International Furniture Shipping Solutions
Published by Chris Townsend
Are you moving overseas to start a new life? This can be an exciting and stressful time, especially as you think about moving your whole life to a brand-new place. What does it cost to bring your stuff with you, and is it even worth shipping furniture overseas?
This may be a great time to get some new stuff. Everybody likes new stuff, right? Remember that what worked for your old home may not work in your new home. You can always use this move as an excuse to finally redecorate.
Do you desire to ship the furnishings abroad? Or are you interested in getting the best services? Well, it's seriously amazing if you have the right knowledge and details. We have mentioned details regarding furniture shipment for a better experience. Moreover, our guide includes all the necessary details you need. Let's get down to business.
More about Shipping A Furniture to Abroad
Generally, moving to a new place means starting a new life. It's completely true when you plan international moves. Taking belongings abroad and shipping household goods is particularly an intimidating task and multiple factors affect it.
On an international move, people desire to ship furniture overseas with the help of moving companies. International movers offer you the services for the abroad move by telling you the exact cost.
But wait! Do you want to keep some old things along with you? Those things that bought you joy and comfort? Or some antique pieces that remind you of happy moments and people? So whenever you are going to a new destination, you need to take just a few pieces along with you.
But is it worth shipping furniture overseas? Or do you require additional services? Does it cost more money, particularly when we talk about heavy and large furnishings items? Let's take a closer look!
Is it worth for Shipping Furniture Overseas?
Furniture is bulky and intimidating to move overseas as it can get damaged during relocation. However, you need professional packing tips to transport these household items.
The plus point is that bringing the functional pieces will save you from the effort and time it will take to furnish the whole home and bring coziness and familiarity to the new place just like a home country.
Familiar household goods can make your house more friendly and give the home-like feel to the children and pets. It can particularly provide a better understanding.
Well, do you want to buy new furniture on relocation, or do you require shipping household goods along? Although, it all depends on the circumstances and personal effects, and preferences. Here are a few things you need to consider while moving overseas.
The Practicality of the Furniture
To be honest, you have nothing to do with shipping furniture overseas if you don't have to use it in the new lifestyle. During international furniture freight, the first thing to assess is the practical value. YES! Like you have to figure out whether the old furnishings is convenient and fits the new lifestyle or not.
Is Furniture in the good condition?
You might need to pay the additional cost to ship furniture, so it's essential to check the overall condition before shipping. If any piece is worn out or undesirable and even damaged, you must replace it before relocation.
Sure! You could rephrase the statement as:
Is quality of the furnishings high?
If any piece features high-quality materials and crafts skills, it will be expensive and stylish to take to the new place. That's exactly what you have to say about it.
If it's a cheap and less-quality item, it's more cost-effective to buy it after you move rather than shipping the old one. Many moving companies offer door-to-door delivery for these hauling services.
Will the furniture fit your New Home?
Another thing you have to consider is that does the old furniture fits the available space or not. Suppose the furnishings doesn't fit the space in your new home; it's better not to ship it along with you. That's because it will only increase the moving costs and probably a significant amount of money.
To be honest, what can you do with a big bed if you are going to a studio apartment? Isn't it a waste of money? What is the purpose of packing a Victorian-style set if all you need to move to a beach town?
Well, before moving to a new house, take the exact measurement of any furniture to save money. You can take the belonging which will benefit you.
Deciding What To Bring
International shipping is a numbers game. The less stuff you bring, the less it will charge you. When thinking about what you bring with you, you look at the cost to move it overseas, how much it would cost to replace it, and how much it means to you. How valuable something is to you can be hard to describe, but what if we just measured it by the number of reasons you can think of to keep it?
If your relative cost of moving is less than the price to replace it, your choice becomes easy.
Are you moving somewhere with a different climate? If you are planning to move your antique or leather furniture, do your research first. Some climates will damage delicate items, so you may want to store them instead.
Quarantine
You may have thought that quarantine was just for plants or animals but think again. Many countries have stringent requirements for the inspection and quarantine of wood furniture items. This is because tiny bugs or mold can have damaging impacts on your new country's ecosystem.
The best way to avoid quarantine for your furniture is to make sure that it is spotless when it arrives. If a customs official opens up a container and finds a single piece of dusty furnishings, they are far more likely to want to unload your entire container and check everything inch by inch. Nobody wants that.
Risk of Damage
To be honest, furniture is always at a high risk of damage during an international move. Whether it's high-quality furnishings or low-quality one, it's still the same.
Well, it's better to leave the furniture piece behind that's impossible to disassemble and is bulky and large to transport. Or, if it's an irreplaceable thing such as a family heirloom or antique, you can get custom clearance services for better safety during the move. Besides this, keep in mind that you need specialized packing services for international moving costs.
Import Regulations of your New Country
There are strict rules when we talk about importing. You should research the shipping restrictions and taxes within a new country. That's because it's helpful as you won't come across any additional problems upon the shipping.
And you know what? Furniture items are sometimes considered forbidden items as some countries consider them risky items such as wood and outdoor furnishings. That's because some countries include serious restrictions as it might be a threat to the local ecosystem.
When shipping furniture overseas, you have to clean the pieces thoroughly and check what the country has declared according to the custom taxes and more. The little details will help you ship the furnishings with ease in a new country. Ensure that you have researched the country before hiring a moving company.
The time it will take your furniture. There is no exaggeration in when cargo furnishings internationally saying that when shipping internationally, it's best to use sea freight. Although sea transport is quite slow and may take a month to ship the heavy items, it doesn't cost much. The sentimental value should be concluded on how much does it cost to take the furniture to a destination country.
Once you want to move the old furniture, it's essential to plan the time for the furnishings to arrive. Will you require the furnishings within that time? Or can you manage things for a couple of months?
What's more? If you plan to stay in a temporary place like a rental or furnished hotel and find a permanent residence, waiting for it cannot be a problem. Bringing things to a new country will take, but in this way, it becomes a convenient process. No need to put it into storage, but it's no more an exception.
But wait! If you reach a rented property in a new country, it will let you need the things immediately. It's better to ship the furniture earlier, so it reaches the residence immediately at the time of arrival. Are you getting it? It's a better advantage. Air freight transport is also an advantage, but sea freight can be a better option, no doubt.
Packing tips for Furniture
Packing furniture might look intimidating, but it isn't if you have the right knowledge and tools. Try not to use the same box for all items. Ensure that nothing is packed loosely.
Moreover, give the boxes a good shake before packing. You have to use good quality packing materials for effective packaging. You should get some more information on it before international furniture shipping. However, an international moving company can provide you with maximum advantages such as packing and loading the furnishings.
Check for what the international moving company costs. Here are the few things that need consideration when packing furniture for international hauling.
Use space Intelligently
When bringing the cabinets and drawers, make full use of the equipment. It's necessary to gather together the small items and put them inside your drawers.
Disassemble everything you can
It's effortless if you disassemble everything you need. Make the furniture pieces compact as it results in reduced average cost for moving. Moreover, disassemble the wardrobes, tables, and chairs and save the pieces in separate plastic bags while putting the screws inside. Ensure to take pictures when you disassemble as it helps to put it back again.
Look after at your fragile items.
When we talk about packing the delicate items, you should give everything you got. Bubble wraps, corrugated cardboard sheets, and more can save fragile items from breaking. It's necessary to remove the glass parts from the furniture pieces and wrap them accordingly.
Don't overfill boxes
No box should weigh more than 30 pounds. Boxes heavier would not withstand the weight and will hurt the back while lifting it. You can pack light things in big boxes and bulky things in small boxes.
Protect the corners
It's essential to protect the furniture corners as it is at more risk of damage, particularly during the move. You can buy the furniture corner protectors that are ideal for the job. Generally, the thick cardboard pieces are also effective.
Go easy on the shrink wrap
You can protect the stuff in place and protect it evidently. However, it won't get it using wooden furniture. That's because it results in moisture strains or damages the varnishes.
Add wax
If we talk about some delicate wooden furniture, you can go for an additional step to protect the expensive surfaces. Any layer of finishing wax applied with a microfiber cloth is an excellent way to prevent the wooden or other from getting any scratches.
Label everything
You should make a note about what's added to each box. You can do this on the box top, side, or even at the bottom. Another thing is to color code the boxes, including the furniture parts, and mark them according to their room—Blue for the kitchen, pink for the bathroom, and green for the master bedroom.
Start packing early
Do you know packing takes much more time than you ever think? YES! Therefore, it's better to start it early, at least months before you start moving. You can either ask a hauling company for packaging and check for their average cost. Before the move date, make a list of the furniture you don't need to take along, particularly when you have moved.
How Much the Cost To Ship A Furniture Abroad?
Now for the million-dollar question. How much does it cost to ship furniture overseas? The answer to this question depends on a variety of factors, such as where you are traveling to and from and whether you chose to ship a full container load or a less than container load.
Shipping a full container from Los Angeles to Tokyo would charge between $7,600-$10,200 (a full container holding the entire contents of a house plus a vehicle). Cargo from New York to Cape Town, South Africa would be $7,000-$11,500.
Sadly, shipping is only part of the expense of moving furniture. You would be surprised how quickly the cost of packing materials can add up, especially for special or fragile items. When packing furniture to ship overseas, you have to be diligent about padding corners, getting it thoroughly cleaned and wrapped, tied down, and secure.
The truth is, working with international movers is the best investment you can make when moving internationally. Three Movers handle your abroad and domestic moves with ease. We can help with every part of the process, from packing your items to protecting them from harm to ensuring they stay safe from doorstep to doorstep. Contact Three Movers today to learn more about how we can give you the move you deserve.
The Bottom Line
When you plan something like international move, it's a pleasant or a new beginning. But wait! It's not about everything new. Moving abroad is exciting, but there are some household goods that you can't leave behind.
You need the right packing or moving services for such belongings and must know the overall cost of these hauling services. Moreover, a hauling company can help you with moving the furniture during an international hauling.
When moving furniture overseas, it's vital that your belongings are taken with utmost care. That's because you might be shipping leather sofas and other essential accessories or belongings along during international moving. Nothing is worse than reaching a new country with damaged furniture during transportation.
You can hire a moving company during international hauling with insurance cover and customs clearance services included with add-ons for better transportation. Furthermore, check for the average cost a hauling company offers.