Moving Overseas? Here's How a Shipping Container Can Help

Shipping containers can take a lot of the headache out of transporting personal belongings over long distances - especially during stressful international moves.

If you're planning a move overseas and are wondering what options exist for moving household possessions and more, then a shipping container could be your best bet. Read on to learn about the international moving process and the advantages shipping containers offer when moving from one country to another.

Moving Belongings to Another Country

Sea Freight vs. Air Freight

When moving overseas, you have two options for transporting belongings: sea or air. Sea freight shipping takes longer, but it's a lot more affordable than air freight options.

For most moves, transporting belongings by sea is usually the best choice. CBOX can help you select your ideal container, which you will then be able to ship with the help of a freight forwarder.

Storage Locally and at Your Destination

Local storage could be necessary to make your move possible as vacating your current home can take time. If you're also cleaning things up as you move out, it can be difficult to deal with boxes of belongings crowding your rooms, hallways, and garage the entire time.

Placing your belongings in a secure location outside of your home can alleviate a lot of the stress involved in managing the many other preparations for your long-distance move. However, options like self-storage facilities can further complicate things by forcing you to move belongings to another location just to keep them safe and out of the way until you're ready to leave.

A shipping container helps tremendously in such cases by providing you with the extra space you need to temporarily store things right on your property, along with a means for transporting them all the way to your destination.

When you're ready to leave, you can simply lock up your container and have it delivered to the nearest shipping yard to be shipped overseas immediately - no moving items to and from an additional storage location for each leg of the journey.

Shipping Vehicles

Aside from proper import / export paperwork for the territories your vehicle will be entering and exiting on its journey, the process of delivering a vehicle to your destination can be as simple as shipping the rest of your belongings. By using your own shipping container, you can avoid having to wait for shared vehicle containers to fill up before being sent on their way.

Buying a Shipping Container

Purchasing a shipping container outright may cost more money upfront, but the potential for overall savings and simplification of the shipping process may make buying the best option for your move.

New vs. Used

Brand new shipping containers come with the highest prices, but they're often worth the investment to ensure the goods shipped within them are well-protected.

If you opt to purchase a used shipping container, it helps to have a good idea of its history and determine its official grade after inspection. Cargo-worthy containers can still safely transport valuable items while keeping out the elements. Such containers come with a special Convention for Safe Containers or ""CSC"" metal plate installed on their doors that shows how long their certified status is valid for.

Choosing the Right Container

Your choice of shipping container should factor in how many things you expect to ship overseas. The maximum internal capacity of a 20ft container for most forms of international transportation levels off at about 20 metric tonnes. This standard container size is usually spacious enough to store the contents of a three-bedroom house, making it a great option for most overseas moves.

Delivery and Storage

Delivering your purchased shipping container is relatively easy thanks to its standardized dimensions. Shipping containers are designed for easy handling with appropriate machinery and should pose no problems for delivery specialists around the world.

Once you've finished removing your belongings from your purchased container, it can be repurposed for other storage tasks and placed wherever you can safely stabilize it.

Moving overseas can be quite a challenge to take on. Acquiring a high-quality shipping container in which to store and transport your belongings can help to simplify the process greatly, freeing up your time and attention for the many other details involved in making your move.

" "

Get in touch with our team here at CBOX if you could use some help finding the right shipping container for your needs. With a wide range of options available and bargain prices, we ensure our customers get the best deals on shipping containers. Phone our friendly team on contact on 1800 433 455 to discuss your container needs, we’re always happy to help with knowledgeable advice.

Get in touch

"