Containers - what should we do?

[Canny Lad]

Hi Everyone

I am hoping to move back to NZ very soon! Just waiting for a job offer to come through. MY OH is bouncing off the walls wanting to know that we are going back. She is a Kiwi!

I have made a start on contacting removal people as we would need to move very fast. At the moment we are time rich and cash poor. So, we are looking to do the following:

1. Get a company like Tea Crate to supply all the necessary packaging
2. We do all our own packaging and make sure the contents are tightly packed (no chance of displacement) and taped up like a mini Fort Knox
3. Leave the tricky stuff like beds, armchairs and sofas for the removal people. I think it's only gonna be 1 days work for them. We still have loads of boxes in the garage from our last move in 2009 and probably a couple from 2004!
4. We are going to use an iPad app and photos to track our own packing. This will save us a lot of time at the other end
5. Insurance will be about £900 with Letton Percival

Now for some questions ... I hope you can help with this?

1. Is this a good plan? What are the main flaws? Remember, we don't have much cash
2. Insurance only on a complete loss, we won't be covered for breakages except I guess the furniture stuff that the removal people do?
3. I hope to get a removal quote for around £3200 for doing the majority of the work, and possibly less if we go for a shared container. My guess is that we will use up about 16 - 18 feet of a 20 foot container.
4. We live in the North East of England ... Who are the best companies to use?? We used Britannia UK to NZ (okay but a little unhelpful) and Crown Relocations NZ to UK (good but broke some of gear).

Any thoughts or advice would be awesome.

Thanks again everyone. Have a great weekend

Regards,

Canny lad

[jawnbc]

If you can afford it, go for the all-in services: pack, ship, unpack. Goods are insured, and instead of your life being disrupted for weeks it's only for days (you need only sort out what is and what is not coming).

[Ado80s]

We got a quote for a 20ft container and all packing and packaging that came in at £3500 - that sounds like a cheaper option than what you are hoping for. We got the quote from Excess International Movers. Friends of ours that relocated to NZ from UK 5 years ago thoroughly recommended them.

[Chalkgirl]

Sounds like you could easily get it all done for you for the sort of money you're talking. Our shipping container is heading out to us now. We went with AngloPacific. They charged £3500 for a 20ft container with all the packing done. They were great and even dismantled everything for us that needed flat packing despite the fact we were supposed to do it beforehand. Insurance was about £900 too.

Best of luck with whatever you choose. I'll let you know whether or not I'm still happy with packers when I see the state stuff has arrived in!

[MetalSoul]

Sounds like you could easily get it all done for you for the sort of money you're talking. Our shipping container is heading out to us now. We went with AngloPacific. They charged £3500 for a 20ft container with all the packing done. They were great and even dismantled everything for us that needed flat packing despite the fact we were supposed to do it beforehand. Insurance was about £900 too.

Best of luck with whatever you choose. I'll let you know whether or not I'm still happy with packers when I see the state stuff has arrived in!

We also used Anglo Pacific for about the same amount and they were fantastic. The loading guys were from a company in Hull (forget the name) and the unloaders here in

Rotorua were NZ Van Lines. Both were very good and I would recommend them.

Nothing was broken apart from a little chip in the biscuit jar....can't complain really

[daz]

If you can afford it, go for the all-in services: pack, ship, unpack. Goods are insured, and instead of your life being disrupted for weeks it's only for days (you need only sort out what is and what is not coming).

Yeah I agree.

[Dell]

Yeah I agree.

Me too.