Sending household contents to Australia
#1
Just Joined
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 6
Sending household contents to Australia
Does anyone have any experience of sending a container of household contents to Australia? We have a 3 bedroom house and know it will be cheaper to send most belongings to Australia (sofas, beds, TV, furniture, appliances, cutlery and crockery, etc.) rather than buying them on arrival. However, the Australian Department of Agriculture web site lists many biosecurity concerns to consider. Everything from rugs, wooden furniture, pillows, shoes with soil on them, kitchen appliances, picture frames, vacuum cleaners, kitchen utensils, and washing machines. We would obviously clean all of these prior to shipping, but will that satisfy the Department or will we end up having to pay for cleaning or disposal?
Thanks for any help.
Thanks for any help.
#2
Re: Sending household contents to Australia
They are looking for untreated wood and soil. Even unfinished wood in the vast majority of uk furniture is treated in some way. Not an issue. Feather duvets etc also fine but that peacock feather you picked up in the park..no! They don’t like any organic matter pine ones, dried flowers, seeds soil.
Clean any garden stuff and shoes really well. Same with your vacuum. Make sure your fridge is spotless and dry, same for washing machine (drain all water) or they will mould.
We brought wooden furniture, bikes,garden tools (although I did give the mower away as just too hard to clean) rugs, feather duvets. All no problem but they did inspect three boxes as we could see they had been re sealed. One had shoes, one kitchen stuff and another with tools.
Clean any garden stuff and shoes really well. Same with your vacuum. Make sure your fridge is spotless and dry, same for washing machine (drain all water) or they will mould.
We brought wooden furniture, bikes,garden tools (although I did give the mower away as just too hard to clean) rugs, feather duvets. All no problem but they did inspect three boxes as we could see they had been re sealed. One had shoes, one kitchen stuff and another with tools.
#3
Re: Sending household contents to Australia
Does anyone have any experience of sending a container of household contents to Australia? We have a 3 bedroom house and know it will be cheaper to send most belongings to Australia (sofas, beds, TV, furniture, appliances, cutlery and crockery, etc.) rather than buying them on arrival. However, the Australian Department of Agriculture web site lists many biosecurity concerns to consider. Everything from rugs, wooden furniture, pillows, shoes with soil on them, kitchen appliances, picture frames, vacuum cleaners, kitchen utensils, and washing machines. We would obviously clean all of these prior to shipping, but will that satisfy the Department or will we end up having to pay for cleaning or disposal?
Thanks for any help.
Thanks for any help.
Our container was inspected at Customs in Perth, quite a few boxes had been opened and resealed. The only thing we were pulled up on was small artificial tree that I'd had indoors. Unknown to me, the trunk had real wood and bark in it. Customs said we could have it treated for $1,000, or destroyed for $100. It's in artificial tree heaven now
#4
Re: Sending household contents to Australia
They are looking for untreated wood and soil. Even unfinished wood in the vast majority of uk furniture is treated in some way. Not an issue. Feather duvets etc also fine but that peacock feather you picked up in the park..no! They don’t like any organic matter pine ones, dried flowers, seeds soil.
Clean any garden stuff and shoes really well. Same with your vacuum. Make sure your fridge is spotless and dry, same for washing machine (drain all water) or they will mould.
We brought wooden furniture, bikes,garden tools (although I did give the mower away as just too hard to clean) rugs, feather duvets. All no problem but they did inspect three boxes as we could see they had been re sealed. One had shoes, one kitchen stuff and another with tools.
Clean any garden stuff and shoes really well. Same with your vacuum. Make sure your fridge is spotless and dry, same for washing machine (drain all water) or they will mould.
We brought wooden furniture, bikes,garden tools (although I did give the mower away as just too hard to clean) rugs, feather duvets. All no problem but they did inspect three boxes as we could see they had been re sealed. One had shoes, one kitchen stuff and another with tools.
#5
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 6
Re: Sending household contents to Australia
Thanks for the advice. At the moment it would seem that we could send our possessions but not get a ticket for ourselves.
Would you recommend the shipping company you used?
Thanks.
Would you recommend the shipping company you used?
Thanks.
#6
Re: Sending household contents to Australia
Their 'partner company' in Perth was Chess Removals and they were barely ok. They were supposed to place the furniture and boxes in the rooms we indicated but were more inclined to dump it all in the first room they came to. When I showed them the paperwork that confirmed they were supposed to put stuff where we said they did do it, but managed to chip a wall in our brand new villa in the process. They were also supposed to reassemble the beds and the dresser, but we'd had enough of them by then so told them to bugger off.
#7
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 10
Re: Sending household contents to Australia
I would not recommend using Britannia Ryan’s London and their Australian handler OSS Worldwide (Brisbane).
I have used Britannia Ryans numerous times before when living in the Uk but the London to Oz handling was fraught. I’m not sure what’s happened to the company but it’s definitely not what it was.
When my household goods arrived, there were odd articles missing - the best one of a pair of antique armchairs, a small cupboard- the most valuable piece of furniture in the container and my £200 crate of washing powder that doesn’t give my family an allergic reaction. All of which I surmise are very saleable in the second hand world. Having said that, there was a considerable quantity of wine which was all there.
I didn’t take out insurance as I figured the stuff wasn’t that valuable, but in making that decision I naively thought that I didn’t need to insure against poor coordination or theft. I stupidly thought that when you paid thousands of pounds for a service, that service would include the service provider not nicking your stuff, and ensuring that everything that was in your container gets delivered to your address. I can understand insurance covering unknowns like articles getting broken in containers or accidentally dropped or damaged during packing and moving but I thought that honesty and organisation was included in the price. Seems not.
I have used Britannia Ryans numerous times before when living in the Uk but the London to Oz handling was fraught. I’m not sure what’s happened to the company but it’s definitely not what it was.
When my household goods arrived, there were odd articles missing - the best one of a pair of antique armchairs, a small cupboard- the most valuable piece of furniture in the container and my £200 crate of washing powder that doesn’t give my family an allergic reaction. All of which I surmise are very saleable in the second hand world. Having said that, there was a considerable quantity of wine which was all there.
I didn’t take out insurance as I figured the stuff wasn’t that valuable, but in making that decision I naively thought that I didn’t need to insure against poor coordination or theft. I stupidly thought that when you paid thousands of pounds for a service, that service would include the service provider not nicking your stuff, and ensuring that everything that was in your container gets delivered to your address. I can understand insurance covering unknowns like articles getting broken in containers or accidentally dropped or damaged during packing and moving but I thought that honesty and organisation was included in the price. Seems not.
#8
Banned
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 22,348
Re: Sending household contents to Australia
Our experience from over 10 years ago was items pilfered at the initial packing stage. My advice would be to watch the packers like a hawk when they arrive to pack everything up into boxes. Maybe have a couple of friends or rellies around the house to help keep an eye on things. And I suppose also when unpacking in Australia - if you use them to unpack your stuff as well - though with us we were just happy for them to drop everything off and we did the unpacking ourselves.
#9
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,787
Re: Sending household contents to Australia
Beware Christmas decorations - many people on here over the years have been caught out by these. Any pine cones, even those sprayed silver etc, are a problem so don't try and ship them. It'll cost you a fortune for destruction.
#10
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14,040
Re: Sending household contents to Australia
I had ski boots stopped and cleaned by customs 23 years ago in a metre x metre box of an assortment of things. When I shipped my whole house nothing required cleaning or was forbid entry for whatever reason. Bikes, ski equipment, golf clubs x 2, and other stuff that hadn't been specifically cleaned sailed through. Good luck.
#11
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Joined: Feb 2014
Location: Blighty
Posts: 4
Re: Sending household contents to Australia
We have moved a few times with international movers & have systematically lost bits in the move; anything from CDs to pictures & furniture. Our last move (France to UK) was an eye opener as the guys that turned up to pack the truck were travellers! So the lower the price, the more chance of it happening. I also suspect that double handling doesn't do anyone any favours. Just starting the quote process to move out to Vic in a few months, so all this advice is very useful
#12
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2017
Location: Cardiff -->Gold Coast via NZ
Posts: 54
Re: Sending household contents to Australia
I am seriously considering Seven Seas where you pack the boxes yourself and they just pick them up and put them in one (or more) sealed 6 cubic metre 'Move Cubes', they are the same company on both ends (UK and Australia) they know and include the price of all the customs checks at their warehouse in Melbourne. Other than the good reviews on trustpilot I'm keen to hear from anyone that's used them? I guess they are a bit more expensive because everything has to go via Melbourne, and it's not a whole container but broken down into these move cubes.
#13
Banned
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 22,348
Re: Sending household contents to Australia
I am seriously considering Seven Seas where you pack the boxes yourself and they just pick them up and put them in one (or more) sealed 6 cubic metre 'Move Cubes', they are the same company on both ends (UK and Australia) they know and include the price of all the customs checks at their warehouse in Melbourne. Other than the good reviews on trustpilot I'm keen to hear from anyone that's used them? I guess they are a bit more expensive because everything has to go via Melbourne, and it's not a whole container but broken down into these move cubes.
#14
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 116
Re: Sending household contents to Australia
Does anyone have any experience of sending a container of household contents to Australia? We have a 3 bedroom house and know it will be cheaper to send most belongings to Australia (sofas, beds, TV, furniture, appliances, cutlery and crockery, etc.) rather than buying them on arrival. However, the Australian Department of Agriculture web site lists many biosecurity concerns to consider. Everything from rugs, wooden furniture, pillows, shoes with soil on them, kitchen appliances, picture frames, vacuum cleaners, kitchen utensils, and washing machines. We would obviously clean all of these prior to shipping, but will that satisfy the Department or will we end up having to pay for cleaning or disposal?
Thanks for any help.
Thanks for any help.
#15
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,787
Re: Sending household contents to Australia
Works for some people, but before chucking out everything you own, go onto some Aussie websites and work out what it would cost to replace it all.