International Moving Company | Ship Household Goods Overseas (2023)

FAQs

How do you move overseas and bring your belongings? ›

Transporting via Sea Freight

The most common method of transporting your belongings overseas is by ship. While this method takes longer than by plane, it is significantly cheaper and can carry heavier loads. If you intend on moving with lots of heavy furniture and boxes, your best option is by sea freight.

Making an international move can take between one and three months, including: The time it takes us to find a home in the destination country that meets our needs, the preparation of a moving list with the furniture and belongings we want to take with us, the packing of the belongings, the shipping and delivery of the ...

However, international moving costs are more than a plane ticket; your expenses can include moving services, visa and immigration fees, temporary housing, expat health insurance, and potentially storage. The average cost of international moving is approximately $1000 to $10,000 USD.

A general rule of thumb for most moving companies is that if a move is over 400 miles, it is considered long-distance. A long-distance move can also be called long-haul moving or interstate moving if you are moving out of one state and into another.

Most moving companies don't charge by weight or volume exclusively, unless there is freight shipping involved in the move, in which case, both weight and volume would come into play in determining the cost of the move.

Every reputable moving company has a USDOT (US Department of Transportation) number, which should be listed in the fine print at the very bottom of its website. Once you have a company's USDOT number, you can use it to search the FMCSA's database for any information the agency has on that company.

However, it's also much faster than ocean transportation, so it's the best way to ship the things you need quickly. On average, international moves using air transportation take two-to-four weeks.

Packing for an overseas move

And it's never really too soon to start packing for your international relocation. You obviously don't want to pack up anything you'll need before your move, but you can start boxing up things like your books, jewelry, records, and family heirlooms months ahead of time.

Portugal, Ireland and Australia are some of the countries offering rural relocation incentives. In 2020, an Italian village with just 115 residents offered more than €44,000 ($47,000) in relocation funding. COVID-19 and remote working has made rural relocation more possible – and desirable – for some.

What is the easiest foreign country to move to? ›

If you're only shipping a couple of boxes, USPS is probably the cheapest way. For large or heavy boxes or shipments of more than three boxes, consider the consolidated freight shipping method as the cheapest way to ship boxes when multiple less-than-truckload (LTL, or less-than-load) shipments are combined into one.

Freight Trains

Trains are the most fuel-efficient method of transporting goods across land. Trains are two to four times more efficient at transporting freight than conventional trucks, depending on the cargo, and a single freight train can carry the equivalent of 280 truckloads .

The best way to find the cheapest shipping rates for freight is to use a service such as Freightquote or Freightos. Business owners often work with a freight broker to quickly compare freight shipping costs from multiple couriers and find the best rates.

In addition to your verbal assurance, you could hand a $10 bill to each mover at the beginning of the move as an added incentive. However, if this makes you uncomfortable, stick to the general rule that you should tip movers after they've completed the job. Don't give the lump sum to the foreman or driver.

Generally speaking, the answer is yes, at least for most full-service moving companies. As an add-on service, movers can, in fact, come to your home and assist you with the process of packing, and this does include your clothes.

Keep clothing on hangers when possible. Keep folded clothes in dresser drawers. Remember to line suitcases and cardboard boxes with packing paper to protect the clothes. Use plastic storage containers to pack clothing items you won't be using soon.

How far away counts as long distance? ›

In most cases, long-distance is considered anything two hours or more. When a couple lives under that range (without other extenuating circumstances), they typically struggle with issues in their relationship that probably deserve attention before they ever move in together or get married.

As we discussed above, the approximate cost of moving a two-three bedroom household 1,000 miles or more is around $6,300. The approximate cost of moving a smaller household, such as a one-bedroom apartment, 1,000 miles or more is around $3,500. Professional moving companies can help make your long distance move easy.

There are two types of weight-taking methods: origin weighing and destination weighing. In the former, movers weigh the truck before arriving at your place and then once more after all of your items have been loaded. They then calculate the net weight of your shipment by subtracting the first weight from the second.

Why do moving companies charge so much? Moving companies seem to charge a lot of money because they have a lot of expenses to cover: from labor for packing and loading the moving truck in any circumstance to fuel costs and equipment fees, you can be sure your money is being well spent.

The heavier it is, or the further it travels, the more it will cost a business to ship — or so they think. However, large, lightweight packages can actually cost more to ship than some smaller, dense packages, thanks to dimensional weight (DIM weight). DIM weight is used by USPS, FedEx, and UPS.

Check online for reviews with the BBB and Google to be sure that they have a history of customer service success. Document Everything. After delivery, you have nine months to report any problems to the moving company and file a written claim for loss or damage to your belongings.

Report Fraud

Consumers seeking to file a complaint against a household goods moving company, broker or other carrier may contact FMCSA's National Consumer Complaint Database online or toll-free at: 1-888-368-7238.

Scammers, or rogue movers, will sometimes demand pay before completing your move. Reputable movers typically won't ask this from you but may ask for a deposit to confirm your date. This is especially common in the summer. Paying upon completion of the move gives consumers agency over their belongings.

Average Arrival Time: 8 weeks

HHG includes the remainder of all your household goods and is the biggest shipment that your family will have. Your HHG will get shipped on an ocean barge.

Whatever the case is, it's no secret that international package shipping has its complexity and is far more difficult than shipping locally. Dealing with customs and worrying about lost or damaged parcels may scare you away from shipping globally.

How long do shipped items stay in customs? ›

Typically, customs clearance takes less than 24 hours, however, there are times where it can take several days or weeks for goods to be inspected.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Like Vermont, the city of Tulsa is looking to inject new life into their state with remote worker incentives. They offer a $10,000 relocation award.

An international moving company will arrange to send a container to your home to do this. Once the container is loaded, a truck will pick it up and transport the container to the port. Most international moving companies offer door-to-door and door-to-port services.

Your international mover and agent handle the entire move, including customs clearance and paperwork. Door to Port / Port to Door: You deal with customs clearance and paperwork on one side of your move. Port to Port: The cheapest, but understand you have to do all the work with duty, customs clearance, and excise.

adverb. in or to a foreign country or countries. famous at home and abroad. in or to another continent.

To leave the country in which one lives, especially one's native country, in order to reside elsewhere.

What is the advantage of moving your company? ›

One of the main benefits of relocating a business that results in a smaller office, store, plant or warehouse is the reduction in overhead expenses. In addition to reduced heating, cooling and lighting costs, you can lower your insurance costs as well.

According to the report, almost half of movers said housing was why they relocated. Those reasons include wanting better neighborhoods and better homes, wanting to own rather than rent, and less pleasant reasons like being evicted.

Pack Decor & Books

Items that are in your home purely for aesthetic purposes are good items to pack first when moving. This might include artwork, decor, books, magazines, and the like. These items are easy to pack first because chances are you won't need them during the move or the weeks preceding it.