Cheapest way to send household stuff and artwork from UK to USA

August 7, 2015 7:28 AM

Moving back to the States from the UK and looking for the cheapest way to ship stuff that we won't immediately need to have on our arrival. Since the move is from London to Miami sea freight seems like the best option. We also have some fragile and oddly-shaped art that we'd like to have handled separately (and carefully). I've looked around for quotes from sea cargo specialists, but would appreciate any suggestions for ideas I may have overlooked.

Rough guess right now is that we'll have 10-12 medium-size boxes each weighing about 15-20 kg. This stuff can go as slowly and as cheaply as possible.

The art consists of 2 framed prints and also a painted wooden plank which is about 180cm x 60cm x 1cm. These items can also go slowly, but we'd like to ensure better treatment and not risk them sitting on a dock somewhere for weeks. We'd also probably want assistance packing them properly.

posted by theory to Travel & Transportation around London, England (2 answers total)

If you ship them by boat you'll use less than full load shipping (i.e. you won't fill a whole container). You are required to have the shippers do the packing because they are both insuring your belongings and clearing customs with them. When you find a company you like (I suggest Pickfords in the UK), they will explain the insurance options to you. If you want any of the art to carry additional insurance beyond the standard level, you can add that. They'll be happy to pack things really well.

I'm not sure of options that don't involve things sitting on a dock somewhere for weeks. I would consider freight shipping much safer than any kind of mail/UPS/DHL or equivalent (which also risks sitting on a dock).
posted by cushie at 7:42 AM on August 7, 2015 [1 favorite]

I recently did a UK-US move using Seven Seas by sea. No art, but it went smoothly and I think they can do special-needs stuff like art/valuables. I shipped seven boxes of 15-30 kg and packed them myself (they supplied the packing materials), but I think I remember seeing stuff about them packing certain classes of stuff - I can't find it easily but they might be worth getting in touch with. You should be able to split the shipment so that your prints and plank go by air, but that would obviously add some expense.
posted by you must supply a verb at 11:02 AM on August 7, 2015