KirstyLP

You could also try a uk company who does global services, who like us do regular transport to Belgium and could pick your stuff up and bring it back here to consolidate with uk shipments to Austalia, just another option for you. hope that helps

Most shipping companies offer part load (sometimes called shared load or groupage) services, whereby you share a container with another customers of theirs heading to the same destination, so you only pay for the space in the container that you take up. This might work for you and would be a lot more cost effective than having to get everything to London for a move cube...

It is possible to pay directly if you are arranging to clear customs yourself, this website explains more on how - http://www.daff.gov.au/biosecurity/travel/moving-emigrating , however most of our customers ask us to handle door-to-door transportation including customs clearance as we will then handle the process for them rather than split it. The way we work is our office in Australia will invoice the client for any quarantine inspection charges once they know what they are, as well as any treatment charges. Customer's aren't provided with the actual AQIS invoice as standard but this would be available on request.

There is only one inspection for containers by the DAFF, usually referred to as AQIS as i believe this is the department responsible (now under the Biosecurity arm...). As IYM say the costs do vary, this is because it is based on the time it takes to inspect your shipment as well as application fees... and then if any of your goods require treatment (such as fumigation, cleaning or disposal) then there will be charges for this too prior to release. Based on previous experience we advise our customers to expect around AUD$450-500, although this is of course something we cannot guarantee. So, depends on how comfortable you are with the element of risk vs. the potential saving and/or if you have a preferred mover aside from this issue...

Abz123 sounds right, this looks like a 40ft container. As a guide contents of a typical 3 bedroom house would fit in a 20ft container, obvisouly depending on whether the house was sparsely or densely furnished and if you're bringing EVERYTHING or having a bit of a clear out first. Does your employer specify the removal company you'll use? if so they will likely come and do an estimate of the volume so you can work out then if you need to cut back at all. If you're responsible for making the arrangements yourself make sure to point out your allowance when you have the home visits and the move consultant will be able to guide you.

The British Association of Removers Trusted Mover website (http://www.trustedmover.org) is a directory of BAR removal companies which also includes reviews from previous customers if it helps to get a feel of what working with each company is like. Make sure to look for members of the overseas moving group as not all BAR movers are international movers.

that's good to hear, it's a small world hey! we're still happily working with CL today. Hope something exciting is taking you to SA!

The majority of our customers enquire 3-4 months before their move date to give them time to plan and evaluate their options and then to get all the necessary paperwork completed and preparation done before the move. get at least 3 quotes to ensure you're getting a competitive price as well as the right service levels for you. Try the FIDI website (http://www.fidi.com) for a list of reputable movers near you who are independently audited and certified to the FAIM international removals standard.

Normal customs regulations will apply with regards to restricted / prohibited items as these are down to customs and not down to the moving company. You can find a list here: http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page4369.asp

Hi Broady, Cost will depend entirely on your individual circumstances, things like the volume of goods and the type of items you're moving (i.e. how easy they are to move/pack), the properties you're moving from and to and locations, how quickly you would like to receive them, level of services etc so we would always recommend getting an in home move consultation so that a removal company can understand your individual needs and give you a tailored quote. You should aim to get at least 3 quotes so you can get a good comparison and make sure that you get a competitive price, but also that no one has missed anything and that you wont get any surprise extra costs! To find 3 reputable, professional companies near you check out the FIDI website http://www.fidi.com or http://www.baroverseas.co.uk for a list of independently audited and certified international removals companies. You can ship your car in with your furniture, the mover will likely use blocks and braces to secure in place and may then use a wooden bulkhead to protect it from your household items within the container. Hope that helps? Kirsty

You sound pretty switched on, so I'm sure you've already got this, but just a reminder, It's really important to make sure you go back to Crown and get them to break down that quote. Many companies wont include the insurance (as it's optional) and most wont include AQIS (because it varies, although some do). So when you compare make sure you know this information so you don't get any surprises later.

We typically work with our UniGroup Relocation Network partners Chess Moving in Australia, you can check out the http://www.fidi.com website for FIDI FAIM accredited professional movers in your area and we'd always recommend getting at least 3 quotes.

Any removal company would be lying if they said they didn't have a customer with a bad experience - that's the nature of the industry, for every bad experience there are tons of great ones, but your less likely to hear about them. The British Association of Removers operate a website called http://www.trustedmover.org where you can search for removal companies and read reviews, so you can get a better overview of overall performance. Make sure to look out for overseas group members though as not all members of the BAR are experienced in international moves. Hope that helps?

Hi Shell, Try the FIDI website for their directory of FAIM accredited removal companies. FIDI is the most recognised professional removals association and audit companies to ensure they are working to the quality standards required for the complexities of international moving to reduce the risk of anything going wrong. You can find a list of FIDI members on their website. http://www.fidi.com Hope that helps!

I guess this depends if you're intending to use a self storage facility, and independent storage company or use the storage facility of your shipping company (or their destination agent). If the latter usually you would only pay for storage from the time your shipment arrives until you're ready for delivery. With the others you'd be best of contacting them to find out as this will be different for different companies depending on their capacity and availability I would assume? You can also change your delivery address at a later date.

This will depend entirely on the individual company's process and the complexity of your move, some will want to come and check to be able to guarantee your price or to make sure the vehicle sent on the day is big enough / can access the property etc... others will be happy to work on your assessment - if the latter is the case ask what the process is for additional charges or their move plan if something is different to what they expect/plan just to make sure you're aware of any potential issuses/charges.

With shared containers there are two types - Less than Container Load (or LCL) (your goods are collected in the UK, loaded in a crate which is then sent to an independent consolidator and loaded within a steel container and shipped to Hobart, Deconsolidated and collected by a mover there and delivered) or Groupage (collected, labelled and loaded loose within a 20ft container with other customers of your mover, shipped, customs cleared and then deconsolidated and delivered by a mover there). LCL is quicker but more expensive, Groupage is the cheapest option for a shared load but be prepared to wait for your items, usually 12-16 weeks as your mover will need to book and collect all the other customers shipments too. Hope that helps?

This is definitely the best approach, you can search the FIDI directory (Professional Association for International Movers) or the BAR Overseas Moving Group to find companies to invite to quote (Their trustedmover.org website has a lot of reviews if you need to narrow it down). Hope that helps!

Well i'm kind of biased but there are lots of independent reviews on the British Association of Removers Website - Trusted Mover - if they help https://www.trustedmover.org/details/472/bournes

Essentially, it's all down to WHO they are subcontracting to.... it makes sense in some situations (i.e. due to location or due to peak periods). If they are subcontracting the packing and loading services to another company, under their management and that company is of a similar standing to them (i.e. FIDI FAIM or BAR accredited and with a good reputation) then you should receive a comparable level of service to their own crews as they operate within the same standards and the company you book with will still be managing the process, so don't hesitate to ask the question and get the answers you need to reassure you. Hope that helps?

Hi Roger, we work alot with Chess Moving for customers moving to / from Australia and I know they have branches throughout Australia handling inter country moves too. Hope that helps!

Complete ball park but you'll probably look at £6-7000 for a 40ft container to Sydney, lots of factors go into that which can make that figure alter depending on your individual requirements, such as access to your properties, packing requirements, special items, the volume of boxes and furniture etc so always best to get an individual quote as it's quite hard to compare with what other people paid, but hope the ball park helps you for budgeting purposes!

I am sorry for your concerns, however please rest assured that our estimate is based on our experience of a minimum and maximum window and we have back up procedures and alternative arrangements in place to reduce the risk of exceeding this. As part of the UniGroup UTS network we have the benefit of being able to use the option of consolidating either with our own shipments or if the timescales and schedules of our customers shipments do not match up to allow us to fill a container in time then we can consolidate with other members in the UK to ensure all shipments are loaded in order to reach their destination on time and this may be the case on this occasion. Our move management systems create an automatic alert when a consignment is reaching the maximum time in consolidation and will alert the coordinator to make alternative arrangements to ensure we can meet our estimated timescales.

Hi Alex, of course, I just spoke to your move manager and i'm happy to explain. The timescales discussed above in this thread are regarding LCL shipments, whereas you have selected our shared (groupage) container service. LCL shipments are crated by us and sent via an independent consolidator in a container, whereas Groupage shipments are sent with other customers of ours in our own container. The difference in services being both cost (LCL is more expensive than groupage) and timescales. LCL shipments have similar timescales to exclusive containers, 6-8 weeks whereas groupage containers have a longer consolidation period and we normally advise around 12-16 weeks door to door. I believe your shipment is still in it's consolidation period whilst we arrange collection of the rest of the shipments, once this is complete we will be able to notify you of the actual shipping date, but this will be within the timescale you were originally quoted. Hope this helps? please feel free to send me a private message or contact your move manager if you would like any further clarification.

Groupage/Shared Container shipping could be a good option if you are looking to keep your costs down and only have a small volume? this is where you share container space with other customers of your chosen moving company that are heading to the same destination, that way you only pay for the space you use. My advice is to get at least 3 quotes for comparison (Ensure volumes assessed and included services are like for like) and to use companies who are FIDI FAIM accredited to give you peace of mind that they are independently certified as a quality moving company (and at destination too) and to look for members of the BAR Overseas group to ensure any advance payments you make are protected should anything happen to the mover whilst your shipment is in progress.