Advice & Tips For Moving Overseas
MOVING OVERSEAS?
Few things in life are as stressful as moving home and it’s no wonder those pressures can intensify when it involves moving to another country.
This guide is to provide you with some helpful advice, which we hope will settle any fears you may have regarding the process of moving overseas, and enable you to confidently appoint your overseas moving company.
What’s involved?
If you’re moving to another country it’s very likely that your goods will be packed into a ‘Shipping Container’ and the journey will be by sea shipment.
The containers used are large steel boxes, either 20 or 40 feet in length and they can hold the contents of a complete household. We can ‘consolidate’ small shipments of household and personal effects and combine them into one shipping container. This service is commonly referred to as ‘groupage’. This method is available to many destinations and the departure and expected arrival dates of the shipment are usually influenced by the availability of sufficient combined volume to fill the container.
If you prefer; you can choose to ship your goods in a container dedicated for your sole use.
This is much faster, but for smaller shipments tends to be a more costly option to ‘groupage’.
Preparing for the move
We will help you plan ahead by outlining our removal plan, and setting out what we will do, and what you must do yourself. We can offer advice on what to take or leave behind, leaving you with plenty of time to dispose of unwanted items.
The overall transit time of your shipment is affected by several factors. We will tell you when to expect the shipment to leave. We will set out typical pre shipment delays (especially important for groupage shipments), the usual voyage time in transit and what delays you might expect at destination whilst awaiting for the shipment to be released by the Customs authorities and delivered to you. There are many factors in transit which are outside our control, so please take this into account when planning your move.
Air Freight
Sending goods by air is fast, but can be much more expensive than sea shipment. Unlike a sea shipment where the cost is determined on the volume, air transport is calculated on a more complex basis of weight and volume. Ask us for more information.
A Guide to Packing
Remember - the cost of your overseas move is calculated on the volume (space) used in a shipping container. With this in mind, we suggest that you focus on what items to take, leaving the actual packing and removal handling to the professionals. We have the experience and appropriate materials to export- pack things carefully, quickly and securely for the rigours of a long-distance overseas voyage.
We will usually pack and prepare your goods a day or so in advance of the actual removal day. We strongly recommend that you are present during the preparation, to answer any questions, and to ensure that nothing is left behind. You will also be asked to sign the paperwork and receive a copy of the packing inventory.
When packing is complete, and you are satisfied, the goods will be loaded ready for despatch to the export port or terminal, or if shipping as ‘groupage´ the goods will be taken back to our warehouse.
Payment
We will prepay the ‘freight’ charges to the shipping line, and in turn, will ask that our agreed overseas removal expenses are settled, in full, by you in advance.
This advance payment is normal procedure, and it is why we offer the Advance Payment Guarantee for your complete Peace Of Mind.
Advance Payment Guarantee Certificate
Customers of removers who are members of the BAR Overseas Group enjoy the added protection of the Advanced Payment Guarantee. This guarantees that your goods will be delivered to the agreed destination- even if we were to cease trading whilst your goods were in transit.
Insurance
No matter how carefully your goods are packed or handled, there are many risks associated with moving overseas, which are beyond our control. We operate under trading conditions which are fair and reasonable, but will either limit or exclude our liability cover. It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice on the type and scope of protection you require against all risks of physical loss or damage in transit.
Shipment ‘In-transit’
Make sure you have your passports and tickets with you. People can (and do) send them with the shipment by accident!!
Unlike a traditional domestic UK household removal, an overseas move will take much longer from door-to-door. On the date you actually travel your goods will be somewhere ‘in transit’- that might be at our warehouse, or at the UK dockside or export terminal awaiting shipment, en-route by sea, road or air, or even already arrived at destination. It is important that you make us aware of your travel departure and arrival plans and contact details as we may need to contact you during the course of the shipment.
When your goods arrive at the destination, our destination partner will take over. They will usually organise Customs Clearance formalities on your behalf, transfer the goods from the port or terminal of arrival to your new home or via their warehouse and deliver and unwrap the goods. Also, should you require storage at destination, this can be provided.
