that a cheap quote might mean a long wait for delivery.
By air
The time to deliver will be most affected by your departure and arrival airports. The more connecting flights, the more options the forwarder will have to get space at the right price and deliver. Urgent or guaranteed times of delivery will make the service more expensive.
Volume or weight: how are costs calculated?
By sea
Costs are normally calculated by the volume of the goods being transported.
By air
Costs are normally calculated using a formula called ‘chargeable weight’, which means the higher value based on calculations of volume or weight will be used. A simple example would be two boxes of the same size: one filled with a bedding (volume), the other with cutlery and books (weight).
Deciding what to take, and how
The first thing you need to do is work out the volume and weight of what you want to move. Knowing this will help decide how to do it. At this point, you also need to be realistic about the value of your possessions and consider the cost of transporting them; there is no point spending $400 to transport a $200 item (unless it has sentimental value). Selling items or putting them in storage may be a better option.
If you have a lot of stuff to move, it is unlikely to be possible to do this by air because of the cost. Your next decisions will then come down to does it fit in a single container (or two), or is it less; then what do you need to take with you on a flight (and/or get sent by air).
Choosing a provider
A local removal company (you should check they are experienced with international moves) may be able to send someone out to measure your belongings and give you a quote. They may not be the cheapest option compared to an online provider where you provide the volume estimates. Be careful: if you book a container based on your measurements and your stuff doesn’t fit, the price is going to change (a lot). One of the biggest causes of problems with removals is disputes between providers and customers based on the size of the job being different than agreed. Less honest providers have also been known to take advantage of the stress of ‘moving day’ to bump costs.
If shipping, try to send things as early as possible (prior to the day you are leaving) to give more time for unforeseen problems.
If you don’t understand a quote or bill, ask for a complete breakdown of costs. Reliable companies should be able to give you a quote that shows clear and accurate billing based on your packed volume or chargeable weight.
Get multiple quotes
It might be a bit of work, but asking a few different reputable companies for quotes for your move is the first thing you need to do. There can often be very large differences in price and estimated delivery times, try to understand why and get more quotes if you don’t. When talking to providers, be very straightforward on what you need and want, especially when it comes to delivery times. Ask for guarantees on maximum delivery times and get penalties written into the contract; if you are up-front with your requirements, you will probably get a better response and idea from a provider about the reality of your delivery process. When considering quotes, take into account how important for you added value items are (if offered), such as 24/7 security and live location tracking of shipments.
Getting through customs - paying import duties
You need to make sure you check the list of prohibited and restricted items so you don’t transport any of them - the consequences for doing so range from a delay to large fines and/or jail. There are also tax considerations on what you can import to the US when relocating (and when that can happen) - see information here.
Check that your provider will be landing your goods and clearing them through customs: you (or your provider) will probably need to complete a Customs Form to avoid delays in transit.
Stay covered
Even if you use the best provider in the world, international transport has some risks: boats sink, containers wash overboard, planes crash and shipments do get ‘lost’. You need to make sure you understand what cover is offered by your provider and then consider if you require further cover (bear in mind that many insurers may require a professional company handles the packing and shipment to provide this).