When moving overseas there are many things for you to consider. One of the major ones is relocating your possessions. This article will provide a checklist to help you make this major task easier.
Finding an Agent
Finding a reputable overseas shipping agent is very important as they will provide you with the necessary information and paper work for the particular country you are moving your possessions to. It is advisable to get prices from two or three shipping agents to make sure you get value for your dollar as shipping costs and agent's fees can differ from agent to agent.
What to Freight?
You will need to find out whether it is cheaper for you to sell any of your possessions that can be repurchased in your new country or pay to have them shipped.
Air or Sea Freight?
As air freight is too expensive under normal circumstances for non-urgent items the cheaper freight option for shipping your possessions would be by sea. If you have any items that you will need upon your arrival then you should use air freight. Declare the full value and pay any additional insurance to cover the items in case they get damaged.
Total Volume to be Shipped
You will need to have a close estimate of the total cubic feet/meter of what possessions you are relocating so you can calculate and budget for freight expenses from the cost per cubic feet/meter the shipping agent provided. Be aware that your cubic volume calculation may differ considerably from the shipping agents final tally, so budget for more to be on the safe side.
The reason for this is that when your belongings are re-stacked onto pallets or into holding bays in the shipping container they do not stack them as tightly as they could be and so extra space is used up of which you have to pay for.
Planning Ahead
Booking your shipping container well in advance so you can work towards a date to have all your belongings packed and ready to be picked by the freight company is very important.
If you leave the container booking too late you run the risk of missing a rescheduled cut-off date and you will have to wait for the next one to ship causing you to be without your possessions in your new country for longer than you had planned. This can cause all sorts of headaches that you do not need when you have just moved to a different country.
Packing and Insurance
If you plan to have your belongings that are to be shipped insured, then you may have to have them packed by a professional packing company who is approved by your chosen travel insurance company rather than pack them yourself.
If you can find an insurance company that will allow you to pack your own belongings all well and good, otherwise this is another cost that you will have to allow for. If you pack your own belongings you will need to number your boxes on at least two sides with a thick marker pen for clear identification.
Create a detailed list called a manifest of what is in each box or container and then make four copies. One may be required by the freight company driver who will take your packages to the port container, one for your shipping agent and two copies for yourself.
If you are intending to hire a professional packing company check out their background, website, testimonials and third-party recommendations before you engage their services because you do not want anything going wrong with the shipping of your belongings.
Check out a couple of packing companies and compare what they offer as in the way of a guarantee, overseas contact number for any issues, service manner and lastly pricing.
If you do not feel comfortable with a particular company for any reason, though they may be cheaper, go with the company that you do feel comfortable with even if you have to pay a little bit extra. In the long run it will be worth it.
Uplifting Your Possessions
You will need to coincide your arrival in your new country with the arrival of your container within a week or so of one another, as you will want to be ready to uplift your belongings or have them picked up by a freight company as soon as the container arrives and has cleared customs, so you will not incur any additional holding costs at the shipping port.
Once you have arrived in your new country make it your first priority to contact the port authorities or call into see them to check that the paperwork is in order and to sort out any issues well in advance of your containers arrival.
You will also need to find out the grace period that your belongings are allowed to be held at the port without incurring a daily holding fee. This will give you additional time to sort out any anomalies that you had not foreseen that may occur with you belongings.
Q&A
Asking the right questions and doing the necessary research before you move overseas will help prevent delays such as some or all of your belongings not being released from customs or from the shipping company.
This can arise from not having the right paper work completed or having some item in your belongings that customs deem as dangerous or illegal such as a collection of antique pistols or an ornamental samurai sword. Delays of this nature, which can be avoided can cause a great inconvenience and can lead to high holding cost until the matter is resolved.
You may have to ring the port authorities or customs of the country you are moving to prior to your departure and discuss any matters that you cannot find out from your shipping or travel agent or the countries customs website.
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