" Planning to ship Personal Effects To or From the UK. Read our Free Guide Below. "
1. Packing up your personal effects
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Use strong well taped cartons
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Make sure delicate items are well wrapped in bubble wrap and put in the middle of carton
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Ensure all cartons are labelled with destination address
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Measure your unpacked items to get quotes for packing or palletising
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Make sure you do not pack any hazardous items, as these can make transportation very costly.
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Most countries are getting very strict about untreated timber and timber has to be stamped and documented if used.
Remember:
If you need cartons, tape and bubble wrap have a look on our website.
If you need advice on packing delicate items or on packing Personal Effects in general just call us on +44 (141) 55 444 77
Contact us for advice on hazardous items.
Ask us about the treated timber regulations before you pack if you are thinking of using any timber or timber based products for packing.
2. Packing up your personal effects
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Keep a list of all the Personal Effects you are shipping
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A general list is sufficient, but make sure you list any valuable items separately.
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This list is needed by the forwarding agent shipping your items but also you will find it useful when you arrive and have to arrange or get an agent to arrange Customs clearance
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Make sure you arrange suitable insurance cover – we can offer competitive rates that give complete peace of mind.
3. Getting a Quote for your Personal Effects
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The more information you have the more accurate your quote will be
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All shipping/air freight costs are based on the weight and size of the shipment
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Use your bathroom scales and tape measure or ruler
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Measure furniture and we will estimate the weight of it for you
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Have the addresses that you want your belongings collected from and the address where you want them sent to. Make sure you tell us about any access restrictions to either the collection or delivery address as this could affect the truck we use. Please ask for clarification if you are not clear on anything.
4. Booking your shipment
- Lots of freight forwarders do not handle personal effects because it can be fraught with misunderstandings so we think it is very important that you fully understand the process and what you have to pay for.
- Shipping terminology can confuse and so please don’t hesitate to ask us to clarify anything, much better now than feeling that annoyed later. You can also see commonly used Shipping Terms here
- If you are on a budget make sure we know what you want so we can ship it to suit your requirements. We can help by explaining which options could give more flexibility or cost savings.
5. Shipping your Personal Effects
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We will book your shipment and advise you of the vessel/flight , date of departure, date of arrival* etc.
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Payment will be need before we issued you with the paperwork so please be ready to transfer the payment to us.
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We will supply you with all the paperwork you need together with the name and address of the company to contact on arrival at your destination country.
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When the shipment arrives at the destination port if it is a part container shipment you then have to allow 5 – 10 days for the vessel to off loaded and then the container to be unpacked before you can arrange to have your cargo.
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Air freight is usually 1 – 2 days but you need to make sure that you have all the paper work and customs sorted as Airlines will charge rent if you have any delays. * These dates can alter by a few days due to weather or the Shipping Co/Airline changing their schedule, it is usually no more than 1 -2 days. The following documents will be required:
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Sea Freight – Bill of Lading
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Air Freight – Air Way Bill
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Shipping inventory Please check with us to see if you need any other paperwork. i.e. Timber packing declaration
6. Getting in Touch
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When exporting, contact the Company we gave you, quoting the document number. (at the final destination). They will then be able to keep you updated locally.
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Decide who is handling the Customs Clearance for you. We can do this on your behalf in the UK with our direct link to H M Customs.
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Get as much done before the shipment arrives so no delays and the possibility of rent.
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Sort out delivery dates or if you are doing your own find out if you need to quote anything when collecting your belongings
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Australia imports often need to be fumigated prior to release and the authorities will charge you for this process.
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It is very important to make contact and leave your details with the final destination Country’s handling agent. Ask them for information or advice on
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Local practices etc. If at any stage you are unsure then please Contact us for advice. and we will find out any information you need.
7. Delivery to your Address
When arranging delivery or getting a quote for delivery bear in mind the following:
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Are your items easy to off-load from a vehicle or do you need the vehicle to be a tail-lift vehicle? Tail-lift vehicles do cost more so get this included in the quote. If a vehicle cannot be off-loaded and has to return to the depot this will incur extra costs.
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Are there any access restrictions which could influence the size and type of vehicle we book?
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Most delivery companies will only deliver to kerb side so you may need to ask friends and family to help on the day of delivery
8. General Bits and Bobs
Shipping dates can alter by a few days due to weather or the Shipping Co/Airline changing their schedule, it is usually no more than 1 -2 days.
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When the shipment arrives at the destination port if it is a part container shipment you then have to allow 5 – 10 days for the vessel to be off loaded and then the container to be unpacked before you can arrange to have your cargo.
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Air freight is usually 1 – 2 days but you need to make sure that you have all the paper work and customs sorted as Airlines will charge rent if you have any delays. So arrange for the flight to arrive 3 – 7 days after you arrive in the country to give you time to sort our customs etc.
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If you are using an agent in the destination country then get a quote from them but bear in mind that often most countries charges are more expensive than the UK.
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Each country has different rules so it is worth checking if any of them applies to your shipment.
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Unfortunately once a ship has sailed, any changes in the schedule causing delays although rare are outside our control, but we can keep you posted and help in whatever way possible.
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Container dimensions can very slightly, but you can use this size guide to get an idea of how much room there is in a Container: