Needish

Emily

Hey there. I know that when we moved from the UK to the US many years ago we used Bekin, and my parents have always had good things to say about them in terms of service and safety. I don't know about pricing. As I said, this was a long time ago, but they're a pretty well-established company, so I would imagine they're still providing a good service. Good luck!

Andy_B

Hi, I want to give you an advice if you want to keep your belongings on your move, like furniture and other bulky items. I moved from Germany to Chile 5 years ago, and I can only say: Before accepting any offer from an agent/freight forwarder experienced in moving, always make sure by contract that your items are delivered DDP(Delivery Duty Paid), or else you will have BIG problems at Estonian Customs, like I had in Chile. Thanks God I negociated well, or else I would have paid over 2000USD in customs duties, including warehousing costs in case of delays, which happen very often.

I hope this advice helps you in any way

beau

I have thus far moved from Australia to Hawaii, and then Hawaii to San Francisco (not international, but just about . Here's a couple of tips:

1. Consider taking as much as you can in your checked luggage when you fly over. I took all manner of things in my suitcases (up to max allowed by the airline) and it was a lot easier, plus I knew it'd get there a lot quicker. Avoid paying overrage charges though unless you really need something soon.

2. Factor in a lot of time for your stuff to arrive and be available, given time at docks, on trucks, etc etc, depending on exactly where you're moving. This is also where the suitcase trick comes in handy - making sure that everything you "need" is available immediately.

3. Definitely be careful of import taxes/duties as Andy_B mentions, these can be killer.

4. Consider engaging an international moving company that can handle things end-to-end if you're moving to/coming from somewhere difficult/not a major city. They usually have easier access to shipping + trucking + insurance etc, and then you can hold them to a contract if/when things go wrong to avoid extra costs.

5. Depending on how you go about it (some methods they don't *allow* you to do this), consider packing your own stuff. If you do this, DO NOT skimp on your packaging. Go to UHaul or someone similar and buy some boxes, paper and tape. Line the box with paper (in the bottom), then wrap *everything* that's hard (not clothes etc) in packaging paper. Anything glass probably deserves 2 sheets. Stack things carefully and relatively tight within the boxes and fill gaps with screwed (tight) paper. Fill to the top of the box but not over (e.g. don't force a box shut, this means they won't stack properly and risk bursting). Line the top of the box with paper as well. Label EVERY box with a sheet of paper indicating all your delivery details (e.g. where this box should end up), a box count (X of Y boxes) and for your own sake, an indication of where it goes. I printed out a series of these and then checked/filled them in as necessary. Cover each paper label with clear tape to avoid it being ripped/damaged in transit.

HTH!

I have thus far moved from Australia to Hawaii, and then Hawaii to San Francisco (not international, but just about . Here's a couple of tips:

1. Consider taking as much as you can in your checked luggage when you fly over. I took all manner of things in my suitcases (up to max allowed by the airline) and it was a lot easier, plus I knew it'd get there a lot quicker. Avoid paying overrage charges though unless you really need something soon.

2. Factor in a lot of time for your stuff to arrive and be available, given time at docks, on trucks, etc etc, depending on exactly where you're moving. This is also where the suitcase trick comes in handy - making sure that everything you "need" is available immediately.

3. Definitely be careful of import taxes/duties as Andy_B mentions, these can be killer.

4. Consider engaging an international moving company that can handle things end-to-end if you're moving to/coming from somewhere difficult/not a major city. They usually have easier access to shipping + trucking + insurance etc, and then you can hold them to a contract if/when things go wrong to avoid extra costs.

5. Depending on how you go about it (some methods they don't *allow* you to do this), consider packing your own stuff. If you do this, DO NOT skimp on your packaging. Go to UHaul or someone similar and buy some boxes, paper and tape. Line the box with paper (in the bottom), then wrap *everything* that's hard (not clothes etc) in packaging paper. Anything glass probably deserves 2 sheets. Stack things carefully and relatively tight within the boxes and fill gaps with screwed (tight) paper. Fill to the top of the box but not over (e.g. don't force a box shut, this means they won't stack properly and risk bursting). Line the top of the box with paper as well. Label EVERY box with a sheet of paper indicating all your delivery details (e.g. where this box should end up), a box count (X of Y boxes) and for your own sake, an indication of where it goes. I printed out a series of these and then checked/filled them in as necessary. Cover each paper label with clear tape to avoid it being ripped/damaged in transit.

HTH!