tusitala

We are considering shipping our household belongings in a Twenty Foot Container from Seattle/Tacoma USA to near Glasgow Scotland,
We are less than 20 miles from a major container port at both ends.

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has already done something like this and what their experience was

- How much did it cost?

- What did it include? (packing, insurance, port fees, storage at either end, forwarding etc.)

- Does weight affect the cost when you ship by container?

- How long did it take?

- Any issues with customs and did you have to pay any duty? ( Almost all our stuff was purchased at least a year before shipping and we have receipts)

- Who did you use and would you use them again (if not , why?)

Thanks for the help!

Andy

tangoev

Hello. I have a similar question. From Kirkland to London. Any advice welcome. Thanks.

tusitala

Great,

We live in Federal Way and hope to move around the end of 2018 or early 2019

Andy

Caroline in Arizona

I started exploring this yesterday for our 2018 move from Phoenix to Scotland. I decide to just Google and find companies, ask for a quote and then start investigating seriously. The first quote I got back was from UPakWeShip and they quoted a door-to-door price of $6,035 for a 20 foot container. I have no idea if this is good or bad or what is all included but it’s a starting point and now the serious investigation will start. My DH has decided that he’s not taking his Lord of the Rings pinball machine back so that makes it a little easier!

ottotheboar

I posted my cost on here recently it was around $2800 all inclusive.
We are East Coast and around 120 miles from Norfolk VA and final destination West Midlands.
Insurance against breakage if you self pack will be worthless.
Maximum weight in a twenty is around 22 tons.

tusitala

Hi Caroline,

I know you don't have all the details but did it seem like weight was a factor or the price was for the container no matter what was in it?

Your inland departure point probably adds some $$$ to the cost as might your destination in Scotland especially if it is outside central Scotland.

Caroline in Arizona

Tusitala - I’m not able to answer your question. I just wanted to have a number to start with before I get deep into my investigation. This is the only way I know how to explore something that is foreign to me. When we came here in 1985 it was all handled for us by a company called Galleon Shipping. We will initially be renting just outside Edinburgh.

tusitala

Thanks,

Edinburgh area forwarding costs should be around the minimum even if they haul it from the Glasgow area.

PODS shipment would have been a good option but it looks like they don't do international

As soon as I start getting quotes I will let everyone know the details

PrairieWriter

We're thinking about this too, though we are wondering whether to go with a door-to-door international mover instead, as we don't have very many things to take with us. We're not going to be moving an entire house—just a few treasured pieces from my husband's parents and some other smaller items. Decisions, decisions!

durham_lad

We used United Van Lines in January this year for a 20’ container and they were excellent. Cost was $4,300 not including Insurance and the final weight does count. After loading the container is weighed and the final price is stated. This was from Houston to a small town in Yorkshire. Goods were shipped to Southampton, unloaded into a furniture van and then delivered. We were quoted 4-6 weeks and it arrived at our house during week 6.

Our son moved on September 27 from Houston to the same town we are living in and only needed a part load and got quotes from United Van Lines and Atlas. In his case Atlas was a little more expensive but he really liked the assessor who came to his apartment so went with them. Their price was $3,300 and he opted to save $400 and have it as a part load, delivered in 10-12 weeks so it only cost him $2,900. In his case a regular furniture van arrived and the container for his goods was inside the van.

In both cases all the packing was done for us. It has worked out really well for our son because unlike us he didn’t have a house to move into and expected to have to pay for temporary storage. However, he has bought a house - gets the keys tomorrow, and his furniture will be delivered the following day. His belongings arrived in Southampton on November 29th and a few days later he received an email from Pickfords with an attached form to complete, asking where and when he wanted it delivered with no promise he will get the exact date he wants. He put anytime after Dec 14 and received an email a couple of days later saying that they could deliver on the 14th. Perfect.

Both us and our son have been very happy with our movers (of course our son has not seen yet if anything has been damaged, and he has a China cabinet with lots of ornamental dragons that he is most concerned about).

kirstyp

Hope that helps!

moneypenny20

See if you can do the insurance separately. When moving from the UK to wherever, you can go direct to the insurance company (Letton Percival) all the removalists use and you don't have to pay the middle man whack. I don't know if it's possible in the US but worth checking out.

kirstyp

I'm not sure all the removal companies use Letton Percival, I know we don't at Bournes.

moneypenny20

My mistake, I should have said most. At least they did when we were getting quotes to move from England to Aus. Regardless, it's a good idea to cut out the middle man (removal company) if it's possible.

kirstyp

It's definitely worth comparing your quotes for insurance in the same way as the rest of your quote (if the shipping company insurance is optional) to make sure whatever policy you buy is the best one for you, both financially, coverage and service wise. Be careful because just like most insurances, not all policies are the same. Take into consideration:

- What risks are covered and what are excluded (look out for cover whilst goods are in storage (even if temporary) pairs and sets, mould and mildew, mechanical derangement and General Average/Salvage charges)?
- What items are excluded or have limits of cover?
- What is the basis of cover (new for old or indemnity)?
- What are the other terms and conditions of the policy you should be aware of?
- What is the excess you'll have to pay in the event of a claim?
- How is the claim handled in the event of damage, is there any info available on customer satisfaction rating of the provider?

Don’t be afraid to let your shipping company know you’re considering a third-party insurer and ask them to explain any benefits of their policy over external insurance to help you compare.