Absolutely! There is a company in the USA called Movinghelp.com that is a great resource to find local help. If not call a local independent mover to quote you on providing a loading crew.

What the cheapest way to move overseas?

Obviously the less you send the less you spend. If you have nothing fragile then the UPakWeShip Pallet service is a very economic way to ship but its not as safe and secure as UPakWeShip’s U Crate service. Always go for a door-to-door option, thinking you are going to save money by collecting your things at the port is often a false economy. You will have to pay a bunch of extra fees before you are allowed to collect it and its probably going to be in a yard in a shady part of town you wish you were not in, let alone your belongings!

Do I need insurance?

Would you not insure your car or house contents? The chances are slim right, but you still insure them just in case. It’s the same with shipping insurance. 99% of the time everything is perfect but just in case something happens you will be pleased you got your money back on the shipping cost as well as being able to buy some new things to compensate for your losses.

   Shall I ship everything including all my furniture or just the personal stuff?

If you company is going to pay for everything you might as well ship everything but if you are on a lump sum relocation meaning you have a budget then may be consider just shipping your essential items like clothes, pictures, hobby stuff like your guitar, golf clubs, fishing poles, books, gaming chair etc and leave the rest behind. With the money saved, buy a new bed and sofa at your destination, and treat yourself to an upgraded flight!

Which companies should I get quotes from?

Using google, search for international moving companies that specialize in the are you are shipping to. For example, there is no point asking a company that specializes in South America if you are moving to London. Also, if you are paying your self and only have a few hundred cubic feet or 2500lbs for example there probably isn’t the need to use an expensive corporate mover however great their red carpet VIP service is!

Check out Facebook recommendation groups like Americans moving to Portugal or Brits in LA, or NY or moving to Costa Rica group for example. Many people will share their experiences and recommendations as well as other helpful advice.

  Google reviews are also important but don’t be put off if a company has just a few bad ones. Sometimes they are written by competitors and sometimes you just can’t please everybody however hard you might try.

Ask other expats who you meet at your destination who they used for shipping their personal effects and household goods. May be others at the same company you will be working for or same school or may be a local expat group or realtor.

What should I be looking for in a quote?

Check to see everything that can be is included. Some companies might miss out port charges or terminal or handling fees that you would have to pay at the destination. Your best bet is to prepay everything door to door in your quote. If its too good to be true, don’t book it! There are still some unscrupulous companies out there who will take your money and run! Bottom line you are looking for a decent door to door all-inclusive lump sum price.

Questions to ask the mover.

Once you have narrowed it down to a few movers, ask them some questions. How long have you been in business? Do you have a license and what’s the number? Do you have references?  What’s the transit time? Who do you use overseas at the destination you are moving to? Do you have your own warehouse? How many employees do you have? I’m all for small business support but you don’t want to have all your treasured belongings being taken care of by a one-man band working from their basement, do you? Ask the company about the destination you are going to. If you are moving to Edinburgh but they have no idea where that it and can’t pronounce it, it’s probably not the right fit for you. Do they know about local customs regulations or at least can find out for you?

   This is written by UPakWeShip’s  International Moving Doctor. We hope this helps when you are looking for an International Mover to ship your things overseas.  If you have any other questions, click here and ask the International Moving Doctor.

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We know we are by no means the only good company in the international moving world, but we also know there are quite a few less than desirable moving and shipping companies that will get your things and then hold it hostage for more money. Hopefully the notes below will help you choose a great company.

1/ In the USA, all companies performing international moves must be licensed by the Federal Maritime Commission and have a FMC license number.  To check to see if a company is licensed click here. https://www2.fmc.gov/oti/  We are licensed as EuroUSA Shipping Inc and UPakWeShip. It is important to use a licensed professional in case anything went wrong you can contact the FMC dispute and resolution committee to help and advise you.

2/ Google reviews. No one in a service industry has perfect reviews but check that the company has more than 4 out of 5 stars.

3/ Do they sound like they know where you are going? Do they seem knowledgeable, are they aware of customs procedures and can answer questions?

4/ Can they email you a picture of your shipment when it arrives at the terminal? OK rubbing it in a little here as I am not sure anyone else apart from UPakWeShip sends you a picture, but we think it’s important to show you that we care and put your mind at ease.

5/ Do they have their own office at the destination to take care of you when you and your shipment arrives? Having your own office is a great plus as it maintains service levels and shipping costs and stops other companies or agents charging you more money at the destination for made up extra charges before delivery. If they use an agent and don’t have their own office overseas, Google the name of the agent and check the reviews. Sometimes there can be financial disputes between companies and your shipment is placed on hold until they get it sorted out. This will not happen if you are using the same company both ends!

6/ Do they specialize in the area you are moving to?  We specialize in UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Others might specialize in Mexico, Canada, Asia, Africa etc. but there is no point in going with a great company that specializes in Asia if you are moving to London!

7/ Do they answer the phone? Is there more than one person working at this company? We are OK with supporting small businesses, but you don’t want your precious belongings sitting in the middle of the Atlantic when the owner operator has an argument with a bus!

8/ How many years have they been in business? It takes time to get established, build credit, become stable. Don’t book with a new company, why take the risk when there are plenty of established businesses. I know we are showing our age, but we started up in 1988!

9/ We know price plays an important part of the decision but if you are not getting a warm and fuzzy feeling about the people with the best price, don’t do it! Your personal things deserve better! Make sure you ask for all inclusive pricing. You don’t want any extra surprises. Customs exams and x rays would always be extra as no one knows what these costs would be if any, but pretty much everything else should be included. Insurance is always an extra and anyone that says insurance is included in your quote means the insurance is worthless.

10/ If you want to pack your things yourself you can, don’t let some moving and packing company talk you into believing that you won’t get through customs at destination if you pack it yourself. If that was the truth we wouldn’t be in business. There is no more risk if you pack it yourself, but the mover makes a lot of money charging you to pack your things.

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UPakWeShip Moving Doctor

This is a good question and hopefully a decent answer by the International Moving Doctor so I thought I would post it for everyone else to see.

Hello,

I’m moving from Los Angeles to London in mid-July and the U-Crate 100 seems like the perfect option for me.

I do not yet have a permanent residence overseas and am wondering if it’s possible to book the pick-up date without a delivery address? I would be able to provide one after arriving and securing a flat in London.

Surely I can’t be the first person with this dilemma, does UPakWeShip have any standard procedure for such instances or is it up to me to figure out? Any info is appreciated, thank you!

The simple answer is yes you can ship without an address, just let us know when you have found a place so we can update your information. Don’t fret if you haven’t found a place by the time its ready for delivery as we can easily store your U Crate or pallet for about 25 Pounds or Euros per week until you need delivery.

Some other points though that should be mentioned are as follows: Wherever you are moving to in the world, there is normally a rule that stipulates that you need to be in the Country in order for local customs to clear your shipment into that country tax and duty free.

In order to obtain tax free entry of your household goods into the UK, you will need to complete a Transfer of Residence form online. ( More details on our web site) For this form you need an address but you can complete it with your work, hotel, family member or friend that you might be staying with temporarily before you find your own home.

Hope this helps and let me know if you have other questions.

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Hi Moving Doctor,
I have been in the US for some fourteen years but am now returning to the UK.
2 bedroom home and want to take most of my furniture and personal belongings, what’s the best advice

Submitted on 2014/09/03 at 3:32 pm | In reply to Peter.

Hello Peter, If you are wanting to take beds, sofas and that sort of stuff, the safest and cheapest way of doing this is using our self load shipping container service. The containers come on a back of a truck and are aprox 20 feet by 8 feet wide and 8 foot 6 inches high. That’s about the size of a single car garage and will normally fit a small 3 bed house, town houses or a flat. You have to pack and load it up yourselves and unload it the other end but we will take care of everything in between. You can normally save between $2500-$3,000 by using this service rather than a full service moving company. Even if you pack everything yourselves and hire a local mover at about $500 to help you load it, you are still quids in. I’ll get Stephanie in our office to email you so she can find out from where to where and then send you a quote for this. We can also offer various cheaper options for smaller amounts if you choose to send a smaller amount of furniture. I hope this helps and let me know if you need more advice, help or any questions, cheers The Moving Doctor.

If you have any questions about a possible move overseas feel free to Ask The Moving Doctor.
You will always get an honest, sensible reply and sometimes a little British Humor thrown in.
A free service provided by UPakWeShip

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