Moving house is one of the most stressful events in life. One of the first things to consider, before you even look for shipping quotes, is what exactly you will bring. It’s a very individual question. A student who lives at home and is preparing for a year away does not have the same needs as a family who is moving out of a home they own perhaps permanently. A couple retiring to sunnier climes is not facing the same choices as a recent graduate exploring career options abroad.
While the answers will be different, anyone moving to another country can benefit by using the same basic criteria to decide which items to send by overseas shipping and which to leave behind. If you are struggling to decide what to include in your shipment, these questions should help. And if you have any questions about your shipping quote or how overseas shipping works, we’re happy to talk to you.
Deciding What to Send by Overseas Shipping
Consider these questions when you are making decisions about overseas shipping. To get an accurate shipping quote, you need a good idea of what you will be shipping.
- Is it easier or cheaper to replace the item there? Make no assumptions about the cost of household goods such as bedding, furniture or dishes. You might be able to replace your items for much less than the cost of overseas shipping, or you might save quite a bit by shipping personal items. It depends entirely on where you are going. The weight of specific items is also a factor in this question. Kitchen tables, for example, can vary quite a lot and this will affect your shipping quote.
- Is the item appropriate for where you are going? If you are going for a few years in Dubai, you won’t need to ship your winter scarves and hats. Your appliances can’t be used outside of Ireland or the UK. So forget your kettle, but you might really need your favourite teapot.
- Will you need this there? Before you worry about shipping personal items such as furniture, investigate what kind of housing options you will have there. Will you be renting a furnished apartment for a year? Or buying an unfurnished house soon after arriving?
- Would you miss it? You might include a lot of your children’s toys in your overseas shipping purely to make the move easier for them. But you might also decide this is a great opportunity to say goodbye to those pans you’ve never liked and replace them when you arrive in your new home. Some things have deep meaning, and you will be happier including them when you are shipping personal items even if they are not practical.
- Will you be shipping it back to Ireland? If you are going for a finite period of time, say to study or for a work contract, you might be happy to temporarily part company with some of your belongings knowing that they will be here when you return. If you include them in your overseas shipping, remember to budget for the cost of their return trip. If you are going long-term, indefinitely or permanently, you will want to bring more things, particularly sentimental items.
Regardless of why you are moving and shipping personal items, remember that not everything has to go at the same time. You can arrange for a trusted relative or friend to send some items after you arrive in your new home. And you can get a shipping quote in advance so you can organize payment before you leave.
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