removals - some info
Jan 5th 2006, 3:19 pm
#1
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: Berkshire, UK
Posts: 4,260
removals - some info
This is some information from a friend who is over here (UK) from Australia, they are used to moving about and have used this company www.kentmoving.com.
The rest of the post is her guide on moving - it may not apply to most on here, but it may help some.
We divided our Melbourne house contents into 3 groups
1. air freight – things we would need immediately in the UK house, like ironing board, kettle, everyday china, bedding and linen, a basic tool kit (very important) etc – my notes indicate we had 400 kgs of weight allowed for this (the size of the items was not an issue just the weight). You will remember that we had to hire furniture when we arrived like beds, chairs, kitchen table etc until the Sea freight arrived. You also have your allowance for yourself on the plane – we all had a large suitcase each plus hand luggage.
2. Shipping freight – this was the remainder of the household that we could do without for 3 months – good china, big furniture, fridge (we knew the house had a small one), out-of-season clothing, bikes etc. It is a good idea to have any precious items individually packed into a crate so that no other furniture is directly packed on top of it – I had the dining room table, an antique sideboard and desk done like this. All this fitted into one shipping container – I don’t know the exact measurements but I do have a photo taken at the time – about the size of a Sainsbury big delivery van heading to stock up a supermarket; what I would call a semi-trailer load that hooks onto a truck cabin – I hope you understand this. You should also note all the items that you cannot take – lots of household cleaning products are too flammable, nail varnish remover, food items like rice, though I was able to send canned food. So it is a good idea to run down your pantry several months in advance. Also Customs clearance is likely to be stricter getting into Australia and into the UK (even so our container sat ‘on hold’ for about 8 days before it was cleared). Also note that when the movers come to pack they will need a day or two to wrap and box everything – I was the only one left in the house at this stage and only had a bed/one plate/one cup etc left for me. The next day they packed the container and then you leave with just your suitcase – it is pretty amazing to see your house empty!
3. Storage – this won’t apply to you as you are making a permanent move – but we left behind, books, gardening items, childhood memorabilia, paintings, outdoor furniture, TVs, etc.
Kent is probably a top of the range company but they are very good and we have moved with them 4 times with no problems. Other companies you could try would be Allied Pickford who are Australian based but really you probably want a UK mover. My friend couldn't help with the cost as it was a company move.
The rest of the post is her guide on moving - it may not apply to most on here, but it may help some.
We divided our Melbourne house contents into 3 groups
1. air freight – things we would need immediately in the UK house, like ironing board, kettle, everyday china, bedding and linen, a basic tool kit (very important) etc – my notes indicate we had 400 kgs of weight allowed for this (the size of the items was not an issue just the weight). You will remember that we had to hire furniture when we arrived like beds, chairs, kitchen table etc until the Sea freight arrived. You also have your allowance for yourself on the plane – we all had a large suitcase each plus hand luggage.
2. Shipping freight – this was the remainder of the household that we could do without for 3 months – good china, big furniture, fridge (we knew the house had a small one), out-of-season clothing, bikes etc. It is a good idea to have any precious items individually packed into a crate so that no other furniture is directly packed on top of it – I had the dining room table, an antique sideboard and desk done like this. All this fitted into one shipping container – I don’t know the exact measurements but I do have a photo taken at the time – about the size of a Sainsbury big delivery van heading to stock up a supermarket; what I would call a semi-trailer load that hooks onto a truck cabin – I hope you understand this. You should also note all the items that you cannot take – lots of household cleaning products are too flammable, nail varnish remover, food items like rice, though I was able to send canned food. So it is a good idea to run down your pantry several months in advance. Also Customs clearance is likely to be stricter getting into Australia and into the UK (even so our container sat ‘on hold’ for about 8 days before it was cleared). Also note that when the movers come to pack they will need a day or two to wrap and box everything – I was the only one left in the house at this stage and only had a bed/one plate/one cup etc left for me. The next day they packed the container and then you leave with just your suitcase – it is pretty amazing to see your house empty!
3. Storage – this won’t apply to you as you are making a permanent move – but we left behind, books, gardening items, childhood memorabilia, paintings, outdoor furniture, TVs, etc.
Kent is probably a top of the range company but they are very good and we have moved with them 4 times with no problems. Other companies you could try would be Allied Pickford who are Australian based but really you probably want a UK mover. My friend couldn't help with the cost as it was a company move.
