Shipping prices seem to have sky rocketed recently. 18 months ago we were quoted $4000 SGD to send a 20ft container back with all our furniture and belongings. So based on this up till now we kind of figured it was worth doing, but now with 2 months to go after a fresh round of quotes, we're looking a $6300 SGD, 3000 quid - now that's a lot of Ikea furniture. It's a big decision whether we go all out to try and sell everything or just pay up and ship it. As I'm sure most are aware the tricky thing is that even if we sell all the furniture and bulky items, the price per cubic meter is so disproportionate that we'll be paying about $2000 to send 3 cubic meter of boxes for clothes, books, kitchen appliances, electrics etc... oh what to do... in a way the thought of just selling everything here and starting a fresh back in the UK is making more sense now...

For us, when we are ready to move, we are selling most everything. We are only looking to bring our bed (since it's brand new) my father's old secretary, my mom's cedar chest and our dresser. Past that our computers are coming along but everything else is going. It's much cheaper to just try and replace when we get there.

TBH £3K for a container from Sing to the UK doesn't seem bad. I'm sure it was something in that region when we moved to the US 15 years ago.

The current situation in the ME probably has something to do with the sudden rise in transportation costs.

when I moved to Newfoundland (and work paid for me to move) it cost $5,600 (from Nova Scotia). When I decided to move home I realised it was going to cost more and also realised what an idiot I was for moving to NFLD (if, as is the case, I have to pay moving costs back off the island).

I was quoted $7,500 for back to the UK which I think is reasonable compared with NS to NL. I am, too, however, trying to decide whether to sell/give away/ dump stuff or bring it home. I was told the other day that noone would want to buy my 3 year old 32" flat screen TV as they could buy a new 42" for $449.So I think the question is not whether I can sell it but am I prepared to give it away?

we've now had a international moving broker round to survey, and then canvas all the moving companies for us, before presenting us with the best 3 quotes. She was refreshingly straight and (I beleive) honest with us compared with the sales staff from the moving companies themselves. She had lots of good advise on what was probably worth taking, and how to pack things ourselves to really make use of the volume we do take, like dismantling our Ikea furniture, which apparentling the moving companies won't bother with. She also helped us to put an approximate 'shipping cost on all the items we're unsure about taking, at SG$300 per cubic meter, with every cubic meter being about the size of a double queensize matteress. The broker actually thought SG$6300 for a full 20ft was a very low quote, plus if we were to go for 'groupage' / part of a container it could take lot longer to get there while they fill the remaining space, and would only create a small discount, so we're likely to just end up going for that....

Presumably you have to pay her?
Can you share any of the advice she gave you (other than dismantling furniture which I've already started doing)?
What IS worth taking?
What did she say about breakages if you're packing yourself (I believe it's then not covered by insurance)?

Hi, no we don't have to pay her directly, her fees are covered by the shipping companies and factored into their quotes, so only indirectly if we accept one of her quotes, I guess the shipping co's give her the commisssion ++ that their own sale staff would have cost.

Her advice was mostly around packing, how to pack efficiently, using clothes and pillows around fragiles rather that bubble rap, and filling all draws and furniture cavities, to save space, do as much packing as we can ourselves in advance and just leave the boxes open so that the movers can peek in before sealing, for insurance purposes.

As to what was worth taking, that was really too specific re our items to share, but she had good advice on resale prices of furniture and clearance auctions we could contact and charities who would collect.

She also shared stories of how some of the cheaper companies have been known scam extra fees out of their customers, i.e. if a container load went over by 20% they insisted on charging for another full container, pretty stressful to deal with on the day of moving, and inflating the price of xray inspection carried out by customs.

As for breakages, that was not really applicable for us as we're not shipping many breakable valuables, and with insurance at 3% we'll just be taking the minimum, S$120 package.

I know you've updated since this post and that your outlook has changed but just to share our thoughts for future readers:

Initially we thought it wasn't worth it, we don't have anything that is particularly special and figured it would be easier to buy new back home. Once we really started to think things through though, we recognised the cost of replacing not only the big items, but the cushions, pillows, mattresses, duvets, cutlery, crockery, photo frames, utensils etc would really start to add up. That, coupled with the fact that we'd like to have some familiar stuff around the place for our cats, means that it's definitely worth it to us to ship stuff back.

I agree with you Almo, I'm taking all that kind of stuff back for the same reasons. I am not particularly bothered about most of my furniture but I want my 'comfort' things around me

yes, agreed, I know just what you mean, when we first saw the size of the shipping quotes, our initials thoughts were towards clearing out to make savings, then putting them towards replacements at the other end, but when you start adding up the replacment value of all the individual nik-naks, let alone the emotional value we've placed on things, and all the time that's goes that researching and sourcing each individual purchase, it now looks more economical to just pay up for the shipping...

Check up on your insurance, most is for loss ONLY not for any damage.......

I am going through this as we speak. I am moving from the US to the UK and have decided against taking furniture as I know places on the UK will be smaller and electrics make no sense as I don't really own anything too expensive in that regard!! But I love my books and even with a severe purge I still have approx 20 boxes of them I plan on taking as well as some of my ornaments, candle holders, pictures and some soft furnishings - just so my next place has a somewhat familiar feel. I will also take some kitchen stuff - cast iron pans, some expensive saucepans and some bakery stuff, possibly my Christmas plates, some fancy crockery and some coffee mugs that have sentimental value. I am still deciding on that regard. However as my sister pointed out for basic day to day crockery and cutlery I can get some great starter packs from IKEA or Argos that aren't that expensive. The same goes for bedding - especially as I am not taking a mattress/bed and the sizes are different in the UK. Still trying to decide regarding my duvets and some fancy pillows however - probably as last minute decision in that regard

You ARE me!!!! These are EXACTLY the things I'm bringing back!! I LOVE my books (which are going to be the killer weight)!

Not if you send by seafreight. Seafreight should be assessed on the volume not the dead weight.

Airfreight is assessed on volumetric or dead weight whichever is the greater and obviously would be the dead weight for books.

I got rid of most of my books and only kept those I REALLY, REALLY wanted as my stuff will be coming by airfreight.

Exactly - and books pack up pretty well as we know. I may be sending a couple of items by air-freight/excess baggage but the bulk is going by sea!!