Three Tips for International Furniture Removal

As the world slowly reopens after the Covid-19 pandemic, people are once again moving overseas to start new jobs or move closer to their families. But, just as with a local move, you should research the furniture removals process. Here are three tips to help ensure your international relocation goes off without a hitch.

Move or Sell Furniture

The first point to consider is whether you wish to move all of your belongings. For example, if your home contains generic furniture you are not attached to, and you are covering the cost of moving yourself, then selling these items and buying new ones overseas is an option. This choice works well when you move to a country where new or used furniture is not expensive to buy. Next, get a quote from your furniture removalist to relocate your things with and without large furniture items. Finally, investigate whether the price difference is enough to purchase new furniture in your proposed home country. If it would cost more to replace the furniture than shipping it, that answers your question about moving or selling the items.

Dismantle Where Possible

When relocating internationally, your furniture moves between countries by cargo ship. Furniture removal companies pack your belongings into a container. The cost of shipping is determined by how much space your items take in the container. Therefore, the best way to lower the shipping cost is by reducing the amount of space your furniture takes. For example, if you remove the legs from a dining table, other furniture items may be stacked around the tabletop. Look at each piece of furniture to determine if separating parts will assist the Tetris-style packing in the container.

Clean Furniture Carefully

When the furniture removalist collects your items for international shipping, they wrap them in moving blankets and or heavy plastic wrap to reduce the chance of damage while in transit. Depending on which country you are moving to, you could be without your items for up to six months. During this time, unclean furniture may become damaged by mould or mildew if not carefully cleaned before wrapping takes place. First, carefully vacuum within the crevices to remove all food particles. Next, give each piece a wipe-over with a slightly damp rag to remove all surface mould spores. These two steps ensure your furniture are ready for wrapping.

These three tips help prepare your furniture for international shipping. If you have concerns about a specific item you own, contact local furniture removalists.