Roberto1980

Hi all,

I'd like to ask some questions about the actual logistics of shipping over your items to Canada.

My wife and I are deciding on what is important to us to take over, and what we would be willing to buy new / 2nd hand over there.
On thinking about it, it's really the small things such as Photographs, old documents, certain kids toys, clothes etc that are a definite. Everything else I could take or leave.

So as far as we've discovered, the options could be:
Using a shipping company and fill a large container. (That's if we want to take all our larger items - beds, dining table, suite, white goods, tv etc etc

Fill a couple of small scale boxes and send them cargo.

Use a courier company for even smaller scale items / boxes.

When a container is used. How do people manage the logistics of sending their household goods over X amount of weeks before they go? (I've read containers can take 6+ weeks?) Are you then left to manage in the uk with an almost empty home?
Or do you fly over with your family first, source temporary household essentials/part furnished property, then wait for your items to arrive?

If it's a few 'boxes' sent by cargo, (on the same flight you are on) How would we organise getting the boxes, plus all our suitcases and our jet lagged selves to the desired destination? Rent a van? I presume there are companies that can assist with this, can anyone recommend any? (Greater Toronto area)

I'm sure everyone has different experiences but what were you glad you took over, what do you wish you had left and bought new?

In your experiences, and with hindsight, what was the least stressful and cost efficient way of going about it all?

I have many more questions in my head but ill leave it there for now!

Thanks

kirstyp

Hi Roberto,

You can also use a shipping company if you don't want to fill a whole container, most do part loads too, couriers or excess baggage are a good option if you've only a box or two or a couple of suitcases.

Here's an explanation of some of the shipping options.

If you go down the shipping company route here are some tips for finding and choosing a reputable international mover.

Hope it helps!

Oakvillian

KirstyP has given you a couple of links to (I'm sure a completely non-biased ) set of information if you decide to ship stuff over. Bournes is as good an option as many others...

As to how much to ship and when, there are two distinct schools of thought. Either take the minimum you can get away with and start again when you get here, or throw everything including the kitchen sink into a container and ship the whole lot.

I am definitely in the latter camp. I think you mentioned elsewhere that you have kids: there's a whole heap of anecdotal evidence on the forum and elsewhere that having their "own stuff" around them can help children to settle more easily into a new environment. Also, don't underestimate the cost of furnishing a household from scratch. If you bring everything, even if (like me) much of it is saleroom furniture or IKEA's finest, then you can shop for replacements at leisure and in the sales, rather than having to go out to buy however many beds, chairs, tables, etc all at once. Plates, knives & forks, pots & pans, etc too...

Don't bother with the white goods, though. There's a wiki article on compatibility of electrical goods that goes through the ins and outs of your options; bear in mind, too, that many properties for sale and the vast majority of rental houses come with major appliances. But bring everything else (including a kitchen sink, by all means, if you like an integrated draining board with yours, as these are not common in Canada for some reason!)

As to timing, it all depends where you're going and what arrangements you've made for your first few days' accommodation. Containers to Vancouver obviously take a bit longer than shipping stuff to Halifax... a lot of goods to Toronto come up the St Lawrence as far as Montreal and then do the last leg by train. Ours took just a shade over a month, and we ended up having to pay to store it for a while at this end while we closed the house purchase. The container left the UK a week before we did (we were selling a flat; we camped out for a day or two with borrowed bedding, then stayed in a hotel for a few nights so we could give the place a thorough clean) and we were in a serviced apartment for the first couple of weeks in Canada.

SchnookoLoly

+1 for pretty much everything Oakvillian said, he's got it spot on.

We were living in a furnished flat in the UK so we didn't have a lot as far as furniture and larger goods... which meant we didn't have anywhere near enough to fill a full container, so we did groupage - you share a container with a few other people who also don't have a full container themselves. It takes a bit longer to shop as they have to wait for enough pieces to have a full container, but it's cheaper than buying a full container and then only using a quarter of it. We shipped our stuff at the end of August and it arrived at the beginning of November, about 9 weeks.

We were living with my parents, so the delay didn't matter that much. The shipping company just chucked it all in my parents' basement, and we moved it about a month ago (after it being stored for over a year, haha) into the new house.

I also agree with taking over most of your belongings, particularly for helping the kids with the transition... but don't bother with larger electrical stuff - white goods, television, etc. (Laptops, cell phones, etc are all fine.) White goods run a huge risk of not working properly over here, and televisions can be temperamental depending on compatibility - some are better than others, but generally televisions aren't crazy expensive over here either, in comparison to UK prices. (Extra bonus if you make a weekend trip to the US and bring back something you find on special. We got a 32" Sony for $200, and a 55" JVC with a Roku Stick for $550. If you go to the US for more than 48 hours, your allowance is $800 per person, so no duties on the way back in!)

Trying to furnish everything from scratch will be a royal pain in the backside, and remember as well that you'll be trying to do it without a great knowledge of what the good or bad places to go are, or where there are good shops, etc. You know all that in the UK so it's easier to think about, but in a country where you don't know your way around can make that task really stressful... so I think bring over as much as you can and just sort out buying white goods and larger electronics when you're here.

Serviced apartments are useful if you need a bit of time in between getting your own place or waiting for your stuff to arrive.

Good luck!

saint1975

this is all really good info! I hope to find myself with these dilemmas in the coming future

rivingtonpike

For us it was a no brainer. We had a 5 bed house and half a lifetime's worth of "stuff", not to mention 2 kids, 4 bikes, antiques, kitchen appliances, stereos etc etc. Once we realised we were going to need our own container we resolved to keep and ship almost everything (although it was an opportunity to de-clutter and to throw away all the "duplicates" of things we had replaced but my wife insisted made a good backup!). With the aid of a couple of inexpensive transformers, blenders, toasters, kettles etc worked fine. In time, of course, we replaced them with North American stuff. I even discovered I had 220v mains power in the garage. I can't remember now how much our 40ft container cost door to door, but I'm going to say about GBP7000. Just a couple of modest sofas are going to cost you at least $2000 (more like $3000) to buy here. Just think what you (hopefully) insure your house contents for and that will maybe give you an indication of replacement costs.

Overall we find the cost of living for us in Canada is cheaper, but to kit out a house from nothing, I think, would cost a whole lot more than the cost of shipping.

Goodbhoy

That's some good information.

I am currently in the process of moving to Toronto.
It will be an internal company transfer. (Work in the UK for a Canadian company)
I am coming over this coming Sunday for another 2 weeks where hopefully I will be going to visit immigration with the company lawyer to sort out some kind of work permit.
I have been working 2 weeks in Toronto and 2 weeks in the UK since October.

As soon as this is sorted, I can start arranging shipping and deciding who will be paying.
If my company is paying for the shipping then almost everything will be coming with me including my motorbike.
If I have to pay myself then I will have to be a bit more economical and take the essentials and the high cost goods.

Either way, I expect to be in Canada permanently by February or March.

The most daunting thing for me is turning up on the other side of the Atlantic with no car, no house and unable to get any credit facilities.

christmasoompa

Is your immi lawyer going to be on the plane with you? Because immigration is there when you get off the plane, he can't come through and meet you there unless he's also an air passenger.

And you've been working in Canada for 2 weeks out of every month?! might not want to mention that to immigration, hopefully you don't mean it as it sounds, because it sounds like you've been working illegally without a work permit!

Goodbhoy

Nope.
Immigration lawyer is a woman and will already be in Canada. We will sort something out with immigration within the next 2 weeks.

When I arrive in Canada, I will be visiting another manufacturing plant within our company. Not working as that would be illegal.

rivingtonpike

When you arrive you'll be visiting another of your company's plants? Will you still be being paid? If you are it sounds like work to me. Former Lancastrian is likely to know better.

Goodbhoy

I will be getting paid from my UK employer in pounds sterling.
I am allowed to visit other plants.

Roberto1980

Thanks for the replies folks. Some good advice

rivingtonpike

Fair enough. I don't know anything about it really. I suppose my comment was more directed towards you not compromising your chances of acquiring whatever type of visa you're after for the long term. Will you be leaving again at the end of your 2 week stint though?. If not, would that not change the status of your "working" over here as opposed to just visiting one of your international sites from your base in the UK? I've no idea of the rules.

Former Lancastrian

As long as visiting and meetings etc then you are ok. Any hands on is a NO NO until a work permit is secured.

Goodbhoy

Yes, I agree. That is exactly what I tell customs though.
Not this time though, I will be applying for a TWP upon arrival at Pearson.

The Lawyer has compiled all the relevant paperwork.
Looks like I will be travelling on Wednesday now.