Emigrating to Australia? Start planning your move now.
Ok, you’ve landed that dream job in Australia, you’ve had your visa application approved and you’re about to break open that bottle of Champagne that’s been in the cellar for a year. However, before you start on the celebrations isn’t there something you are missing? How about removals? You might think that there’s no point in even thinking about removals until you have your moving date. For some, with all the paperwork and organising that goes with planning a move to Australia, removals is often the last thing they think about. This is where many people come unstuck, because removals should be one of the first things on your list – before you even have your moving date. Why? Well it’s not as simple as leafing through your Yellow Pages for a ‘man with a van’, there is a whole myriad of things to consider when planning to move your precious belongings from one side of the world to the other.
So to help you weave your way through the maze of problems associated with international removals, we’ve teamed up with Clark & Rose and John Mason removals to produce this guide to moving and removals services. If we’ve missed anything out or you have tips and advice to give that isn’t already included in this guide, please do let us know, either through the comments box or by contacting us directly.
Where to begin?
Ok, so let’s start at the beginning. You’ve just landed that ideal job/transfer in Australia and you seemingly have months ahead of you in which to plan your move. So why bother just yet? Well the sooner the better if you want to avoid last minute panics. David Ozard from John Mason removals recommends making your initial enquiries at least three months before you plan to emigrate to Australia. Most removal companies will give you a guide price or online quote which will give you a rough idea of the costs involved. This can be of huge assistance when deciding which items to take with you and which to leave behind or sell.
What should I take?
Well just take a look around you. Every room in your house from the attic to the garden shed, garage and cellars, everything will need to be cleared. Try to have a clear picture in your mind which, of the many things you possess, you’ll want to take with you. It’s a good idea to start sorting out the essential items well in advance. A good tip is to work out what you use every day and make a list. Those items that do not appear on your list are not essential items and you may even want to consider selling them at a garage sale or car boot. There are also plenty of charity shops that now deal with large furniture items and will often collect them from your home free of charge.
There's no need to take the kitchen sink!
One you’ve cleared your home of those non-essential items you can ask for a home survey. The larger international removals companies will provide this free of charge (it is worth checking this) and at the same time, they’ll be able to explain the logistics of the move in more detail, answering any queries and concerns you may have. Both John Mason and Clark & Rose provide home surveys free of charge and they recommend you get at least three quotes from reputable companies.
How do I know which removal companies are reputable?
The British Association of Removers (BAR) has an ‘Overseas Group’ and you would be wise ensuring that your chosen removals company is a member of this group. It operates the Advance Payment Guarantee Scheme which protects your payment if a member company ceases trading. This extra peace of mind comes at no cost whatsoever to you.
It’s also worth making sure that the company is a member of FIDI (Federation Internationale des Demanageurs Internationaux) as every member has its finances and operational expertise vetted by independent auditors before it is given its FIDI/FAIM kite-mark. Both John Mason and Clark & Rose are members of FIDI and BAR.
What should I expect in a quote?
When you receive a quote, which will usually follow a home survey, these are the things that should be included in the quote:
- Total move cost depending on services selected by the customer.
- All packing including boxes and packaging needed.
- Information regarding Insurance/Standard Liability.
- Information on Australian Customs and Quarantine.
- Transit times for the consignment.
- Storage costs in both the UK and in Australia, if required.
- Additional services that the removal company may offer.
To give you a general idea of what’s involved, if you were to take the majority of your items from a typical 3 bedroomed house the cost would be around £3,500 to £4,500 assuming that everything fits into a 20ft container and is delivered with around a 30 mile radius of the port of entry.
What if the quote changes?
The quote would only change if the volume changes, so for instance if you suddenly decide that you simply cannot bear to part with that antique chest and grand piano that great Aunt Mabel passed down to you. Also if you received a quote more than six months ago, prices may well have risen due to rising freight rates. Or if you decide that Australia’s not for you and you want to move to Canada instead. Unlikely, but you never know! A professional removals company would inform you straight away if prices have risen.
What about storage?
You can choose to store your things either in the UK or in Australia. Storage in Australia is probably your best bet as it often works out cheaper. However Graeme Lorimer from Clark & Rose recommends that you ask for storage rates to be included in your quote so that you can compare. As a rough guideline they say that for a full storage container (20ft), rates in Australia can range from $60 to $70 per week, plus Australian VAT (GST) and a one-off warehouse handling fee of $300 – $350. In the UK these prices would be £40 to £60 plus VAT and a handling fee varying from £60 to £200.
Will my goods be insured at all times?
If you wish to cover your effects in transit for loss or damage you will have to pay to do so, policies are generally based on a percentage of the value of the effects you wish to cover and will be in place from the day your items leave your property to the day they arrive at their destination, although as Clark & Rose point out, this could mean that insurance ends once they are delivered to wherever they are being stored, be that with a storage company or Aunty Sheila’s garage.
Accidents are rare but they can happen.
The wisest option to choose with regards to insurance would be the ‘All Risk’ option, which as its name suggests, protects you against all eventualities. However if you are trying to keep costs down you could opt for ‘Total Loss Only’ cover, fairly self-explanatory that one, or ‘Owner Packed’. Whichever insurance you choose do make sure that you are getting ‘new for old’ cover and check what the excess is. Also on valuing your items do make sure that they are valued correctly, as Clark & Rose say: “Beware of deliberately or even unintentionally under insuring your shipment – usually this happens when people are trying to cut costs – as this may render the whole policy invalid (worst case scenario) or limit the amount of any payout.” Remember – read the small print!
If I choose a home removals company in the UK, will they still be responsible for my goods in Australia?
Most removal companies will use agents acting on their behalf in Australia who will handle the move to your new home. However your original removals company are still ultimately responsible for your belongings and should anything go wrong, it is their obligation to put it right.
Both Clark & Rose and John Mason only use agents that are accredited and FIDI/FAIM qualified. Ensure that the agents in Australia have ‘bonded’ warehouse facilities and don’t be afraid to ask for all their details beforehand.
How many ways of international shipping are there and which is the best for me?
Generally there are four main methods of getting your items from the UK to Australia.
- There is the Full Container Load (FCL). This is usually recommended for a full house removal, an example of which is a three bedroomed house. You then have full exclusive use of a 20/40ft shipping container. The general time of shipment from door to door is around 8-10 weeks.
- Groupage Service. Ideal for smaller households. Basically you are sharing container space with another load. This means that you only pay for the space used inside the container. The shipment here usually reaches you in around 10-12 weeks as the removals company have to ensure that they have all the correct items with the matching documents.
- Excess Baggage Service. This is a self pack service which is ideal for a backpacker or a student who only has a few cartons to send. The customer is given cartons to self pack and they are grouped together with other shipments so that you are sharing container space. However very few companies will offer this service due to the time and effort involved. You may have to pay higher insurance for this too so watch out for that. Service time here from door to door is 10-12 weeks.
- Air Freight Service. This is one of the most expensive ways of removals. However if you have many essentials that you simply cannot live without, they will be at your door within 10-14 working days.
For a full container load you should expect the transit time on the water to take around 5-6 weeks. Then you need to allow a further two weeks for the load to clear through Customs and Quarantine. So it generally takes 6 to 8 weeks maximum for a full container. Remember that Australia is the other side of the world!
Is there anything I can do to keep costs down?
Well the more items you ship the more you pay, however shipping all of your belongings is generally going to be cheaper than replacing them in Australia. You may think that £4,000 is a lot to move your belongings, but if you try to replace all of your worldly possessions, just think how much that might cost you. You can pay £4,000 for a new three-piece suite! Don’t be tempted to go for the cheapest option when it comes to removals as cheapest does not mean best. These are your worldly goods don’t forget – you need to ensure that they are in good hands. As John Mason say; “Remember you are paying for every single cubic foot when shipping so the lower the volume, the cheaper your quote is likely to be. Having said that however, generally it is cheaper to ship than to replace for most items. So the more items you ship, the less you have to spend at destination.”
Doing it yourself is not always wise.
Also packing items yourself could also mean delays at customs as they are more likely to go through boxes that have been owner packed.
What about Australian quarantine and custom charges?
There is a huge difference between quarantine and custom. Custom generally means the paperwork involved in shipping containers from the UK to Australia; it’s just a box for customs to tick to say they are happy to allow the shipment into the country.
Most consignments will be subject to a quarantine inspection due to the strict measures the Australian authorities impose against pest and disease threats. The charges will reflect the size of the consignment and what’s included. Some high risk items are obvious such as animal skins and food items, but not so apparent high risk items are garden/outdoor equipment, bikes, trophies and so on.
Alcohol and tobacco products will obviously attract a duty and tax charges, as can new items. So it’s worth avoiding these and buying new once you arrive there, not before. It’s also worth noting that these are government charges and they do not come from the removal company. Therefore most removal quotes will not reflect quarantine charges which can range from $190 to $750 depending on the size of the containment. Most removal companies will be happy to discuss this with you and will be able to advise on high-risk items.
The following websites are worth studying for more information on this, www.customs.gov.au and www.daff.gov.au.
Finally Clark & Rose and John Mason have the following pieces of advice to give to anyone thinking of emigrating to Australia:
David Ozard from John Mason: “Always listen to the moving company and ask for their advice. In most cases they have been undertaking international shipping for a long time and so can offer good sound advice and opinions.
Before the pre-move survey, it is sometimes useful to make a list of questions that you need answers to. Some customers also make notes during the home survey to refer to at a later date.”
Graeme Lorimer from Clark & Rose: “Always plan far enough in advance! It never ceases to amaze me how many people put removals last on the list and very often therefore, last on the budget list as well. Costs for removals may seem quite high on first appearance but think of this: if you walked through your house and actually worked out the full replacement value of each and every item you are sending in your shipment, there is no way you would be able to replace them for the amount of money you are about to spend shipping your belongings to Australia.”
Get your free quotes now from Clark & Rose and John Mason.
Other international removals companies include:
- Pickfords
- Britannia
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