Trying to decide - moving "the stuff"

We have an estimate from UPak for several different options.  One of which, the 20 ft container, is actually cheaper than my 200cuft plus my daughter's 200cuft of stuff. (We may end up paring down more, but given that the 20ft container quote is about $4,500 door to door, we might not cull, even though we don't have nearly enough to fill a 20 ft container.  I've been told that they bring the container, we have two hours to get it loaded, they take it away. Six-ish weeks later it shows up in Glasgow. When it arrives, they bring it to wherever we are living and we have two hours to get it unloaded, with additional charges (on both ends) if we go over the two hours.  My daughter says she can recruit a number of people she knows to do the unloading, and we can pay a service to load it on the outbound leg, although we're going to annoy our apartment neighbors greatly by blocking the drive for that long.  My remaining quandry (besides deciding how cheap I am) is:  we don't know where we will be living in Glasgow. So, if it is down a narrow street, I am concerned that they won't be able to get the truck and the 20ft container down near enough to our place to unload it. I assume they'd transfer it to a smaller truck, we'd get billed some extra fees, and it would be delivered.  If we get a place on a busy street, would we need to make arrangements with the local council for an unloading permit if the truck was going to be blocking a traffic lane?  How does all that work, anyway? (Would rather know in advance....)

I've been wondering the same thing. When the container shows up we might still be househunting and living in a furnished rental.  I wonder if a short term self storage place might be an option. Not cheap at about 300 quid a month, that's assuming a big enough storage unit to make it easy to get stuff back out of again. Plus storage units might be more accessible for a truck.

The removal company that UPakweship contracts to unload your items from the ship when it docks will probably have a short term storage solution. When our shipment arrived from overseas we didn't have a house and our belongings had to be stored for a month until they could be delivered. Saves the trouble of having it delivered to an independent storage place and then redelivered to you.

Thanks, fruitgum, that's good to know. Anything that makes it a little simpler is very welcome.

Of course, I'll give the company a call and ask about the storage bit. I assume it's their responsibility to deal with blocking the road, etc, and to make provision for that?

Gee, when I shipped over a partial container (this was donkey's years ago) it got delivered to Liverpool dock and we had to hire a van -- and press a friend into driving it as husband did not have a license -- and go and fetch it all ourselves.  The times they are a-changing.

Hi Boston.

Oh, it's built into the price, I have no doubt.    I've had two independent quotes for the same amount, one of them being UPakWeShip. And of all the quotes so far for a container, it's been the same options - they bring the container to your door, you load it, they take it away and then bring it to your door, you unload it.

That means dealing with loading and unloading. With a bad back, so... not! So hiring people to show up at a given time and praying they do, if we go this route. It's really tempting to go the full service route, where they come and you just stand out of the way while they pack, load, haul it away and then do the reverse on the other end, but it's twice the cost so that's not happening. 

Sorry, we've always been moved by my husband's employer so it's always been the full service option. Good luck with whatever you decide to do 

I used it a year ago, and they called to give my husband a time (I wasn't there yet) it's hard to plan in advance, but he was able to run home from work to do it.  See if they have an option where you pack it but they unpack it. I called them on the phone several times and they are beyond nice and helpful and accommodating.


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