Candy001

Just wanted to get an idea regarding shipping:
Is it worth shipping contents of your house overseas to UK?
What is the approx cost for a 4 bedroom house furnishings to ship from Canada to UK?

Futhermore - since houses are on much smaller scale in UK would the furniture fit?

Any advice - suggestions would help - Thanks

ann m

A friend of mine is returning from Calgary to south England in June. She had three quotes, all around the $13,000 mark. But this was for a 40 foot container.

I don't know if you brought a container with you when you came here? We brought a 20 foot container, which was the contents of an average 3/4 bedroom UK home. Obviously 40 foot is considerably more furniture and stuff

I would hazard a guess that 20' might be around the $8-9k mark?

Do you have big furniture now? We brought two 7-foot long sofas over here with us, and they never fitted particularly well in several UK homes in all honesty!! They are fine here. Depends on what kind of home you envisaging yourself eventually buying I guess. I'd always advocate taking stuff with you if it is of decent enough quality - as flogging it off will bring in pennies compared to what you paid for it. Also, same as the argument when you come to Canada - could you refurnish a home for about four thousand pounds? I doubt it!

I'd maybe just contact some local firms for quotes, and decide from there.

Candy001

Thank you - this had given me a good idea of what is involved.
I have here 20+ years - when I originally came to Canada from UK there was no container - started fresh. So I guess we would decide when the time comes if it is feasable or not.

Bevm

I've been following shipping costs here over the past year. About $8,000 for a 20 foot container seems it. We're in Victoria.

I'm not sure we have enough for that, though. We downsized into an apartment. Is there a smaller size or would we be into sharing. We're not keen on that.

Does anyone know what happens if a 20 footer isn't full? I can imagine everything rolling all over the place.

Bev

Candy001

I am assuming shipping companies provide you with a container - is it dropped of at your home (driveway) anyone familier with the process -
Please post

Once it is shipped overseas - are there taxes etc other fees involved.
Once in port UK - does the shipping company drop off container at your address?

What if your furninishings etc. get damaged during shipping?

Thank you

ann m

Bev / Candy I'm obviously only using my experience going the other way across the ocean

Bev - if you don't think you would fill a 20ft container, or nearly fill one, then you share. You could be charged for X hundred sq ft. If you think you would nearly fill one, then I guess they just load and pack it low down.

The advantage to sharing would be a lower cost, obviously. The disadvantage might be that the container goes a different (or longer) route to get to you. But on the other hand, yours could be the first stuff out!

Candy - there are several options for using a container. The most common is to just pay the shipping company to provide the full packing service. They whizz round your house, packing like a whirlwind, and load it all into the container. It usually takes a day to pack and wrap, then they come back the next morning and load it.

Alternatively, you could pack everything up yourselves and the shipping company come and load it. Or you can load the container yourself, but bear in mind it can be quite an art! Not saying Joe Bloggs can't do it, but can you rope in some friends to lift stuff up high to ensure it's packed in to the roof, without spaces? I would suggest you need to have a lot of time to do this, and be competent at itemising your contents. Packing yourself might be quite a bit cheaper.

The shipping company usually offers insurance for your property - or you can shop around and find other companies that provide marine insurance. If your furnishing are damaged, hopefully your insurance will pay out - but there are many tales on here of battles with insurance companies. Consider how important some items are to you, and ensure they are fully insured at a replacement cost. Often, the standard insurance is something like 40 pounds per carton. Depending on what is in the carton, that could be hugely inadequate. I really would recommend actually taking out insurance. It's mega rare, but how would you feel if the ship went down?!

The shipping companies will handle all the customs forms for you, and should usually arrange clearance of customs at your destination port. Sometimes you are asked to attend, sometimes not - that seems a bit hit and miss.

Perhaps others who have returned to the UK could advise what happened to their stuff at the UK end.

Candy001

Anne - Thank you for shedding light in this area.

sans

The shipping company you use, will contract a Uk company to pick your goods up at the port...They will send you some paper work to fill in for customs and then they will arrange for it to be passed by customs. Once this is done they will ring you to arrange delivery....that is of course if your package is full door to door...

old fat biker bloke

Hello guys - Can anyone recommend actual firms they have used? Canada to UK that is. Cheers me dears!!!

sans

I can only recommend Williams, they delivered my stuff to me in Canada, they were very professional and not one breakage....

I wouldn't recommend the ones i used to come back to the UK...to my worst enemy...........AMJ Campbells

Elaine B.

We used a company called MI group

wareeswally

Oh dear! What was the problem with AMJ Campbell? We are due to begin getting quotes soon and they were top of the list!

sans

I have posted this lots and i'm sure most are sick of hearing it so i'll PM you

woodywoodside

I am just getting quotes to the uk now and am really shocked at the prices they charge. Our latest quote was just under $11000. and that was for loading a container not packing sending to the uk but we do all the work at the uk end and arrange collection from south hampton. Why do I all ways think that people look at me here and see $$$ signs.

Any help in this direction would be great.

wareeswally

Do you mind me asking what Company that is?