shipping self packed container from Toronto to Bath?

Good to hear everything arrived in good condition . Does can-ship have a website I can go to get some info? Am trying to find the right moving company to get my things over there and have been looking online but sounds like you had a pretty good experience with them so. I hope they aren't to expensive , I only have belongings and paperwork etc. to ship over and not really to many items so have my fingers crossed. Will keep in mind the tea crates to thanks .

Is this what you're looking for?

On Midland Avenue in Scarborough

http://www.can-ship.com/html/quotation.htm

Yes it looks like it, thanks alot portico!

I tried for months to get a quotation from Canship, but despite telling me several times "next week", they just never came through. We booked with Thompson Ahern. It's about $4,000 door to door, self-loaded and self-unpacked. That's the same as the ballpark figure I did get from Canship on the phone. You never know what your dealing with for customs, but we're hoping for the best. Insurance is total loss only, so we're thinking of skipping that. How often is there total loss?

Interested to have more details on this from those who have used shipping containers.

I too would be leaving Toronto, but am unfamiliar with the process.

I am busy trying to cover all basis before I set off to "sell" the move to my children and need to budget for all expenses when doing so.

I recognize it is not realistic to leave their belongings behind, so will have to fill a shipping containter.

Can anyone please provide information on the following:

$4000CAD got you what exactly?

How long did this shipment take?

Were their any last minute details/additional expenses that were left out?

Is Bath the only option for pick up?

Did you hire a moving company to unload at your new address and if so, can you give me an idea of costs involved in that or the company that you used?

I would be aiming to move close to family on the outskirts of Manchester.

What items did you choose to leave behind? We were thinking couches/electronics, but take the rest.

Did you take food?

What did you use for packing the container? How did you keep your belongings safe from major/minor damage? I am mostly concerned about antique/sculpted furniture.

How much time did the shipping company allow you to pack up the container and then later unload it? We wont have help-so this is a major fear for us. The pressure of unloading with kids in tow...

Customs Broker? Huh? Who? What? Why?

Thanks a million.

sorry...I haven't been on since we left. I hope this is still timely!

For $4,000 we got a 20' container. They drop it off somewhere, you have 2 hours to fill it, they take it away. Mine was shipped to Grangemouth, then trucked to our location (about 45 min away). Then you have two hours to empty it. If you take longer, it costs you more. We had our stuff all wrapped up and sitting in my husband's boss' warehouse on skids, so he was able to load it within the two hours with a tow motor. We hired a removal company to unload, since we were moving into a first floor apartment with one of those winding stone staircases. We had four young lads and we met the deadline. I made them take one break because they were starting to look mottled! Mind you, we had a ton of boxes including tools, books, bins of fabric, etc.

I think that was 175 pounds. They don't expect a tip, and were very pleased when I gave them a small tip. It wasn't much because of the limit from the bank machine.

The shipping company provides you with documentation to fill out. You are much better off if you avoid anything that can cause them to open your container and search it. That can easily add a week to the process, and a lot more money. So no food! No alcohol. No cigarettes. Nothing that you purchased new within the last 12 months.

Customs was easy, in the end. If I remember correctly, it cost us less than 200 pounds, only 40 of which was the broker's fee. Well worth it.

I was told the shipment would take three weeks...it took four. We had purchased an air mattress and some bedding and towels online and these were delivered to the flat by a local friend. We spent an awful lot in restaurants waiting for our stuff...we finally bought a cheap set of dishes and cutlery from a pound store. We took the ship over, so clothing wasn't an issue.

The secret to packing is to avoid movement. Tons of packing materials. We used the special china and glasses packs from a moving company for the really good stuff. My husband wrapped the good furniture in old blankets, cardboard and then thick plastic with tuck tape. We lost 2 kitchen glasses and we ended up with a bashed corner on our entertainment unit, but I wasn't sure if that happened in transit or with the movers. (I wasn't complaining...they worked their butts off for us)

We brought our TV, DVD and Wii with a transformer (we own a ton of DVD's). I also brought my sewing machine because it's a good one and my Christmas stuff. I figure it all gets plugged into the same transformer. You can use your laptops and chargers with a cheap plug adapter. I left all kitchen appliances in Canada and bought new ones. We downsized our living room a bit with smaller, flexible pieces. We ended up having to buy wardrobes once we were here. Argos is pretty convenient.

If you have lamps you like, bring them with you and get them rewired!! Unless you like Ikea looking stuff, lighting here is expensive and limited.