Worrying

[fj]

Anybody any experience with international moving and shipping? I guess my personal items -- pictures, vases, Christmas ornaments, all fragile, and my few books and most of my clothes -- I will want to send to my Dad to store in the basement until I have settled somewhere. I think that's not just a Take It To FedEx job, because some of these things are big paintings and will be bulky when protected and there is no need for speed at all. I would like to do that before I leave, now tentatively the end of January.

Then there's the furniture, of which I will not want to take much. I'd rather sell most of it with the house because really, how likely is it that I will need 12 feet of table in London or Amsterdam? The small tables, the desk, that is all IKEA and West Elm, almost disposable after the sale. But I doubt I would get what I want for the couches and the console table, so those will need to come over on the slow boat too. It would be better if those stayed until The Loft has sold, even if I have left, in case they could become part of the sale.But if they are not, I need a company that my broker can call, will pick it up, put it on a slow boat, and end up somewhere in storage until I decide which country I will live in. You know, for just a set of couches, that could be more money than what I would want for them. Sigh. Who do I call?

As for my tools, cookware, impressive collection of cables and peripherals (among which one will find a PCMCIA to SCSI card for example), linnens, stereo, loudspeakers, TV, TiVo with lifetime service, everything else? I am not attached to any of it and it is not required for staging, so I guess I will just have an open house and hope my friends go through my space like locusts.

Freecycle the rest? I don't know. But it is the shipping that is keeping me up at nights. But the hard disks go with the travelling clothes. Oh yes.

Comments

[jss]

All of my moves have been domestic. My extended (2-month-ish) stays out of the country have been temporary move-stuff-in-the-car moves.

That being said, there are undoubtedly companies that provide the service you need. I'm pretty sure whoever you contracted with in the MA-to-CA move could suggest international movers (for example, if their company has one they recommend if not themselves). I've moved domestically with Allied, and they have an international section on their website.

[fj.livejournal.com]

I want to stay far away from my last movers; their idea of protecting my couch seems to have been covering it in motor oil.

[jss]

I had bad luck with the NorthAmerican Van Lines movers (MI to TX, 1990), and generally good luck with Allied (TX to IL 1994, IL local 1997, IL to MA 2002, and MA to MN 2005). None of the long-haul moves were perfect, but Allied was always responsive and quick to fix any problems or schedule any repairs. However, a lot depends on the individual movers in question, not necessarily the company.

I'd recommend contacting the larger moving companies with international arms (including Allied) to get a free quote and free information about what your options are.