Shipping your bed overseas

You can’t beat being in your own bed, and if you are looking to move abroad, the thought of leaving it behind is a disastrous thought on its own, without the added stress of the financial and travelling problems that come with moving home.

Get in touch with us to discuss your move

If you want to discuss your move abroad with an expert and get a realistic idea of the costs involved in shipping your bed and any other furniture or personal affects you may wish to take with you, call us free on 0800 521541.

Restrictions and considerations

Many countries have restrictions about what you can take with you when you are moving abroad, especially Australia and New Zealand, who have fragile ecosystems which mean that some wood products that have the potential to harm indigenous species are forbidden to enter the country.

However, the situation isn’t as strict as it seems, as most of the rules apply to unfinished wood or whether you have an old antique wooden bed, which would possibly need to be checked for woodworm and approved with a certificate by a pest company saying it was dormant.

To find out about the customs regulations applying to your destination, check our Country Customs Guides.

The cost of shipping your bed overseas

When considering the size and weight of a bed frame and mattress, many automatically assume the cost will be high, and automatically look to throw the bed out without weighing up the costs. When a removals company look to ship their customer’s items overseas, they look to use a whole container to store all the items in.

This can often mean that the cost of shipping all your beds abroad can work out cheaper than buying a set of new bed frames and mattresses. If you are taking a whole container to yourself for example, then the cost of including a bed is minimal (providing there is room in the container for it obviously!). But if you are shipping with a groupage container, then, of course, you pay for the volume or space.

However, some beds, and particularly mattresses, are significantly expensive so that the cost of shipping does make financial sense. Some people choose to only ship the bed frame and to buy new mattresses upon arrival at their destination, which they may well sleep on until the consignment, including the bed frame, arrives.

The best way forward is to compile a list of personal belongings you wish to take abroad, and weigh up the pros and cons of adding a bed to your removal list.

But before you make your final decision, bear in mind that shapes and styles of beds may vary from each country and you may often find that you won’t be able to find what you need abroad. Bed sizes do vary as well, so it is important to check bedding sizes, as a king size bed in the UK may not be called the same thing in your destination country.

To ensure you have the perfect night’s sleep before and after your overseas move, simply get in touch with one of our local removal specialists who will be able to advise you.

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