Shipping Via Container - They always Pack?

I'm looking to hear about people's experiences shipping via ocean container. 

I've read on here that many/most/all moving companies want to pack the boxes themselves for both insurance and customs declarations reasons.  Has this been everyone's experience?  Did they label the boxes by room so you knew where they went on arrival?  Any breakages?

We're looking to move a 4-br house from NY to greater London.  We are getting rid of some stuff so curious how much anyone has been able to fit in a 20 foot versus 40 foot container?  How long did the packing take? 

I'm also concerned that they're not going to be able to fit a container around the corner onto our street.  Thanks for any thoughts on the subject!

We packed everything ourselves except for the breakables.  And then every single item was wrapped in bubble wrap and then loaded on a 20 ft container and thank goodness it was because our shipment sat in a warehouse at the dock for almost a month (we couldn't get a moving date from the movers here) so it was filthy dirty when we got it.    We had no problems at customs.  Unfortunately, the movers who loaded our container were exceptional but the movers in the UK were not.  The same care was just not taken and we had some damage.

Our movers would not insure the shipment unless they packed it. they told us it was for two reasons - to ensure items are packed "Properly" so that if there is damage they know they caused it, and also because they have to attest to customs as to the contents of the container (so that illegal items are not included).

We had a similar experience to Mrs Pink - overall very good packing on the US end and carelessness on the UK end. We ended up having to claim on a few items.

I am still trying to get answers from my shipping company on if they have to pack everything themselves or not. He did tell me when I first talked to him that we could put things like books into boxes ourselves, we just cannot seal them, that they would do that so that they can make sure that there is no "illegal" stuff in there, and so that they can make the list for customs and such. I am still trying to figure out the technical end for the insurance as we are working on doing our valued inventory list for insurance purposes.

As far as space for the container. We are in a 3 BR townhouse, and are NOT taking most of our furniture with us. The only furniture we are taking are a couple small coffee tables, a computer desk, 2 wardrobe armoire things, a dresser, 2 nightstand tables and a few bookcases. Other than that we are just taking our usual everyday things like DVD's, computer, clothing, toys and such. We had a survey done by a company and they estimated that it would be about 4000lbs (things are charged by the weight) They said it would easily fit in a 20ft container, but like I said, we aren't taking all of our furniture (no couches, or dining room furniture, no TV's or kitchen appliances.) Hope this helps.

I mean is there a concern about letting the movers pack stuff?  Generally they are going to charge you whether they pack it or not, especially on an overseas move where they are charging by weight.

There are some really "weird" restrictions like not being able to bring over horror comic books.  I would just worry about sorting out the stuff you are taking and not and not worrying about packing it.

My shipper is offering two types of insurance, one is just on the whole shipment and the other is an itemized list.  The problem is, if you itemize it, that is the only things you can claim, but you have to provide enough information to get a replacement cost.  If you mess up, you are going to get stuck.  On the other hand, if you get comprehensive coverage, you will be able to get everything up to the level you insured at.  For example, I will have about 50K coverage on my stuff, meaning if the ship sinks, I get 50K.  Also, if they break a chair, I will get 100% of the replacement cost of the chair without having to personally itemize each item.

You are going to be pulling your hair out with the move, I personally would take the path of least resistance.

That is interesting on the insurance front. They didn't tell me about an option to do a comprehensive coverage so we didn't have to do the itemized list. I might ask the moving company about that because that would be so much easier for us to do. Thanks for the suggestion!

Great info on the insurance front. It will come in handy when we go looking for a company to move us.

Well, then I don't know how common it is, but it totally makes sense.  Basically my estimate for about 850cuft is for about $1,400USD and about $50K in coverage, which includes up to 120 days of storage.  It was explained to me that if you don't have anything over 2-3K for an item that it doesn't make sense to go through an itemized inventory and just get the other policy.

I have to admit that my moving company (Chicago area) seems to be VERY knowledgeable around international moves and does quite a few to the UK.  I checked a couple of places before hand and these guys just make you feel like all you have to do is sit back and let them take care of things.  I mean that is what movers are for right?  It is a big stress reliever.  I will update the group after the move (the 14th and 15th of August).

Well, I know it seems like it will be easier to just have the movers show up and pack it all, but I have a couple of concerns. 

1) I will have to separate out stuff to be shipped over via air and to take as carry-on luggage as it could be many months until we have our stuff (we will need to buy and close on a house before we accept our shipment).  Just easier to keep stuff separated if I'm packing myself.
2) Just control issues around knowing what is packed in each box and that like items are packed together so unpacking isn't any worse than it has to be.
3) Doing a lot of de-cluttering to clear the house out as we're trying to sell it now.  Would be easier to pack things up myself now than just "store" them for the movers to pack.
4) We may be paying for this move ourselves so I have to believe that movers charge a lot more to pack a house than just arrive and load it into a container.  A friend who moved overseas recently told me that it took the movers FIVE DAYS to pack and load their sea container.

Thanks for the continued info.  It's all useful to know, esp the insurance stuff.  Anyone know any more about 20 ft vs 40 ft containers, ie what were you able to fit?

Supposedly I am going in a 20ft container.

The mover is going to pack or not pack all my stuff.  There estimate is purely based on weight.  So if I pack it, they simply will load it on the truck and charge me anyways.  They estimate two days for my 800-900 cu ft.

I am running into the same problem you are, in the sense that it will take me a while to find a place.  We are going to be in a flat for a while, that is for sure.  I was lucky in the sense that my partner's boss has space for us to put our stuff while it is just sitting there, instead of paying the quoted $120 a WEEK in storage... *GASP*

As far as the seperating, that is what I am going to do this weekend.  I figure two days of before the move of sorting out things, running around with post-it notes flagging stuff as move or don't move is ok.  One strange thing of my situation is that I am selling the house and moving about 2 months before I actually go to the UK as well and have a corporate apartment about 2 hours from my house where I live and work, so I already have up here all the stuff that is travelling with me.

Again, I am lucky that the person that is buying the house is a friend of a friend investor who is going to have the house cleaned and prepped for sale and so told me not to worry about leaving little crap around, etc.  For my own santity, I am sure you could hire some folks to come in and after the move just run around and clean up stuff, dispose of junk and other stuff.  Just a suggestion because I know this stuff can drive you crazy...  There is a national company that specializes in junk removal called 1-800-GOT-JUNK.  There website is: http://www.1800gotjunk.com/

Not that I am suggesting you do any of this, but just want to give you options.  Hopefully my move will go well next week, and I will be back with any tips of things that did and didn't work!

Who are you using in the Chicago area? I'm just starting this process myself, moving to the northern country.  If you've had a positive experience with a Chicago area moving/shipping company, I'd be grateful for their information.

Boyer Rosene

http://www.boyer-rosene.com/international.htm

Boyer-Rosene
1121 N. Ellis St.
Bensenville, Il. 60106
847-593-8700

Well, so far so good...  The proof is in the move experience, right?  I found them through a referral from another shipping company that was recommended on here.  Ask for JP Specht.  He is the guy who specializes in the international moves and really made me feel very comfortable with the whole process.  Prompt return of phone calls, answered all my questions and the prices were right in line with most full-service International moves from what I can tell.

We had our stuff packed for us and it took two days to pack and put on the container.

Beware.. if you have stuff that is very valuable to you make sure you watch them pack it.

Also we had like 30 days after our stuff arrived to make a claim ... make sure you check everything before the end of this date.

we didn't check some speakers which are failry new .. and now one isn't working and a microwave that isn't working now either... it worked for a month and now
nothing...

Our container went by size not by weight.  That is why we ended up taking all our stuff as opposed to just a few chosen things and dumping the rest.  we had enough to warant a 20 ft container so they suggested we just fill it up.  Even when the packers came, we ended up putting more things in because we had room for it. 

I finally got an answer from my shipping company about us being able to pack or not, and they said that we can pack anything that isn't breakable and just leave the boxes unsealed so that they can make the inventory list for customs, and make sure there isn't anything hazardous. They will pack anything breakable (because of insurance, they want to make sure it is packed correctly or it won't be covered. This is making a lot easier, and I am sure it will be alot quicker when they come to load the container. The company says that they should be able to easily do it all in a day... Especially since I am packing a lot of things myself now! I would suggest that if you are worried about it getting done in a certain period of time that you do as much as you can to help them. If you do want them to pack the items, but you want more control about how they are organized, then sort it out in piles, or areas a couple days before they get there and just ask the packers that they keep certain things together, and make sure you pretty much hide whatever you are taking in your luggage on the plane that they don't touch it. Leave it in a totally empty room or something and tell them NOT to go in that room, or pack anything in it. My company also said to make sure that everything is taken off the walls, everything out of drawers, and off of shelves, etc.... I am sure that makes things quicker too, though I will really have to watch my kids with it! I am hoping to get a babysitter for that day!

As far as comprehensive insurance coverage so that you don't have to do a valued inventory list, the company that I am using says that it really isn't worth it for the amount that we are shipping and the kind of things we are shipping, because we don't really have anything that valuable, and the total coverage is $8 per every pound of weight!

The one nice thing about insurance for the valued inventory that is making a little easier than first expected that we can do boxes of things that are worth up to $500 per box if we need (like a box of DVD's, or a Box of clothing, etc) and just do the things by boxes instead of counting each individual DVD, or every piece of clothing.

ONLY 1 Month to go!
Rachael