How much did it cost you to move your stuff from the USA to Europe?
Posted by shibalore@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 119 comments
Let me know if there is a better place to ask this? I have seen it asked several times but each time, the comments are only "don't move your stuff!"
I moved from the USA to the Netherlands last summer. I put everything in storage because I was not sure if it was a temporary move or a pernament one. It's looking to be at least longer than a year, and to be frank, I miss my garbage.
I don't have a lot of things, far fewer than most people who make the move. But it would probably still need to be via international move and I'm curious to get an idea of how much it may cost.
Please do not tell me not to move my stuff. I've been here for a year already so unlike most people, I actually know what i need and to be frank, I miss my garbage. Some things are just not replaceable.
Please let me know about how much you had and where you went. Everything I owned about fit in a 15ft U-Haul truck (10x10x8 storage unit), but only a fraction of that would be moved. The only reason I'm nope open into doing it by suitcase is because I'm really pinning over a lovely coffee table I have.
Thnak you!
J963S@reddit
Did a 40' from Toronto (Canada) to France for 12.5k and (about 8k USD) door to door with a vehicle.
goddessfromamachine@reddit
8 thousand USD w/vehicle? Please... tell me more.
J963S@reddit
it was with a smaller shipping company called Viamar. as far as I know they only operate out of Canada. We did all the packing, they dispatched movers to grab the boxes and item to their warehouse and they loaded the container. Turn out we were quite close to the warehouse so that helped.
The next quote we got was over 22k(cnd)
goddessfromamachine@reddit
Thanks so much for responding with the name. I'm researching my options for shipping to France from US West Coast.
Snoo-94703@reddit
I have to look at my invoice but it was 12k for a container in 2023, NY > Barcelona. There were cheaper options, but I researched carefully bc I couldn’t afford to have my stuff held hostage in a storage facility at the port or any nightmare situation that I read about.
My goal was one and done, no storage facility. I gave away, and sold stuff in 2 waves. I’m older so I accumulated a fair amount of crap and I was leaving my entire life behind, so I wanted to bring a piece of home with me.
I moved things like cookware that I had invested in, antique furniture, a very nice sleeper sofa sectional couch that I knew I wouldn’t be able to afford on my new salary, lots of artwork, art books, larger tech (like a monitor) and clothes.
It sounds like you don’t have a lot of stuff at all. I’d consider calling DHL to help ship the coffee table as a one off, and use Send My Bag for everything else?
shibalore@reddit (OP)
I cannot speak to the cookware in Spain, but if it is anything like the Netherlands, even shipping that was worth it. All my pots and pans in the USA are a hodge podged mix of cheap ones I picked up at Homegoods over the years and the newest one is like five years old. I don't think I paid over $19.99 for a single one. They are far from top shelf material.
Tell me why my moltey crew of American reject cookware was doing well enough when I put it into storage, despite its age and bottom shelf quality, and yet I've gone through THREE pans in a year here in the Netherlands? If I had known, I'd have tossed one of my rejects into my damn suitcase.
goddessfromamachine@reddit
You are so right. I have a collection of Le Creuset I've gathered strictly from thrift stores. I could not replace them in Europe at any reasonable price. Moreover, I have a lot of utensils that I consider essential that would also be very difficult to find and hard to replace in Europe.
Agathabites@reddit
Not moving stuff advice is usually aimed at Americans who want to bring their King size beds, massive sofas and small electrical items, sometimes a car, without any experience of living abroad or doing any basic research.
goddessfromamachine@reddit
That is nothing but a stereotype of Americans. Americans have access to things others do not. If you don't want Ikea furnishings in your home and you have beautiful antiques and paintings that would cost a fortune in Europe, shipping one's belongings is well worth it.
shibalore@reddit (OP)
I entirely agree with you, but there's someone in this thread calling me dumb for wanting my custom unique coffee table (its made of marble and shaped like a flower! okay! tell me that's a dime a dozen?), a bike I had custom made (for thousands!) that can't go on a plane (did I mention I live in the Netherlands? Do you know what is on my mind every time I ride my crappy €20 euro per month rental bike? Yeah.)
I'm a big fan of my vacuum, bed frame, mattress, but they will be sold for logistical reasons. My couch is divine, but its six years old and I can acknowledge that perhaps its best to let it go because of that.
I live in Amsterdam, a city notorious for closet sized apartments. I'm not bringing over containers worth of garbage. I think people are far too extreme and can't tell hoarders from people who are just rather particular and are fond of a few of their belongings.
ahsukiyaki@reddit
I’m crying inside because I am also trying to bring a custom made marble coffee table that belonged to my parents. It’s been in my family for 4 decades and it’s the only personal effect of theirs I have. I can’t bear to sell it to strangers.
snoopyta@reddit
no advice but also paid for a container just to bring my designer dining table lol from south america to Canada. obviously shipped more stuff... there's nothing like having your own things 🥰 and if I move to Europe (looking forward to it, also dual) I'd do the same all over, best of luck!
deetoni@reddit
Your coffee table sounds beautiful! You are not dumb. People are rude and often jealous of others
BruxBlonde@reddit
Ha! My marshmallow soft king sized mattress is something I'm extremely glad I shipped. The mattresses in Europe are so bad for my sleep. I'm also really glad we brought our car because (1) it's fantastic on the autobahn and (2) it was way cheaper to ship it here than buy a comparable model locally. To each their own...
shibalore@reddit (OP)
I must admit that I am nearly 30 and the bed I have in storage is a twin! Do I have to disclose I lived in the New York City area for nearly my entire adult life, or did the twin size bed tell you without telling you? hahaha.
cheesecow007@reddit
Haha we did the same thing with the same things. Didn't know what my Audi was really like til I took it to Germany for a trip. Excellent decision to bring these things over.
LibrarianByNight@reddit
We shipped roughly 1/3 of a container for $3k last week. Boston to Copenhagen.
Rare_Database_5043@reddit
Did your stuff get there OK?
LibrarianByNight@reddit
Yes
shibalore@reddit (OP)
That's incredible. Do you mind sharing what company you used? $2-4k is the range I've been hoping for and expecting.
LibrarianByNight@reddit
International Van Lines. There are mixed reviews, but our experience was fine. To be fair, we haven't received our items yet, but the packing and picking up went fine!
numthots@reddit
Similar for us in terms of cost. We used UPakWeShip and with insurance we paid $3K USD door-to-door for 100 cubic feet, DC to Amsterdam. They were excellent to work with and it took about 6 weeks to get our stuff. However, it's door-to-door, not unit-to-unit, so we did need to pay movers on either end (about $100 USD) to pack the crate; we packed the boxes ourselves.
ahsukiyaki@reddit
I just got a horrendous quote for a handful of furniture for a shared container $4.6k - $5.6k from the east coast to Paris.
novorado@reddit
I’m confused about shipping costs. People quote $20k+ to ship a 40-ft container US→Europe, yet shipping a Range Rover–sized SUV in a container is often quoted at $2k–$5k. Are these apples-to-oranges, or is there something else driving the price difference?
Exact-Assignment-894@reddit
Can I ask what companies you all used? I hate giving my home address just for an estimated quote when I have no clue if they are reliable. If anyone can share names of a company you used and liked, I’d be grateful. FL to Alicante
see_dub@reddit
From my experience about 10k for a 20ft container, full service end to end.
Background-Host-7922@reddit
We are getting quotes of around $13k for the same from Santa Cruz, CA to Barcelona, ES.
Technical-Spread4572@reddit
What company
mburrell1979@reddit
I was getting fleeced from SC to Prague in Quotes. $8k for 200 cubic meters
Merobiba_EXE@reddit
Do you recommended USPS over SendMyBag or FedEx? It seems kind of expensive to me regarding the size of boxes and the weight, but maybe the other options are about the same.
I'm also moving from SC to the EU and I'm not planning on taking furniture or anything too big, and I'm aiming for around 6ish bags/boxes to ship over including my luggage.
mburrell1979@reddit
Also. Invest in the cheap vacuum seal bags from Amazon. 90% of them held up and protected my stuff
Merobiba_EXE@reddit
Good to know, thank you for your reply and for the cost, and thank you for the tip about the vacuum seal bags, I'll definitely look into both of those!
mburrell1979@reddit
USPS worked out quite well for me. Just make sure you have an address to ship to. I got rid of all my heavy stuff (books and furniture) and the 6 boxes cost me about $2300 to ship. Pay the $100 for an extra checked back at the airline, and there is 100kg of clothes and other bits that fit in your luggage. Then you have the one carry on and the backpack
deetoni@reddit
There also a war …
deetoni@reddit
Can you tell me who you are using? Also in Spain a little further down the coastline, but that would work.
deetoni@reddit
We have our stuff in Boston (from CA to AZ then to Boston) we are between Valencia and Alicante.
and our stuff has been in storage in 2023! I just started looking today, and I am having trouble finding the companies that move personal possessions
Please let me know the company you are working with, please!
shibalore@reddit (OP)
As in the price is higher because of the drop in traffic? Or was that lower than expected?
Ybflorida@reddit
I am in the same situation, moving USA to Europe. I am in the packing stage. I got a catalog from ULINE, they supply many sizes of either pallets or shipping crates - wooden boxes to hold your carboard boxes of stuff. It is a very demanding task to learn all this, I've googled everything from cubic measurements and more. I am in Florida, I made contact with a freight forwarder who will do business with an "unknown shipper" as they call it, a private person. I got a quote for and I chose air freight, it seems Cargolux is the airline doing these types of shipments. The freight forwarder may give you instructions on how to document the contents for customs in your destination country. I also contacted my destination country customs to get their instructions, so that no taxes are due for my personal items that have been used. So now I pack my boxes to see how big a shipping crate to get, then I get a storage unit to load everything, then I have to hire a company to either shrink wrap or put straps on the crate, and then the freight forwarder company will come pick it up. So complicated, I am really overwhelmed. 20 years ago I did the same move and back then the US Postal Office offered shipping via ocean freight, I was able to ship boxes of books and personal items for a really good price... but they no longer offer that.
alu_@reddit
About 2K. 37 boxes, no large items or furniture other than a mirror. The was during Covid, so I'm sure it's more expensive now
anonym-a@reddit
What company did you use?
alu_@reddit
https://www.schumachercargo.com/
anonym-a@reddit
Thank you!
invisiblegreene@reddit
We moved to Ireland 12 years ago and shipped one shipping pallet of goods for about $900. My husband just went back to the States this summer to ship another couple pallets, now that we have bought a house we want our treasures, and we are shipping 3 pallets for about $2100 on the US side and it will be about another $1000 here in Ireland for fees, delivery etc. We are using AMID Logistics / InternationalShippingUSA.com and we really rate them highly to work with.
anonym-a@reddit
I'm currently checking the options for US -> D, and this service looks really good. Thank you so much!
alloutofbees@reddit
People on here are super weird about this. I got rid of a lot of what I owned but still had a 40ft container I shipped, mostly of irreplaceable things. Furnishings that were imported from various places to begin with and/or antique, a custom sofa, lots of framed artwork and antique prints, handmade and designer clothing and shoes, expensive art books, high end collectibles, etc. We literally never could have replaced everything when it took us a decade and a big chunk of change to acquire all of it, and I'm so happy that I brought it. My place here really feels like home (and I'll be buying a permanent home here in Europe for all of it this winter). We waited eight months to ship it and I never felt at home or at ease the whole time I was in a furnished rental. I truly hated it. When I got my stuff into an unfurnished place I finally remembered what it was like to feel genuinely comfortable and happy in my space. It's 100% fine to have things you actually care about and to want to have them with you. If you can afford it, do it.
In 2021, the full container cost about 13k USD from Chicago to Dublin. A pallet that we sent with the stuff we needed right away was under $2k.
BeginningRange535@reddit
tysm for sharing! I'm moving out of the country and have never done this before and like you, I've collected a lot of irreplaceable art from artist friends or things my kids and I have made, lifelong keepsakes, pictures, our crafting and sewing gear, etc. What company did you go with for shipping your stuff to Dublin?
Lookimawave@reddit
Do you mind sharing who you used for shipping the pallet?
alloutofbees@reddit
Don't remember for sure but probably the same people who moved out container, Laser International. We were happy with their service.
mr_greenmash@reddit
This is key imo. An expat expects to return to their country of origin (and not naturalise in the new Country). For expats, bringing everything with them normally isn't worth it. For an immigrant who intends to stay until death, it would be stupid to leave any dear items behind.
alloutofbees@reddit
Yes, if I'd planned on coming back I would have put almost everything into storage, which still would have been very cost effective in my case.
deetoni@reddit
Se don’t plan on going back
Exhibit100@reddit
I’m so glad to hear this viewpoint.
shibalore@reddit (OP)
Everytime I've moved, movers have actually turned my coffee table into a pallet because its the perfect size for it and its the best way to protect it, since its several pieces of cut marble and thus a bit fragile. A well-packed large Home Depot box fits snuggly under its base and around it, which gives its support. It won't be difficult to move once I just figure out the how.
I'm the same way. Same feeling. I was fine until the eight month point or so and that's when I started getting really frustrated. In addition to my things being carefully curated, you know how part of being an adult is spending money to solve routine problems in your home life? It took eight months for me to crack and get angry because I've already spent hundreds or thousands into solving each of the problems. That's in addition to the items I owe that I just like. I was looking in my photos the other day for something and my heart hurt when I saw a photo of my bedroom in the USA. I have three beautiful rugs -- they're all quite small at 5x8, but they're still irreplaceable.
Thank you for getting it. It sounds like were similar people. Probably much like you, I've had a year to sit here and rationalize, look around, and think hard about what I could easily get rid of and what I cannot. But those things you cannot really hurt. In June, I finally got tickets to the illusive Anne Frank Museum and I actually ended up missing my appointment because the night before, I had a nightmare about rats getting into my storage unit and destroying everything in there. I don't understand why some people don't understand that getting rid of absolutely everything can cause lasting trauma -- there is a reason, beyond the life threatening danger, that things like hurricanes and fires are so traumatic for survivors!
jim-g@reddit
If you're not in a hurry for your items, you can do groupage shipping with companies like SDC International Shipping. You share a container with others and that cuts costs for you. That would probably be the best way to do it. And they have storage in the Netherlands, too, in case you want to keep some of your belongings out of your home (long or short term).
North_Cover_6453@reddit
Brighton uk zip code
Background-Host-7922@reddit
Mm Mm vn jj Nhml0
puddingsins@reddit
I am shipping a 20ft container from Los Angeles to Reykjavik next week and it is costing around $14k.
The Netherlands being a more well-travelled port, and given the small amount of stuff that you have, you may be able to get space in a shared container for much, much cheaper.
KezaBoo@reddit
My husband and I moved to the UK from Vancouver and shipped a single shipping palette for $2000 with UPakWeShip (in 2022). It was 4'x4'x8'. That was basically our "cannot part with this" stuff, childhood memories, essential sports gear, and our expensive road bikes all packed up.
We also brought 7 extra bags on the flight between us at around $150 per bag. That was our seasonal clothing, my ginormous pc that I use for work, camera equipment and dog stuff because yep we brought our dog too of course.
That was the height of shipping supply chain madness with shortages of cargo ships running anywhere so I would be surprised if it costs that much these days.
GrowingHumansIsHard@reddit
Can I ask how you moved your dog? Did you just fly with them as cargo on your flight or did you use a service to do it for you? I ask because we're moving with our dog and everyone online just says "don't do it!" like I have a choice to leave my dog at home? I'm taking her with me. I just worry she's gonna be traumatized by the experience.
KezaBoo@reddit
It depends where you're moving to and what the requirements are for bringing a dog in. Every country is different. From Canada to the UK at the time we were coming in, off the back of COVID, we were required to use a certified pet shipper. At that time they only flew on certain airlines on certain dates. This is to prevent overheating or freezing on the runway while waiting to be loaded. Getting the timing right was the trickiest part for us. They do make sure you are flying on the same plane as your pet (they're in cargo). It cost $3500 including getting a correctly sized flight certified kennel. For our shipper, we had to bring in the kennel we planned to use beforehand to be evaluated.
Flying in to Amsterdam for example would be easier for people moving to Europe, because they do allow you to book a dog as extra baggage (or they did before, not sure about now). However, for us getting from Amsterdam airport to a vet, arranging a pet passport, and then renting a van large enough to contain ourselves, a large kennel, and all our baggage to take the ferry to the UK, and then arranging the same sizable transport to pick us up would have been a logistical nightmare and actually didn't work out cheaper then using a pet shipper.
In 2017 we flew with our dog from Kigali to Toronto via Amsterdam, booked the dog as extra baggage ($200), paid an extra $150 for our dog to stay in a "pet hotel" at schipol during our layover, and then picked her up at oversized baggage in Toronto. It was crazy but it worked.
People who say you shouldn't bring your dog don't know what love is haha.
Busy-Sheepherder-138@reddit
2020 - 12 K 40 foot container, half occupied by vehicle other half our boxes. Add on some extra fees for receiving the car and about $400 in Home depot contractor heavy duty ( Black and yellow) plastic boxes, which we were able to resell once we got here. About another 300 USD for other packing materials. San Diego to Göteborg - Atlas International
papayaushuaia@reddit
How long did it take from packing to receiving your stuff? We are looking to retire in Upsala and have art work and special furniture pieces that we want to bring with us.
Busy-Sheepherder-138@reddit
10 weeks from pickup in San Diego to delivery in Göteborg. We tracked the ship online and it made a stop at Liverpool for about 20 days in their too.
Busy-Sheepherder-138@reddit
I actually picked up my car from the authorities in Göteborg 9 days before my boxes were delivered. My contract had delivery to my door on personal goods and it had been offloaded in Göteborg and repacked into another moving truck.
The car has to be processed paperwork wise but also all the fluids have to be refilled and it was released in 2 days after arrival. My goods were either packed in those black and yellow heavy duty Home Depot Contractor Plastic storage boxes. All my pottery and small breakables came that way. I packed those. Paintings/art was a special pack order and furniture was packed by the company as well.
Everything came in perfect condition. This was not my first big move. I moved cross country in the USA more than once and o learned a lot from watching the professional packers we hired.
papayaushuaia@reddit
Thanks for the info. We will not be bringing our SUVs. Doubt if we will even purchase a vehicle when we move. Mass transit is so convenient.
Busy-Sheepherder-138@reddit
I’m in rural Värmland so it is essential where I live.
NoEffortEva@reddit
There's this sketchy ass company (but they honestly do a great job) out of jersey that lets you bypass all the customs stuff of you ship through Portugal. DM if you want more info.
TidyMess24@reddit
It's going to cost you more than just the shipping costs if you have already been here in the Netherlands for over a year. You have a one year period from arrival to be able to ship your stuff over without paying duty on it.
shibalore@reddit (OP)
Considering how low the Netherlands value used goods and the fact that they are all very much used, i.e. part of my marble coffee table is very much broken into pieces, the VAT will be neligible.
Furthermore, you can apply for exemptions and with my storage unit contract date starting a week before I moved here and my rental contract in a 19m2 student flat, I don't think this will be exactly rocket science for customs, even if they can be incredibly archaic in other aspects.
deetoni@reddit
Sorry to hear about your table!
shibalore@reddit (OP)
haha it happened the day I bought it! 21 y.o. me was young and dumb and convinced that she could move a solid granite table all by herself! Gravity had other plans.
It gives it part of its charm :)
deetoni@reddit
We live and learn😉 it’s good to be able to look back and laugh.
shibalore@reddit (OP)
To be fair to young me, I did get it in that apartment and up those stairs! I also did learn my lesson and have hired movers ever single time I've moved since then, haha.
I remember when I finally left that first apartment, the movers clearly thought it was some crap PVC printed to look like marble and went to pick it up on his own. I will never forget the noise he made. He was not expecting that weight. I proudly told him I was the one that brought it in the apartment and I don't think he believed me!
You know how those mass produced Chinese companies rip off higher end furniture? I did some digging this week while thinking of my table and it appears that this is the rip-off of my table. Except mine is the "original," presumably high end piece (there was nothing similar online when I bought mine). Except mine has a lot more charm because the original design was designed to be a bit more industrial, i.e. the petals aren't really uniform, the marble is definitely flawed, the paint is inconsistent -- and of course, there is some fractures in one of the petals :) The uniformity of the one above doesn't make it look special, but hopefully you can imagine it and understand why I miss it, haha.
deetoni@reddit
Yea, I get it! Lol, men always think they know better🙄 We hirer movers, I don’t want to wrench my back or my husband’s, last time he moved our kid, he couldn’t find anyone and messed up a muscle. So lesson learned!
Table sounds beautiful and my stuff has been in storage since 2023, I am hoping to get it soon.
Trying to find a good company is difficult! Most never answer any emails or phone calls…
From Boston to Barcelona or further down the coastline, would be super helpful.
Real_Combat_Wombat@reddit
SF to France, 20 feet container (and packing, etc...) $15k all said and done (June 2025)
leahlo@reddit
I moved into a 1BR. Didn’t bring any furniture as the place was furnished. I think collectively about $600. A bunch of clothes and shoes. Some electronics and cameras. NY->NL
Yostedal@reddit
My company did it for me “for free” and I found out later when I did taxes that it was easily more than 10K USD, and I wasn’t moving any significant furniture (mostly clothes and books and one small bookshelf). Not at all sure what it would be through a private market. It also took >3 months to arrive.
It’s way easier and cheaper to pay for oversize luggage and a commercial economy flight when I moved back. You’d be surprised how much space you can get if you pre-book it. If it’s possible to unscrew the legs and break down your coffee table reasons flat, it can probably go on the plane if you book oversize baggage ahead of time. I fly from Norway to Amsterdam often and I’ve seen a lot of crazy baggage. A KLM cityhopper can fit all the gear for a competitive ski team or an orchestra on it if they know to anticipate it. They’ve got the space for more than you expect.
If you’re going anywhere in the US that flies direct to Amsterdam, you can definitely get a coffee table to AMS as oversize luggage.
SentimentalJourney25@reddit
What about shipping a car have any of you done that and what was your cost? Is it worth it if I have a used car or should I just sell it and buy one there? I’m thinking of moving to Portugal.
deetoni@reddit
I definitely wouldn’t bring a large usa car to Portugal, the streets are pretty narrow and parking is a bummer ( we live in Spain, so kind of the same thing here) I was going to bring my electric jaguar but they charge a vat sometimes, and I can buy my exact car here in the eu or a nice new Chinese car that has a better range, more upgrades and is brand new, so we decided against that. Plus it might need to have changes on it to be legal there.
SentimentalJourney25@reddit
Thanks
shibalore@reddit (OP)
I'm the OP so obviously i have no experience in this, but I think you may regret the car. American cars are far too big here. I'm in the Netherlands where "smart car" size two seaters are super common. I'd never drive a FIAT in the USA for saftey reasons, but here, it wouldn't be an issue. You'd probably want to go smaller for parking reasons alone.
tristan035@reddit
I moved a small one-bedroom's worth of stuff from Boston to Berlin, like about half a 10x10 unit and it ran me around $4,500 door-to-door with a shared container. This was in 2023 though. I used UPakWeShip and handled customs paperwork myself to save money. I didn’t bring everything, but I did include my Dreamsofa because I couldn’t find anything similar here without paying double and the hardwood made me feel less nervous about the long trip. Delivery took about eight weeks and nothing arrived damaged. If you’re only shipping a few pieces, a consolidated shipment would be your best bet.
Impossible_Moose3551@reddit
I just got a quote from U-Haul to ship a pallet u-ship container was $6000 door to door Colorado to Spain. They have a less expensive option if you go to the port and deal with customs yourself. I think there might be better options but if you don’t have enough stuff to fill a container this might work.
We looked at shipping a car and the price changes depending on if you take your car to the port or have it shipped from your home on both ends and how much bureaucracy you want to do yourself.
deetoni@reddit
You used uhaul? To ship over seas?
Impossible_Moose3551@reddit
I’m not sure if we are going to use it or not. I think we will wait until we decide if we are going to buy a home abroad or not. In the short run I think we will just ship some boxes via Shipmybag or another similar service. If we decide to buy then we will possibly ship a small container.
aikigirl@reddit
Ours cost about $10k DC -> Serbia by air with packing service, customs assistance for original art and such, and delivery to the new place.
mburrell1979@reddit
I moved to Prague from the US 18 months ago. USPS charges about $60/lb for shipping. I threw most everything out, including my book collection (minus my most prized books). Anything sentimental, clothes, some blankets and such, I shipped over for about $2300.
Roger-Dodger33@reddit
I moved from Canada to Serbia, full container was 7700 Euro. It’s not worth it 98% of the time but I’m a collector that has a lot of irreplaceable items.
shibalore@reddit (OP)
I would probably be half or even a quarter of a container, so that sounds reasonable to me (although I don't expect to be 1/4 of the price as I know that's not how it works!).
Yeah, a lot of my stuff just isn't replaceable. I know people are going to treat me like a stupid expat but I'm a dual citizen. My ability to live in the continent isn't reliant on visas or administration, thankfully, which makes it less risky. I have also lived here for a year and miss my things and obviously have an idea of what is replaceble and what is not -- isn't that the litmus test? I'm not going to bring over my IKEA drying rack, but rather unique furniture, a historical collection of things I've curated for my job, specific things for my dog I've been unable to replace. I'm also a huge hobbyist tailor and I have thousands of dollars in fabrics and machines; I stopped by a sewing shop today in a neighborhood popular with expats and the woman told me my brand of sewing machines is one of the few where I can just swap out the cord with a european one and I'm good to go.
Thanks for the answer! A few thousand euros is fine with me.
HVP2019@reddit
Obviously you do whatever you want to do.
I just want to add some consideration that you are missing here, but how others formed their opinions
It isn’t uncommon for dual citizens to make multiple relocations between the two continents, not within one year, of course, but within multiple decades.
Many discovered that having irreplaceable things will cost them a lot in repeated shipping over their lifetime. Because having easy ability to move also means that this increases probability of moving.
Again, I am not telling you what you should do I simply providing more information why others did what they did.
shibalore@reddit (OP)
I get it, but I think people are far too quick to assume people are dumb and don't know what they are doing. I asked for people not to respond that way, and still got one.
You know why I know I'm probably not going anywhere? I work in Dutch historical preservation and I specialize in WW2 heritage, particularly the Holocaust. I don't think its a stretch to assume I'm probably not going anywhere. I can assure you no one on this planet gives a rat's ass about Dutch Jews other than the Dutch (not that they really care too much) and maybe Germany.
This is one of the few situations where OP indeed knew themselves better than random people, so I appreciate the sincere help.
Koomskap@reddit
Doesn’t matter if you’re not going anywhere or leaving 3 months.
Only you know what it takes to make a place feel like home. And if you can afford it, it’s your choice to make.
You only get one life, so make sure the experience is what you want.
HVP2019@reddit
I have been abroad 25 years and there has been a war in my country for the last 10 years. There is not a zero chance that my country will not exist in my lifetime.
I have been married to a local person and I have 3 adult kids here. I am also very positive that probably of another relocation is very low.
Yet Redditor bubble thinks that my future in US is very uncertain.
shibalore@reddit (OP)
I think Americans are just terrible about perspective, which leads to this holier-than-thou attitude. In addition to my career being centered around the Netherlands, one of my best friends was murdered in a targeted antisemitic crime in the USA a few weeks ago while they were at a Jewish event. As someone who tends to work in Jewish spaces, I think it is sane for me to want to hold off at returning for a bit. I mean, there is a not-so-distant alternative universe where I was with this friend and also killed, you know?
However, just because it doesn't work for me right now, doesn't mean it is bad for others. I am a fluent Russian speaker who has lived in the country and I understand you. If I had a different career, I probably wouldn't rule out returning (or maybe I would have never left!)
Resident_Maximum3127@reddit
Look at UPAKWESHIP. They have a good website with lots of info. You can ship boxes, stacked on a pallet. We shipped 2 pallets, 4 years ago from AZ to PT door to door for $4500. The pallets land in Rotterdam before being trucked on to whatever the final destination. We were really glad that we brought some of our favorite things, mostly art and pottery that we have collected over the years. Also some luxury bedding items and they can be very pricy where we are. Good luck to you.
whosthatgirl79@reddit
I was watching shipping wars lol and I went through the company mentioned and did a bid war thing and had it shipped for $5k half container , great service very precise
ShiningReflection@reddit
First find out which airlines fly the routes from where your stuff is to where you now live. Then check the Freight Forwarding companies near your departure airport and get quotes. Then call the airlines and ask a quote and also Forwarding Companies that they do frequent business with on your route. Last, find out your closest departure seaport and if it's worth the rail/truck freight to capture the cargo ship savings (and your willingness to wait extended travel time). Crunch your numbers, options and timelines. And never forget to include the insurance (and what it DOESN'T cover!)
oreo-cat-@reddit
Honestly if it’s smaller stuff price out flying home/having someone fly to you with extra bags. Check a few carriers, the fees vary.
cheesecow007@reddit
2022 Oakland,CA Port => Rotterdam,NL Port, 1 car and about 6 pallets of household goods, couch and king size bed. $4500 West Coast Shipping - they were great
kirinlikethebeer@reddit
We luckily have good friends who would store what little we didn’t give away but didn’t urgently need. Every time we visit or someone visits us, a box is a checked bag. That’s either included or 50-75€ extra per passenger which is still cheaper than any other shipping method. We get a few boxes over a year.
shibalore@reddit (OP)
This is pretty much my plan for everything beyond the few furniture pieces (and whatever gets prioritized to fill up the rest of whatever container I do).
MammothTeacher2463@reddit
At the time (2019) SAS was just $100 per extra checked bag up to 10 bags. So I brought 6 Home Depot plastic boxes with me as "irregular sized luggage". Rented a car at the airport to move it all. It was a pain to do alone but totally doable.
I would not do it again because now I am thinking of moving back in 2 years time (NL is killing me) so I am starting to reduce the amount of things I have and honestly half the stuff in those boxes I moved the first time, are STILL in those boxes. Like, I never really used most of it anyway. It made sense when my plan was to be here forever but life changes. Also, most of it was hobby stuff that needs space, which we don't have in NL. Like, where are you going to put all your junk anyway?
Now I will start bringing back things in luggage when I visit and store it in my parent's attic until I am fully moved back. A couple things I will probably move in the end via UPS or extra baggage on the one-way flight back to the US.
kittypurrpower@reddit
I moved two boxes full of sentimental ‘garbage’ from Canada to Italy and it cost me roughly 700 CAD via UPS. In retrospect, it wasn’t really worth it.
prei1978@reddit
I just did the same move. 40ft container incl. full packing, removal, and delivery was just over $22,000. Insurance for the value of our items was another $4500.
The cost of renting and shipping the container I believe was around $18,000. A 20ft container would’ve been around $4K cheaper.
sidthetravler@reddit
It was free for me, I moved after I got a job offer from Booking.com
BruxBlonde@reddit
Full 40' container, including car, including packing and door-to-door service DC to Germany was $11k a couple of years ago.
dryu12@reddit
I moved from San Francisco to Amsterdam 7 years ago and had my junk shipped in a container by a relocation company. It costed around $3-4K back then.
shoalmuse@reddit
Seattle -> Copenhagen. Was similar.
SlothTookMyBaby@reddit
I did a move from US to Germany. I was also looking at containers or those websites that send it to you like “upak we ship” or whatever and they were a little out of my budget at the time. I was lucky enough that I had a friend who is working for DoD and stationed to the country I was moving too. And I used their address on base and it was much cheaper to send stuff by box for me that way. Do you know someone that could help you out with that? Could be another option
Catcher_Thelonious@reddit
Coffee table?
You're making life difficult.
shibalore@reddit (OP)
I think we just simply have different mindsets, and that is okay. I have spent my entire adult life curating my things. After a year abroad, I really miss them and just simply want to have my stuff back. My furniture isn't cheap, nor have I been able to replace it with anything I like in the last year. It's okay that you move all the time and are happy always replacing your things, but I'm not one of those people.
It's okay to be different, so no need to be rude.
Catcher_Thelonious@reddit
You could die tomorrow.
Go live.
SlothTookMyBaby@reddit
Yeah he could and I’m sure they wish they had their coffee table for the year they were there lol. Your living is different from others
Catcher_Thelonious@reddit
FWIW, I used to be a collector. Getting rid of that stuff was liberating. I thought my happiness depended on it. It didn't.
Terbro@reddit
Mate I'd think "stuff" was a burden too if I moved 12 times!
But one big move? Yeah, I'll keep the stand mixer my mom used even if it's the wrong voltage and need a transformer to use it. You can't replace the sentimental value of that.
Upbeat_Carpenter3488@reddit
Each to their own!
shibalore@reddit (OP)
Yeah, I'm not a hoarder. We're realistically talking about 1, maybe two pallets of things. I've lived here for a year and I miss my things and have not been able to replace them. I'm not bringing over replaceable items, but thanks for the inaccurate assumptions.
Upbeat_Carpenter3488@reddit
For what it’s worth, I’m with you. I routinely get rid of things that are not important to me. At least some of the things I still have are things that I love and that make my home special to me. I’m also a dual citizen and plan a permanent move. I’m not going to spend a fortune replacing great quality things that I love. I’d rather pay to move those things.
gebodido@reddit
I just moved from Orlando to Stuttgart and it cost $38k. My company paid but I have to cover the taxes. We had full service packing, shipping, and unpacking including furniture breakdown and rebuilding. They handled all customs and logistics. I believe we had a 40ft container for a 2bd 1200sqft apartment with a small storage unit.