International Container Shipping for Household Goods

A dedicated shipping container (also known as 'sole use' or 'exclusive use' is a container that is exclusively for your own use, typically used for customers who have enough furniture to fill their own container, or who prefer to have their own container for speed or security purposes. 

A dedicated container is the alternative to a  'shared load', or a 'groupage' container service for customers with smaller shipments to share space in a container therefore minimising their costs. 

The cost of shipping a full (or dedicated) container depends on a number of factors including:

• The volume of goods you are moving
• Your origin and destination country
• Location of and access to the properties you are moving from and to
• The dates you want to move
• The services you require (e.g. packing, crating of fragile items, handyman services etc.)

The best way to get a fixed quote for your move is to book a pre-move survey where  an expert move consultant can assess your requirements and recommend the right solutions and pricing for you. 

You can book a pre-move survey and one of our expert move consultants will assess your volume of goods for you so they can advise on the best method of transport based on volume and schedule requirements. 

Or, if you just want to have a rough idea of volume you can try our shipping volume calculator. As a guide, a sole use 20ft container holds around 1050cubic feet of personal belongings. 

Accreditations and certifications are a good way to determine the professionalism and credibility of a company. With a little money and a web expert any moving company can get a good position in your search engine listings, but how do you know they are reputable?

Organisations like FIDI (who certify international removal companies to the FAIM standard) and the BAR (British Association of Removers) pre-vet moving companies for you, and only let those who meet their standards become a member and display the badge. BAR companies also offer an advance payment guarantee so if anything happens to the removal company whilst your move is in progress you are financially protected. So, if you want to be sure you’ve chosen a reputable Removal Company, look for the badges. Find out more about International Shipping company accreditations here.

Fill in the quote form to submit a web enquiry and we’ll get in touch to find out more about your move, alternatively, you can call us on 01797 228000

For larger overseas shipping moves we usually like to arrange a Move Consultation (sometimes known as a ‘survey’). This allows us to talk through your personal requirements further, explain your options and how your move might work, highlight anything you might find useful to know (like what you can and can’t take to specific countries based on their customs regulations) and to assess the technical aspects like the volume of items you’d like to move, the access to your property, any special packing or handling requirements that might be involved. We will send your quote over as soon as possible afterwards.

Typically we will visit you at home for the move consultation, but if you don’t have time, need an out of hours appointment or would just prefer us not to visit we can offer a range of other options like a Live Video Survey (available 24/7) using your smartphone, a telephone survey or our online self survey form.

The timescale for your shipment includes:

• Transport from origin to port of origin
• Loading onto the vessel
• Sailing time (including any stops if the ship is not travelling direct. Sometimes cheaper rates are available for slower sailings if you are not in a hurry)
• Unloading from the vessel
• Customs clearance
• Delivery

Timescale can vary depending on your circumstances but we will advise you a typical timescale for your destination when we provide your quote and move plan. 

As an example the average door to door transit time for an FCL move to Australia is around 8-12 weeks. 

Yes. 

Smaller items will be packed and protected in cardboard moving cartons, with larger items being export packed and wrapped before loading.

Our professional packers are fully trained in the art of packing for an international move and use specially designed packing materials to ensure the risk of damage is minimised.