Before You Start Contacting International Movers, There Are a Few Things You Need to Know
So, you’ve made the big decision to move to Sydney, Australia.
Once you begin getting the wheels into motion and make arrangements for your lifestyle change, potentially the most stressful thing, apart from stepping on the plane, will be shipping your household goods to Australia.
A quick and easy way to remove that stress is to invest in the services of a reliable and reputable international shipping company.
Hire a reputable international moving company.
Your international moving company will endeavor to safeguard your belongings and deliver on time, and with a minimum of fuss. They’ll do the hard work, packing and wrapping your precious belongings into a container and safely deliver them to you in Australia.
Choosing a reputable international moving company is definitely the way to go – especially when your belongings are being sent halfway around the world – you want someone you can trust! Keep an eye out for your movers (or removalists, as movers are called in Australia) accreditations.
Choose a company where they carry the FAIM logo; the highest quality assurance standard recognized internationally. Routine audits are performed to ensure quality standards are upheld.
FIDI is another internationally recognized organization that accredits movers around the world to work together. This means a London based company can liaise with an Australian based company to ensure moves are carried out with full teams and proper equipment in both countries.
Experiencing a successful international relocation is highly attributed to experience. Removal companies who have been in the industry for 80 years or more are the way to go! Professional, highly-trained removalists know how to care for your move every step of the way.
Be sure to get an in-house visual survey.
Don't try and estimate on your own what you are shipping to Sydney and the number of boxes you will need. Also, don't trust online moving quote forms that ask you to itemize your shipment.
Full Disclosure: The shipping quote form I have does ask for an itemized estimate by room (living room, bedroom, etc) of what you are shipping to Australia but, as I say before the form, just skip that part, it's optional, and wait until the salesperson comes to your house and has a look. Here's a link to the form. It's super easy to fill out and you'll be contacted by experienced, qualified movers in your area.
You want to meet the person face-to-face and do a walk-through of what you are planning on shipping.
Firstly, this gives you a chance to interview the company representative and ask questions to suss out how familiar they are with international shipping and their experience with shipping to Australia. Australian quarantine is very strict. You need to familiarize yourself with what you can and cannot take with you to Australia.
The second reason is that most people tend to underestimate the number of boxes they will need.
Easy to do if you have never relocated overseas before as packing for a move from one neighborhood to another is not the same as packing for a shipping container.
Trust me on this as we made many extra trips to pick up bubble wrap and never seemed to have enough newspaper to make sure all the boxes were packed up tight so that there was no shifting of any items within the box.
If you are moving with your spouse or long-term partner, both of you should be present for the survey. It's just a good idea to have everyone involved present instead of asking one person to be responsible for relaying and explaining all the details later.
Get at least three in-house shipping quotes.
Schedule in-house surveys with three different shipping companies and let them know it.
Competition between companies can be a good thing for you when it comes down to negotiating prices and services.
International shipping companies all know each other by reputation if not personally.
In fact, when we got our quote from Sterling International Shipping they point-blank asked who else we had contacted. When we mentioned Rainier Overseas, the Sterling customer representative asked if we had talked to Brian or David. We had in fact corresponded with both of them, but Brian was the one that did our in-house survey.
Your in-house survey is an estimate. Don't be afraid to negotiate.
Understand what you cannot take with you to Australia.
Avoid packing items that will be confiscated, or hold up your goods in quarantine unnecessarily. This means those small items of food, animal, and plant materials finding their way into your vacuum, lawnmower, or even garden tools.
Australia tries really hard to keep its unique environment and agricultural industries are free from pests. The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) carries a high level of physical inspection on incoming personal and household goods to Australia.
When shipping your household to Australia, it isn’t recommended to include foodstuffs in your container. As mentioned, try and remove any traces of soil or other foreign matter from items such as vacuum cleaners, lawnmowers, golf clubs, garden tools, wheelbarrows, etc. prior to the big move.
If you desperately need to move these types of items with you to Australia, they will need to be declared for inspection on arrival to Australia. Some products may require treatment to make them safe. Others posing pest and disease you will need to say goodbye to!
They WILL BE seized and destroyed by AQIS. Your international moving company will be able to guide you on what items you cannot ship, but it pays to be prepared and know for yourself.
Goods to be declared.
List of items that need to be declared for when you're packing up your house:
- Seeds and nuts – commercially packaged seeds, seed ornaments, nuts out of shell such as salted nuts, in foil or roasted.
- Plant products – straw packaging, wooden articles, artefacts, handicrafts and curios – includes wreaths and decorations made of cereal or grain.
- Animal products – includes any items made with rawhide, such as drums, shields, artefacts, dog chews; and any treated skins, hides, furs, hair or feathers.
- Dried fruit and vegetables
- Herbs and spices of any kind – includes herbal medicines and remedies, tonics, teas
- Biscuits, cakes and confectionery – includes chocolate, sweets, crisps, nuts, pretzels
- Noodles and rice – includes processed and instant meals
- Teas, coffees, and milk based drinks
- Bamboo, cane or rattan basket ware and mats – including coconut carvings, cane baskets
- Wooden articles – includes painted and lacquered items
- Fresh flowers and leis & dried flower arrangements
Read the fine print of your shipping quote.
Be sure you not only get everything in writing but that you understand what your moving quote includes and excludes.
Yes, I’m talking about reading the fine print of all three shipping quotes.
Don't assume that they are the same or cover the same services. For example, is one quote less because it is a “Port-to-Port” quote and not a “Door-to-Door” quote? Hint: you want a door-to-door quote, not port-to-port.
Be sure everything you discussed with the movers is in writing. Again, don't assume that since you talked about it during your survey, they will remember. Essentially, if it's not written down on your quote, it will not happen.
I can tell you right now that the number of boxes or cartons will not be the same. Read over your quote and ask yourself if you need ten boxes for all the books and trinkets in the living room. Or perhaps the opposite is true and two boxes for all your shoes is definitely not enough.
Ask specifically about what is not included in your quote. Do not assume that the different movers include, or exclude, the same services.
Unethical sales reps know that most people will not read the fine print or question it. This is the perfect opportunity for them to add in charges or exclude charges that will pop up later after they have your shipment or in Australia when your shipment arrives.
For example, Australian Quarantine Fees will not be included in your quote because they won't know how much it will be until after the fact.
They can give you a range of how much it may cost based on past customers but they cannot quote you the exact amount because quarantine inspection is charged by the hour. There is no telling how long it will take per shipment that arrives in Australia.
Fees often excluded in Australia shipping quotes:
- Destination port fees
- Terminal handling charges
- Taxes and duties
- Crating and storage if needed at either the port of origin or the destination port in Australia
- Difficult delivery (things like pianos or perhaps your apartment in Sydney doesn't have an elevator, and the movers will have to use the stairs)
- Packing and unpacking
- Charges for inaccurate or insufficient paperwork from the shipper
- Parking permits for either pickup from your home or delivery to your new home in Sydney
I know that price is going to be an important part of your decision when choosing movers but what is more important than that final number on your moving quote is what is included and what you will have to pay for when your shipment arrives in Australia.
Easier said than done.
If you're interested in getting a very rough idea of how much it is going to cost to ship your household to Australia then read this post, but remember your move depends on what you are shipping, not just volume-wise, but total weight and of course other factors like delivery, packing, insurance and shipping fees.
How long your shipment will take until it arrives.
This will really depend on where in the world you are moving from!
As an example, if you’re shipping a full dedicated container from the US, this can take between 6-8 weeks to arrive in Sydney, while the more cost-effective method of a shared container can take anywhere between 10-12 weeks.
Consult your international moving company for exact time frames.
