Hi, does anyone know if all companies shipping from perth to uk will allow me to pack my own things? I know when we were shipping out from the UK we were told we couldn't pack our own things so let them do it. We want to keep costs down and after unpacking boxes here in perth that had only one thing in it with about 20 sheets of paper wrapped around it, makes me even more determined to find someone who will let me pack my own boxes!

I know this should probably be on a different thread but we are also looking to ship back contents of our minimal 3 bed house and our car. Does anyone know if all of that would fill into a 20 foot container or would it have to be a 40ft container?

Any replies much appreciated.

When I moved from Canada I found that most companies gave you the option of packing yourself. Is it worth bringing back the car? Unless it is valuable, second hand cars are quite cheap in the UK and there are regulations on importing cars and putting them on the road. Maybe you have researched this?

Hi johnh009, we think it is worth taking the car back, when we had those huge hail stones in perth last year it damaged our brand new 5 day old financed VW, the insurance company wrote it off and let us buy it dirt cheap. Even though the dents arn't that visable i doubt anyone would want to pay too much for it either here in perth or in the UK, therfore we've got a good quality car with low milage which we will run to the ground. We have looked into taking it back and it seems quite reasonable, we are basically just asked to pay for shipping (plus a few other minor charges) but no charges on taking it into the country as the UK is our home country, not like when we researched bringing it out to perth and it would have cost us a fortune in taxes. As for you saying that cars are cheap in the UK i completely agree with you and so would my husband, he is always on autotrader online trying to decide which 2nd car to buy!

Probably a 20ft container, as long as your house is not too crowded with large furniture, and you're willing to part with a few items if it is, best to get a surveyor round for accuracy though. As I have come to understand it, in Singapore at least, International Movers always want to do the packing or at least charge you for it, that's how they make their money. If you really want to do your own packing for the benefit of making the most efficient use of the container space, they normally let you, but require you to leave the boxes open so that they can peek in and check before sealing them. They need to at least approve of the way the boxes have been packed for them to be covered by any insurance. If you want to completely do your own packing and save of that element of the price you need to research Freight Forwarding companies, but be warned it will be difficult to get insurance if self-packed, and these operators are not experienced at dealing with the domestic market and normally only work with import /export co's who have their own staff, packing materials and know the require paperwork inside out. Good luck.

Get hold of Elite Shipping in the UK, (see internet) they should be able to do a reverse journey, will put you in touch with a local shipper for loading. They can arrange both car and Furniture,and allow you to pack yourself. Buy all your boxes as close as dammit the same size and pack each box for easy carrying. (about 20 -25kgs max) Wrap all furniture with cardboard sheet/bubble wrap and use as many old blankets as possible when packing the container. the container should be delivered to your door and you have 3 hours to pack, same story back in the UK. PAck the container as tight as possible, this limits any movement, boxes first, furniture next. I'd put the car in a separate container,if I remember that container is cheaper than the furniture one, also you might be able to use all the available space for last minute items, ie - your car gets loaded right at the end. If you're brave enough forego the insurance, we've done thes a couple of times - no hassle.
Good luck.

How much does Elite charge for this service?
We are moving London to Perth in Jan and we really dont wanna spend a fortune on shipping, but dont want to leave our stuff behind either, what a waste that would be.
As for the no insurance, is the wise?

Any advice would be great!

Thanks

I paid GPB1300 for the car and GPB1500 for the furniture to Elite. Then theres local costs for delivery of containers and obviously the different duties, in the end you can do it and at quite saving - Elite have different packages and can adjust to suit your requirements. Idont work for them by the way. I got away without insurance - it's a chance you take.

hey thanks for the info, I have contacted them just waiting to hear back!
Quick question, did you have your own container(what size) or did you share one?
Thanks

20 foot for the furniture, 20 foot for the car, the furniture was for a three bedroomed house sep dining, equiv 2 adults 2 kids. The art is in the packing. To establish what size we needed we cleared the room closest to where the container would stand and then did all our box packing and non essential furniture in the room, as if it was going into the container. They give you three hours to pack the container so you have to be organised. When you pack have someone in the container, and then another two to four folk just bringing to the container. I'm guessing for the average house you would fill the container about 3/4 high. Also, tie four ropes about halfway in the container two on each side of the floor, two on each side the roof, lead the ends to the entrance so when everything is in you are able to tie the packing very effectively. Make sure all boxes are properly numbered and that your inventory list is exhaustive - the more detailed the less likely customs will check more than one or two boxes.Australia is very difficult about untreated wood, so check the rules for fumigation - important. Empty gas bottles and petrol cans, lawn mower etc. Have fun.

thanks for your help
we are due to move 31st jan, have had lots of quotes from diff companies.
Just need to find a clearing agent in perth
do you have any recommendations?
cheers