KirstyLP

Hi Tedster, I work for Bournes and we offer this service too so hopefully I can give you a bit more info to reassure you... Most of the time we arrange in home surveys BUT on occasions where a customer prefers to do a video survey or where we can't do in home then it's a great way to still be able to help our customers. For example if you've got limited availability and we can't find an appointment to suit, or if you need an out of working hours survey, if you're in a hurry and we don't have anyone free to come to your home quick enough or actually some people just prefer it to having someone visit them in person - so usually it's driven on customer requirements/preference providing their phone/internet connection will support it, and we typically would offer a choice of options. When we do the surveys by video they are really easy, and i'm assuming the same goes for Pickfords. The surveyor will talk you through how to connect and then when you get connected it's just like 'face time' if you've used that before. If Pickfords operate like us they will look at everything they would if they visited in person, ask you to open up cupboards or maybe give a few measurements if it's not clear. We normally also ask during the survey for you to show us access too so we can see about parking and how far it is to the door/any tricky areas etc. In terms of accuracy I believe that this method of surveying has not proved to be any less accurate than a physical survey, providing the person you're on the call with 'directs' you well to make sure they see everything they need to. If they don't ask, don't forget to point out any items of high value or that you're particularly concerned about and might want special handling/extra care wrapping. Make sure to open up any cupboards to show them and point out any less obvious storage space and to cover anything outside (garden, shed, garage etc.) and the anything in the loft. Hope that helps!

When you are comparing the quotes make sure they are all like for like - some areas to check are volume, dates the quotes are based on (prices for peak season can vary quite considerably from quieter times), any special packing (crates etc) or handling requirements (like shuttle vehicles or outside elevators), inclusions/exclusions, insurance premiums (and include the actual cost of this in your total cost) etc. These can all make a difference to the final price and if not covered could be a nasty surprise later on. Good luck!

hi Darren, Sorry to hear that. Hope the below is of some asssistance regarding the physical shipping bit. best regards, Kirsty

Customs duties and taxes (if imposed for importing anything that isn't duty free) as well as quarantine inspection by Australian bio security (should your shipment be selected) are usually excluded, although a couple of movers do include a fixed rate for the latter, but there are pros and cons to that... The other charges are all part of the standard process of shipping and normally included though, but that could depend on the type of company you're using. Most International Removals companies will include these. Make sure you ask them the cost for these in advance so you can factor that into your budget and compare properly with your other quotes.

There is some really good info on this Department of Agriculture and Water Resources website here if you've not already seen it? including common items of concern, cleaning tips etc : http://www.agriculture.gov.au/travel...ng-immigrating The BICON database https://bicon.agriculture.gov.au/BiconWeb4.0 also lets you search for a specific item to find out any import conditions, treatment etc. Hope that helps!

hi! Your best bet for a single suitcase would be using a baggage courier type company that send unaccompanied baggage which will probably be the most effective way of getting the last bits of your things there. There are lots of companies out there (a quick google search for unaccompanied baggage will bring up lots of options), as always check for quality accreditations (like FIDI or BAR Overseas if it's a removal company) and reviews to make sure the company are repuatble. Some other members might be able to recommend which they've used for excess baggage?

Costs will be made up of three main stages: 1) Packing and collection - volume of goods, any special items that require extra packing or crating or special handling, access to your origin property (all of which determine the cost of labour, equipment and materials) 2) Transport - from your house to the port, shipment by sea, and delivery to your new home. Costs can vary slightly depending on the sailing time of the vessel 3) Unloading/unpacking - again based on volume of goods, special handling, disposal of materials and access to destination. There may also be elements included for the dates of your move - for example are you moving at a really busy time of year when prices are a bit higher, are there any periods of storage required (e.g. if you're staying in a temp rental before you can take delivery). Insurance will usually be quoted as a separate charge and often is a % of the value of goods you are moving. There will also be the costs of Biosecurity inspection which is usually payable locally as the cost can vary and so most removal companies exclude this from their quote. Hope that helps?

For small shipments like this then shared container shipping will probably be the most cost effective method if you don't need them within a few weeks. There are generally 2 options, one we call 'Groupage' which is where your boxes go in a container with other customers heading to the same location and then are separated out and delivered again at the other end. This is the cheapest option as you share the freight costs and associated charges, but it can be the slowest option depending on the company you use and the frequency they ship as well as if you're the first customer who buys space in the container or the last. If you're not in a hurry and can load in August ready for your arrival in January this is a great option, and the mover can arrange storage for you at either end to make sure your dates tie up. The other option is LCL (less than container load) where your boxes are placed in a wooden crate by your removal company and taken to a consolidator for shipping over and then will be de-consolidated and delivered back to you the other end. This is quicker than groupage as the consolidator ship much more frequently than individual movers. This is typically almost as speedy as your own container, but does come at a slightly higher price than groupage. Hope that helps a bit, but any other questions i'm happy to answer if I can!

You're more than welcome, the whole process can be really confusing if you've not done it before as there is so much involved, so happy to provide a few pointers where I can!

Hello! Inclusion of fees will depend on the type of quote and company. Typically if a quote is provided by a specialist International Removals company door to door (Collection, transport, delivery to your new home) then it will include fees such as customs clearance and terminal handling (Check with each what is included/excluded as this can vary), but if the quote is door to port it may not. Quotes don't normally include any duties and taxes (as these will be variable and determined by the inspector) but import of household goods into Australia is typically duty free subject to meeting certain conditions (find out more on the Australian Government website here https://www.border.gov.au/Busi/Impo/Send). The other charge that may not be included as CaptainC mentioned is the Bio-security examination charge, again because this is variable for every shipment. There is some really good info on this, including fees, on the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources website here: http://www.agriculture.gov.au/travelling/moving-immigrating If you want more quotes you can check out the FIDI website for reputable companies certified to the FAIM international moving standard that are based in Cyprus https://www.fidi.org/find-a-fidi-company-country?field_address_country=CY - a good International Removals company will be able to advise you of all the charges you should expect to help you budget in advance of booking. Hope that helps? Good luck!

My advice would be to always look for an international removal company that is a member of FIDI as they will be certified to the FAIM international moving quality standard, this means they are qualified for the specific skills/experience/knowledge required for international moving and are pre-vetted to reduce the risk of anything going wrong during your move. Additionally members of the BAR Overseas group offer an advance payment guarantee, you can also find reviews of members on their website. When you get your quotes make sure they are all like-for-like including a similar volume, inclusions/exclusions, transit time, services (i.e. if anything is being crated or dismantled) and that the companies are of similar standing. Hope that helps?

We asked our Australian partners directly to confirm when this question originally came up, because we know this is different in most other countries, and they said that you can send the shipment on a bridging or tourist visa and that regardless of visa imports are allowed duty free providing all the items are used and over one year old. Of course there is a risk that if your visa is not eventually granted that you will have to leave the country and at that point will have the issue of what to do with all your belongings again, so you need to evaluate if it's a better idea to delay your shipment if there is any question over that.

as Lady Rainicorn said most large shipping companies offer a shared container service, which means that your belongings are loaded in with other customers heading to the same destination. If you're not in a hurry this is a cost effective option for small shipments (that you don't want to take as excess baggage). Timescales can vary depending on if you're the first customer that books space in a container, or the last as there will be a period of time where the moving company has to sell the rest of the space and collect all the shipments, but if you call a few up they will be able to tell you when their next container might be scheduled to leave so you can get a better idea of the timescale.

Most countries do require you to have your Visa before they will allow entry of goods, but I believe Australia is an exception to the rule. I asked this question of our Australian partners in February 2015 as we had a customer with a similar query and they said that regardless of visa (tourist/temp or permanent) imports are allowed duty free provided all the items are used and over 1 year old. Your moving company if you go down the route of getting quotes should be able to provide more detail and clarification if you ask them. Hope that helps!

hi Katherine, Check the FIDI website (www.fidi.org) for a list of international removals companies that serve your area that are certified to the FAIM international moving standard to ensure you're choosing a reputable, qualified overseas mover. Hope that helps!

hi Adidasandy, Check the FIDI website (http://www.fidi.org) for a list of international removals companies that serve your area that are certified to the FAIM international moving standard to ensure you're choosing a reputable, qualified overseas mover. You should be able to ship your household goods along with your other scooter and jetski+trailer in the same container, likely the shipping company would secure them in place (they may crate the scooter separately) and then overcase or use a bulk head to separate from the boxes and furniture to prevent any damage during transit but still allow you to share the freight cost with just one container. Hope that helps.

Hi Laura, Depending on method of shipment you're right, this can vary. If you're having your own exclusive use container actual time on the water is around 5-8 weeks depending on shipping line and route of the vessel which can be advised when you are getting your quotes (you can select a fast/slow sailing in that bracket if thats important to you). You'll need to add on a few days before hand for packing, loading and transport into the port which again will vary based on when you want collection and when your vessel leaves. At destination you'll also want to add in some time (as an idea around 10 days) for the vessel to be unloaded, your goods to clear customs and be collected and for delivery to be arranged. Shared load services vary more widely depending on which company you use and how frequently they send shared containers to Perth, but think more in the region of 12-16 weeks as a guide. Usually the removal company will be able to provide local storage if you're not ready, depending on how long this is this may incur charges which again will vary with each company but they'll advise you of any storage charges in advance as part of your quote. Hope that helps?

hi! Packing services are usually optional, however, for international moves packing services are used most of the time and are highly recommended for several reasons including... 1) the journey can be a lot rougher than for a UK move by road... ships move in lots of different ways so the level of packing / wrapping used can be different to provide added protection! International packers are specially trained and experienced in what's required to give the required level of protection. That goes for the kind of materials used too (often people moving within the UK use less sturdy cartons which aren't suitable for international moves). 2) some insurers will only offer total loss cover on owner packed boxes and not damage to individual items, as they are not aware of the condition before packing 3) You need to be very clear on what you can and can't ship, if you're packing your own boxes make sure to brush up on restricted/prohibited items. International packers will be well trained and experienced in this and can highlight to you anything you've asked them to pack which is not allowed or that they would advise against. Hope that helps?

If it's not available online (some companies email these out to new enquiries) our version is here http://info.bournesmoves.com/international-shipping-volume-calculator Hope that helps.

As Marisawright says most professional international removal companies will offer a storage service if you need more time here in the UK before shipping. Check the FIDI directory for reputable, certified companies in your area. http://www.fidi.org Hope that helps!

Check the FIDI website for FAIM Certified International Removal companies in France. https://www.fidi.org/find-a-fidi-company-country?field_address_country=FR This accreditation gives you peace of mind that your removal company is pre-vetted to meet stringent quality standards that reduce the risk of anything going wrong with your move. Hope that helps.

One large element of pricing for an international quote is the volume of goods you are taking. This volume affects a number of costs - the time for a crew to pack, wrap and load them as well as the cost of freight to ship them and the cost of a destination crew to unload them, plus the amount of packing materials that will be used etc. Their price will be based on either a) a full 20ft container OR b) certain volume to be shipped within a 20ft container (over a certain volume its cost effective to ship in it's own container, even if it's not full) - check with JM which it is. If it's a) then it probably doesn't matter if you change what's shipped as long as it doesn't involve any extra special handling (something that needs crating or is especially heavy or awkward to move) and as long as you don't exceed your container BUT i would advise to check with them that this assumption is correct and to make sure you don't incur extra costs later on. If it's b) then your inventory can change as with a) but you will need to be careful not to exceed the set volume priced for so you may not be able to fill the container completely for the same price. Again, check with JM. Best thing to do is speak with JM and get clarification on this, many international removals companies handle this sort of scenario differently so it's important to ask the questions directly to ensure you understand up front what your costs will be. Any decent mover will be happy to (and expect!) lots of questions in the run up to your booking and your move as they will understand that although this is something THEY do every day, it's not something you do very often! Hope that helps.

hi Mike, you don't necessarily need to find someone to share with yourself. Most International Shipping companies will offer shared load services and will have customers that they can combine your bike with? Check out the FIDI website for someone in your area and get in touch to find out if they provide that service. Hope that helps?

Hi Sarah, The average international moving customer starts to arrange quotes 3-4 months before move day, although there is no harm getting quotes earlier (although too much earlier you might find prices change) or even at shorter notice than that (although if you're moving in peak season you may struggle with availability if you leave it too late). If you're only moving a small volume then a shared load service might be a cost effective way of moving, this comes with a slightly longer transit time from collection to delivery in the UK (possibly 12-16 weeks depending on the company you use) so be sure to factor that in when working out your required timescales. If you're looking at budgeting then most companies will be happy to give you an estimate over the phone or using an online volume calculator to give you an idea of cost and then do an official fixed quote nearer the time. Hope that helps!

You can find a list of FIDI companies here https://www.fidi.org/find-a-fidi-company-country?field_address_country=AU