# Suggestions for moving internationally



## estafette72 (Jan 22, 2014)

Hello all, 

I'm repatriating to the USA in June and have begun to look for shipping options. I've looked into full-blown international movers, and the quote(s) for shipping our stuff (mostly Ikea) was pushing US$4,000 before taxes and insurance. All the furniture in our flat isn't even worth that much. So, we've decided to sell as much as we can. 

But, there are things that we don't want to sell, such as books, household items, dishware/glassware, etc. I reckon 6-10 boxes worth of stuff. What do you recommend we use to ship it to the US? I'm sure Fedex/UPS/DHL prices would be astronomical. Are there smaller moving options? Anybody have experience with air freight?

Any advice/recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance


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## beppi (Jun 10, 2013)

US$4000 is already very cheap for an international move. LCL (Less than Container Load - i.e. individual boxes or crates) will most probably cost you more.
Singpost is your best (and cheapest) option!


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

As an example, if you ship 8 boxes each weighing 20 kilos to the U.S. you'd pay a total of S$2152.

Another option, believe it or not, is excess airline baggage. For example, send those same 8 boxes as excess accompanied baggage one way from Singapore to the U.S. on Delta Airlines and you'll pay US$1600 in excess baggage fees. The weight limit per piece is 23 kilos. Flying Emirates from Singapore to New York? That'll be US$1053 all-in for those extra 8 boxes, assuming you buy your excess baggage online instead of at the airport. As you shop for air fares you can factor in the excess baggage charges to see what makes the most sense since they vary quite a bit between airlines. Also note that these figures assume economy class travel, that you're already using all your standard baggage allowance, and that you have no elite frequent flyer status with the airline. If those assumptions are incorrect you can do even better. I'm also assuming there are no extra expenses getting those boxes to/from the airports. In Singapore if two of you are flying you could take two separate taxis to the airport and handle a pretty decent amount of luggage that way for only the cost of an extra taxi.

You can also combine techniques, shipping the lighter boxes via SingPost surface parcel mail and the heavier boxes via excess airline baggage (which is a flat rate per piece up to 23 kilos typically). Depending on which airline you choose you can then determine the exact weight limit below which SingPost is more favorable. On Delta that looks to be at roughly 18.5 kilos at current exchange rates, and on Emirates maybe about 13 kilos. But that's just eyeballing it. Get out a calculator to figure it out exactly.


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## Linuxpro (Jan 28, 2013)

Avoid the international shipping logistics companies and go with a Singapore post. My employer paid one to move me to Singapore. They did such a poor job, and furthermore they sold my personal info to every solicitor known to mankind. The moving process started about 30 days before I left. I had to disconnect my desk phone, and my mobile. The solicitors called me all day. Some others relocated to other parts of the USA. They had the same experience.

I told them I would pay for my own return trip if I ever go back. I would rather not have my name phone number and address given to every car dealer, bank, day care, etc in the state of California.


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## philgallo (Mar 5, 2012)

Agree with Linuxpro to some extent. I think it is hugely important to do plenty of research. You need to ask questions like: "is the packaging safe?" "does the company have suitable insurance?" "how long will the process take?" "to what extent do they outsource their services?". The last one is very important. This is where all the trouble begins quite often.


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