# Sharing a container anyone??



## CarlaAndGary (Jul 23, 2010)

Hello,

has anyone ever shared a container and if so how much did this cost you? 

We have a very small 2 bed house and apart from our bed/mattress and the kids bunk bed/mattress we'd be bringing bedding, all my kitchen stuff, some toys, books and our dvd collection. Obviuosly clothes too and a few electricals e.g. hair starighteners. 

I don't think we'd fill a 20 footer, probably closer to half but maybe not even then. Any advice welcome. Thanks,

Carla xxx


----------



## Chrissie (Jun 29, 2010)

CarlaAndGary said:


> Hello,
> 
> has anyone ever shared a container and if so how much did this cost you?
> 
> ...


Where are you going from and what is your destination in Australia?
i am looking for a reputable company that handles the paperwork.....gives quotes etc..


----------



## CarlaAndGary (Jul 23, 2010)

Chrissie said:


> Where are you going from and what is your destination in Australia?
> i am looking for a reputable company that handles the paperwork.....gives quotes etc..


We'll be going from Southampton in the UK to Perth.


----------



## Chrissie (Jun 29, 2010)

I'm going from Oregon USA to Sydney!! Good luck to you!


----------



## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

*Containers, Quotes and Paperwork*

I'd not be too concerned with moves shipping and just do some searches of international shipping companies/agents in your own areas and get a few alternate names.
You may even find local furniture removalists have an association with international companies and so if you know of or can get references for a reputable furniture removalist, they would likely deal with reliable companies but it is all pretty much controlled by customs requirements that shonky operators would be pretty much non existent.
Just a few things you may want to look into:
*. Need for a container *- not really as most companies will box up your lot and it'll just be shipped with heaps of other stuff being imported.
I've known people to get their gear put in a sizable crate and actually picked one up from the wharves myself once using a trailer.
The shipping company provides info to customs people and at the time, I think we got a call and there is about three days for stuff to be picked up before you start paying storage fees.
Went down there and wharf guy says what's in it? household gear and he half thought of levering top off for a squiz and then says, yep she's right and so got a forklift guy to pick it up and load it in to our trailer, signed for it and away we went.
*. Mattresses!* - they are known to be good places for bugs to breed etc. and so see if there is anything on Customs home page re restrictions or fumigation requirements etc., and if latter, it'll add costs and a good shipping company/agent ought to be able to advise.
*. Costs* If you have a $500 mattress and it's going to mean $300 to ship it, maybe more for pest control, maybe you want to do the sums on whether you bring it and the same with everything.
Companies/agents should be able to give you information on price/wt. or vol. etc. and then fumigation, insurance
Just on mattresses, I know you can pay $5000+ for some super fancy ones and the same people will tell you all about what body sweat will do etc. and give you advice_ for a five year life _[ which most of us mere mortals probably ignore ] - My own experience being buying a nice Queen size colonial look bed frame and a super firm reasonable quality mattress about 12 years ago, all for less than a $1000 I think and a kids bed set could be half of that and even cheaper but still reasonable quality.
So I suppose it can come down to what you have, what you paid and what your tastes are.
We also bought some cane style bed side and chest drawer units becuse they are ideal for more humid weather, better breathing and so light to move if you need to.
*. Paperwork *
Of course make sure there's adequate insurance.
Other than that, unless you've got an address for delivery to the other end, you should have something of a contract for delivery into customs and be given details re their advice to expect.
If you do not have an address in Australia to use as a reference or know anybody so there's a telephone number, suppose these days you could use an email address or rely on an agent.
But with normal planning, you're likely to be leaving not long after all your household stuff has disappeared and so with shipping times of whatever numbers of weeks, you'll be in Australia well beforehand and so with shipping company having also given you Australian contact details for their company and Customs, probably have emailed you a Shipping Advice reference - some sort of an ID/consignment number etc., on arrival in Australia, one of the first things you'll probably be looking at is finding somewhere to sleep and getting yourself a mobile phone and so you can give your Australian contact details to customs.
*. Interim* If you find out how long your gear is going to take to get here, that's something else to be planned for:
. do you elect to stay put, using up friends and/or rellies hospitality so as you do not arrive too long in Australia before your gear or do you head there straight away.
The former may help to take care of interim accommodation for hotels/motels can be expensive, but then it can also mean you'll be in more of rush organising for somewhere to live between arrival of you and your gear.
. If you do go not long after your gear and have quite a few weeks waiting for it to arrive, it could be another reason to think about mattresses etc. for if you find a flat for 3-6 months or whatever, it'll likely be bare except for a stove, maybe a fridge in some but most likely no bed.
The difference between rent and motel/hotel fees may be more than enough to cover the cost of a new mattress at least and sleeping bags and pillows are cheap enough.
An esky and ice will do for a temporary fridge but if you were not shipping one, well you'll go out and buy one anyway, again there are fancy ones for several thousand $$$ but still many reasonable quality ones from $500 up and even less for some that could eventually suffice as just a drinks fridge or wine cupboard if you were looking to keep the budget initially low.
Again, on costs generally, basic not too many frills motel accommodation for a family is likely to be from around $700 - $1000/wk. upwards, maybe something of a reduced rate deal negotiable if staying for several weeks.
You may want to consider joining Motoring | RAC WA Motoring even before or on arrival as some motels offer discounts for Motoring Organisation members and they can also offer advice re vehicle purchase.
But you may be able to get reasonable rental accommodation for$300 - 500/wk.
www.domain.com.au is one site that you could use to check out what costs might be, Free Classifieds | Buy, Sell, Jobs, Property & More | Gumtree Sydney also possibly of use, but plenty of sites like those about.
*. Agent or not *- and really need to consider who you end up dealing with as some shipping companies may be set up reasonably well to deal direct with the public whereas others may be just shippers and want to deal with agents.


----------



## Chrissie (Jun 29, 2010)

Thanks Wanderer - some really helpful info there!
I can't believe how stressed I am about all of this - normally I can make a list and methodically go through, ticking everything off as I cross T's and dot i's.......however I am running around like a chook with it's head cut off right now (_mentally anyway!)_
the land we live on has been sold, so as from today at some point we will get a 4 week notice - but no-one can tell us when the sale will be closed -tomorrow or next month......( so a move that I was preparing for in about 4 months could happen in 4 weeks) therefore we will probably need to do a double move - first from this house to somewhere else, and not knowing when the Visa will come through to go to Australia - (anything from 3 -6 months it looks like).....anyway you get my drift......so I suppose what I SHOULD be doing - is deciding what we really want to take to Australia, and packing that up. I have already started clearing out cupboards etc.
Reading through your post, I have now decided NOT to take the mattress and base, nor our Oregon furniture more geared to a cold climate than a warmer one.

We do have a lot of books and writings (my husband is a writer and musician songwriter) - i was hoping to crate them over as media mail - but apparently you can't do that anymore!

Anyway Wanderer just to say thanks again - I'll get on the internet and get some quotes!


----------



## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

Chrissie said:


> Thanks Wanderer - some really helpful info there!
> I can't believe how stressed I am about all of this - normally I can make a list and methodically go through, ticking everything off as I cross T's and dot i's.......however I am running around like a chook with it's head cut off right now (_mentally anyway!)_
> the land we live on has been sold, so as from today at some point we will get a 4 week notice - but no-one can tell us when the sale will be closed -tomorrow or next month......( so a move that I was preparing for in about 4 months could happen in 4 weeks) therefore we will probably need to do a double move - first from this house to somewhere else, and not knowing when the Visa will come through to go to Australia - (anything from 3 -6 months it looks like).....anyway you get my drift......so I suppose what I SHOULD be doing - is deciding what we really want to take to Australia, and packing that up. I have already started clearing out cupboards etc.
> Reading through your post, I have now decided NOT to take the mattress and base, nor our Oregon furniture more geared to a cold climate than a warmer one.
> ...


Yes, things can get blurred when time presses in and you just find out how much " junk " you can accumulate.
. Maybe with a move imminent, you just need to get ruthless and decide on what's absolutely essential to keep and what can go.
. Get yourself some cartons and with your essential stuff that you can do without for 12 months or so, they go into shipping boxes.
. Essential but need for living stays until packing for move.
. And you have a garage sale, visit the op shop or the tip for disposal as part of your first move.
But you do get your favourite knick knacks that you often have in the back of a cupboard and you may very infrequently look at them but if they have enough sentimental value, I'm the what the hell kind of a guy, especially if they do not take up too much room. 
Re


> i was hoping to crate them over as media mail - but apparently you can't do that anymore!


I know there's copyright restrictions and stuff that applies re importing cheap copies and stuff but if you have personal stuff legitimately obtained and especially if it is not new stuff, I'd have thought that could go as personal effects - maybe a problem in sending it ahead to someone but still if it was not like new gear I'd not have thought there was a problem - where have you seen about not being able to do that?


----------



## Andrews (Dec 6, 2012)

In storing all the necessary things that will be on handling products to be organized and make it a good shipping ways to prevent any damaged.


----------



## louiseb (Dec 22, 2012)

I would recomened the insurance taking it out with your home insurance provider in the uk as the shipping insurance with allot of company,s can be very expensive. Get quotes, you value the total cost of things your shipping, but one word of advice is what you pay for something in Uk is 3 times more expensive in Australia, so always add to the value because one if you need to claim the insurance only pays out so much of the individual value. 
If you look at some shops in Perth on the internet then see if its worth it shipping certain things over. Look at Harvey normans ( like our M&S) , beds plus, Big W, K mart, you also have see the exchange rate i believe 60 pounds equals $100 so even though you see things more expensive look at the exchange. 

Hope this helps you.


----------



## strokeheard (Jan 18, 2013)

Wanderer said:


> I'd not be too concerned with moves shipping and just do some searches of international shipping companies/agents in your own areas and get a few alternate names.
> You may even find local furniture removalists have an association with international companies and so if you know of or can get references for a reputable furniture removalist, they would likely deal with reliable companies but it is all pretty much controlled by customs requirements that shonky operators would be pretty much non existent.
> Just a few things you may want to look into:
> *. Need for a container *- not really as most companies will pest control brisbane box up your lot and it'll just be shipped with heaps of other stuff being imported.
> ...


After reading entire thread I am just trying to calculate how much is spent on pest control in our homes and offices. Even I have tried professional services, yes they are effective but still perfect results are missing.


----------

