Previously, using a self-packing moving company was largely used as a way to save money. Understandably, moving can be very expensive, and our mission has always been to make the overseas move as accessible as possible to those who want to.

Some people have a strict budget, whilst others would simply rather but in a bit of legwork during their move, and spend the money they saved elsewhere (flight upgrades, new car, new kitchen…).

However, the last year has seen a huge shift in the way people move. Unsurprisingly, people are starting to think twice about packers entering their home, touching their belongings, using their toilets, shaking hands and being in close proximity to one another.

So, what’s the solution?

A UPakWeShip move!

Whilst other movers are suddenly scrabbling to get together a smooth, uninterrupted self-packing service in a matter of weeks and months, we’ve been perfecting it for years.

The UPakWeShip service has always been contactless (otherwise we’d have to have a serious think about rebranding) and 2020 has proven just how invaluable it can be to have this option.

Packing yourself may feel like a bit of elbow grease, but the money it saves and the safety measures it guarantees will be invaluable in the long-term. If you have a couple of trustworthy friends (within your country’s restriction allowance, of course), why not get them involved? Offer coffee, beer or buy them dinner – it will STILL cost you less money than having the ‘real deal’ enter your home – and you’ve got a better idea of where they’ve been!

Our EU self-packing services come in two forms: Pallets and U-Crates.

Let’s go through the difference…

U-Crates

A U-Crate is a specially designed, UPakWeShip ‘box’ which comes in two sizes: 50 cubic feet and 100 cubic feet. Upon booking, you will organise a day with your shipping coordinator for the U-Crate to be delivered in a flatpack form. On the pre-arranged ‘collection day’ you simply take it onto the curb, set it up (instructions are included), and pack your boxes into it. Our U-Crates are a bespoke design, created specifically to maximise the safety and security of your shipment.

Everything will be pre-arranged with your shipping coordinator, who will have walked you through all of the steps necessary for your move. We will come and collect the fully packed U-Crate, and it will appear on your doorstep in 6-8 or 10-12 weeks time, dependent on it destination.

Pallets

Most of us are familiar with pallets – they’re found around most warehouses, garden centres of DIY stores. If you decide to go with our pallet service, it’s worth finding out where they are locally, often you can save money an old, used one for free.

On collection day, you pack your belongings in boxes onto the pallets, secure it safely using any mechanism you choose (we recommend strong plastic wrap and plenty of cable ties) and we will come and collect your pallet from your curb.

However you choose to move, our contactless moving service offers a safe alternative. A further bonus to not having packers come into your home, is that we are also able to offer extremely competitive prices. Our prices are available on our website, and are all-inclusive and determined by the service, not the weight – so you won’t have any nasty surprises on the other end of your move.

Wondering how much your move will cost? Why not take a look at our website right now. We also operate in the USA, Canada and the UK.

The post UPakWeShip: The New Normal for Moving Overseas appeared first on UPakWeShip.

We’ve built a company based on the knowledge that moving needs to be more simple and less stressful. As the world becomes more globalized and moving to different countries becomes more attractive, more and more people are moving abroad and we want to make sure that when they do, they can rely on their moving company if they choose us.

So, what methods have we implemented to make your move easy?

1. Instant Prices

When you’re on the hunt for a moving company with affordable prices, often a lot of back and forth, and even a phone call involved. We wanted to make sure potential customers had a way to find instant quotes that were all-inclusive. That’s why we have instant prices on our website. Simply input the collection state and the delivery country and we can let you know how much each of our services will cost, right this second.

2. Add a delivery address later

We know that in an ideal world, you’d have everything sorted before we collect your belongings. However, the reality is this often isn’t the case. Whether you are renting accommodation, house hunting or using storage, you can change your delivery at a later date and don’t need to worry.

3. Take your time to pack

If you’re unsure of the precise date of your move, we can drop off your U-Crate or pallet and collect it at a later date. Whilst we do ask for a couple of weeks’ notice for full delivery and collection, once your service has been dropped off, just reach out to your shipping coordinator to organize a day that works for you.

4. We specialise in curbside moving

We recently published a whole article on how UPakWeShip was social distancing before it was a necessity. You pack your items yourself, you know what needs extra safety and security measures, nobody is entering your home – all of the information on our collection/delivery moving service is available in this blog post. We’ve had years to nail curbside moving, which is why we offer such a smooth, efficient service.

5. One Company, Door-to-Door

When you book a move with UPakWeShip, you can rest assured your belongings are in safe hands across the Atlantic. Our HQ is in Charleston, however, we also have offices in Europe – so whether you’re moving to or from the EU, it will be UPakWeShip you’re in contact with throughout. If you’re wondering what the benefits of a destination office is, take a look at our blog post on the topic.

6. Our team are on hand to walk you through your move

When you organise a moving service with UPakWeShip, you won’t be talking to a robot or passed from team to team. We have a fantastic team who will walk you through the processes needed for your move to take place. From forms to tax to payments and organising collection/delivery, our expert shipping team is there to help you with questions and queries to put your mind at ease.

If you’re looking for a moving company that puts its customers first, look no further than UPakWeShip. For more information on our services or to receive an instant quote today, take a look at our website. Moving from the US to the EU? Take a look at our US site.

The post How UPakWeShip Makes Moving Easy appeared first on UPakWeShip.

1. How has UPakWeShip changed since its initial conception?

“The idea simply started as a way to offer the public a cheaper way to move overseas if they wanted to pack themselves – a little like a budget airline but for people moving. Sort of a ‘Freddy Laker’ of the moving business if anyone else can remember that far back! The concept seemed to work, and customers loved it, so we started to develop the business further, and came up with our U Crates, which offer door to door moving.

“So much has changed since the initial startup. The obvious is that we’ve grown into a multimillion business with overseas offices, but I think the biggest change over the last 15 years is the technology.

“We started with a phone, a fax, a PC, and cardboard files. Now, we are paperless and cloud-based and have an amazing custom-built database that connects with our customers to make the whole process easier! If only it could make the tea! 

“We also now have our automatic online pricing system, which is a real game-changer as it allows everyone to see all the different moving options and the prices 24/7. It allows us to keep our overheads down as there’s no longer the need to have staff emailing out direct quotes. Instead, our staff can concentrate more on the moving experience for customers, answering questions, and guiding them through the process.”

2. What’s been the biggest lesson learned as UPakWeShip has evolved?

“Wow, so many lessons! To name a few: Nothing ever goes exactly to plan, nobody will do as good a job as you and your team, never burn bridges, learn to delegate, don’t ever presume, and as a Brit, it’s always worth thinking things out over a cuppa! 

“I’ve also learned that if at first, you don’t succeed, it’s important to look at your business from the outside in, looking at things from a perspective customers’ point of view will always help with problem-solving.”

3. Why is UPakWeShip different from other moving companies?

“The main one is that we allow you to pack your own things. Obviously, this saves you the money on using movers, but it also means nobody needs to come into your residence and touch all of your belongings – pretty invaluable at the moment!

“We also charge lump sum all-inclusive prices – our prices are online for everyone to see, and we have the most brilliant, knowledgeable, personable, team you could ever have to hold your hand through the process! We also have our own offices andpersonnel in the USA, Europe, and the UK so you get the great UPakWeShip customer service door to door.”

UPakWeShip is very popular right now during  Covid-19 because we do not need to send anyone into your house to collect your things. We can maintain social distancing with our driveway or curbside collection and delivery services.

4. What motivates you on a day-to-day basis?

“Coffee, and my wife! Not in that order though, of course! I also have a lot of employees and family that rely on me for a paycheck. In all honesty, I just enjoy this business… I’m always thinking about how we can do things better for our customers, how to make the international move a little less stressful, more affordable, and just plain easier!”

5. UPakWeShip is a very family-oriented business, do you think that benefits how it operates?

“There are two sides to this. It’s great to be able to provide for family members and help them progress and do well. I obviously trust them a great deal and rely on them to get on with things without being micro-managed. The relationship also means they’ll tell me things straight as they are and not beat around the bush. My only negative is that it’s sometimes hard being the boss during, for example, a personnel issue, or when I have to leave work behind and be a Dad/husband/uncle/ brother at the end of the day.”

6. You’ve moved about a lot yourself, what tips do you have for somebody, or a family, relocating overseas?

“Go on a vacation and have a look at the area before you settle down long-term. I’d also advise you to rent and not buy, and make sure you join Facebook groups and research the area properly.

“We have a lot of advice and guidance on our blog about the moving process, everything we write on there, from the guides to tips and tricks about the moving process, come from our first-hand experience so I’d definitely recommend checking it out for more advice.”

Have a good clear out and don’t ship things you don’t need!

7. Of the places you’ve lived, which has been your favorite and why?

“I loved Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. There was sun, sea, sand and pina coladas…! Just kidding, but I did have a great experience there. I learned a lot and met some great friends.

“To be honest, any destination is only as good as what you make of it. Make sure you become a part of the community, join local expat groups, and make friends! It’s also important to visit local bars and restaurants and try the local food and drink, just make sure you discover all of the different places on offer! When we lived in The Netherlands, we made the most of its location by spending long-weekends in neighboring countries – that was great! I’d also recommend learning a little of the language, although we failed big time with Dutch, I must confess!”

8. What is your favourite European city?

“It’s impossible to pick a great European city… they are all fantastic! I love London as I’m from there, and I love its theatres and the pubs, also in England we obviously have Cornish pasties and sausage rolls – definite weaknesses of mine.

“Depending on what you want, I love Paris for the stores and restaurants, Barcelona for the tapas and Cava, Brussels for chocolate, Rotterdam for watching boats and ships passing by whilst drinking beer.. I think we can all see I have a food and drink theme going on!”

9. UPakWeShip has hugely expanded, with offices in the US, Canada, Mainland Europe, and the UK… do you have any plans to expand further afield?

“Always! We are planning our next venture right now, which might well put us on the move again to start up a new office, but that’s still in the hush-hush stage right now!

“We are also looking into the possibility of an Australian/New Zealand liaison office sometime in the future. We use a great agent there at the moment but strongly believe having our own people at the destination, liaising with our customers and making sure everything goes well with customs clearance, and delivery enables us to maintain our high customer service standards and keeps us getting personal recommendations and customers coming back again for their next move.”

10. Finally, what’s your favorite part of your job?

“I love reading the personal reviews from people, saying what a great job the team did. That just makes it all worthwhile.

“The other aspect is the personal stories behind some of the moves, for example, a few years back we moved a lady in her 80’s fromVirginia to England. She told us she was moving there to be with her fiancée and was planning to get married for the first time!

You just never know what the next phone call or email will bring. Rod Stewart might have said every picture tells a story but every move has one as well.”

The post Meet Mark Nash, the Moving Doctor Behind UPakWeShip appeared first on UPakWeShip.

Jun 5, 2019

by Ashley on UPakWeShip, Inc.

I’d give 6 stars if I could

When we were preparing to move internationally I expected the logistics of shipping our belongings would be a disaster of epic proportions. I found UPakWeShip online and found their rates to be way more affordable than other companies. We decided to go with them after having a few questions answered, and I’m so happy we did. They were easy to work with and accommodating. We lived in Oregon, and when I was scheduling the pick-up, I was told I might want to reconsider pickup on a Friday because the company is headquartered on the east coast, so if pickup didn’t happen before 2pm Pacific, they couldn’t help me if something went wrong. Smart.

The timelines went exactly as they specified, and we had no issues getting our stuff abroad and dropped off. We even had to change the drop off address halfway through and there still wasn’t an issue. I couldn’t be happier with the service we were provided. I would absolutely recommend them to anyone looking to move abroad.

The post UPakWeShip International Moving Reviews. “I’d give 6 stars if I Could” appeared first on UPakWeShip.

Yes but it depends where you are. Their oldest and biggest markets for Amazon are Germany and the UK, but more recently they have opened up in France, Spain and Italy. If, like us you are an expat living in the Netherlands, you can buy online from Amazon in Germany using your same USA prime account user name and password but you will have to pay for shipping. Amazons web site in Holland only sells books and kindles at present.
We have the items we order online delivered to our UPakWeShip Europe office in Rotterdam as home delivery seems to be a bit dodgy here. Things get left with neighbors with no notification of whom.
I don’t think anyone is coming forward with our vacuum cleaner we ordered 6 weeks ago! Pardon the pun but that sucks!

Moving to Europe? You can trust the International Moving Doctor to answer all your questions and don’t forget to read the blog that has tips and tricks for International Moving.

The post American moved to Europe, can I still shop on amazon? appeared first on UPakWeShip.