Container shipping is the main way larger household moves are transported overseas. Your furniture, boxes and personal effects are professionally packed, loaded into either a shared container, 20ft container or 40ft container, and shipped by sea from the UK to your destination country.
For many 3 and 4-bedroom house moves, container shipping offers the safest and most practical way to move a larger volume of household goods overseas. The right option depends on how much you are moving, where you are moving to, and whether your shipment needs a shared or sole-use container.
At 1st Move International, we provide container shipping as part of a complete door-to-door international removals service. This includes UK collection, professional packing, careful palletisation, customs documentation support, overseas shipping, tracking and delivery through our trusted destination partners.
A sole-use container gives you exclusive use of a 20ft or 40ft shipping container. This is usually the best option for larger household removals, such as a 3-bedroom home, 4-bedroom home or full family relocation overseas.
Where access allows, your household goods can be professionally packed and loaded into the shipping container at your home. The container is then transported to the departure port and shipped on the next suitable service, subject to sailing availability and documentation being completed.
Where direct loading from your home is not practical, we can pack and collect your goods using smaller vehicles, then complete the container loading at our warehouse.
A shared container is suitable when you do not need a full 20ft or 40ft container. Your packed and palletised shipment shares container space with other customers' moves travelling in the same direction, so you only pay for the space your move requires.
This can be a good option for smaller household removals, furniture shipments, boxes, bags and personal effects. More about shared container shipping.
There are many different types of shipping container, but the two most commonly used for larger household removals are standard 20ft and 40ft containers.
As a general guide, a 20ft container is often suitable for the contents of a 2 to 3-bedroom home, while a 40ft container may be needed for a larger 4 to 5-bedroom home. The right option depends on the volume of furniture, boxes, personal effects and other household items being shipped.
The dimensions below are provided as a guide only, as container sizes can vary slightly by shipping line.
| Container Size | Approx. Internal Length | Approx. Internal Width | Approx. Internal Height | Approx. Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft container | 5.9m | 2.35m | 2.39m | 33.2 cubic metres (1,172 cu ft) |
| 40ft container | 12.03m | 2.35m | 2.39m | 67.7 cubic metres (2,390 cu ft) |
For most household removals and personal effects shipments, weight is not usually the main factor. The size of container you need is normally calculated from the volume of your furniture, boxes and personal effects.
Our team can calculate this from your quote form, itemised inventory, WhatsApp survey or video survey, then advise whether a shared container, 20ft container or 40ft container is the best option for your move. You can also estimate it yourself with our removals volume calculator.
Container shipping for overseas removals works best when household goods are properly packed before they are loaded for export.
Our team professionally packs furniture, boxes and personal effects using materials designed for international shipping. Once packed, your goods are carefully palletised and shrink-wrapped where required, helping to reduce handling and keep your shipment secure during the overseas journey. See our safer packing process.
This packing and palletisation system is one of the reasons we can offer regular weekly shipping services for household goods and personal effects.
As a general guide, container shipping costs from the UK range from around £1,350 to £8,350, depending on the destination, port, container size and shipping route.
For overseas household removals, the size of your move is one of the biggest factors. A 20ft container is often suitable for the contents of a 2 to 3-bedroom home, while a 40ft container is normally used for larger 4 to 5-bedroom moves or full household relocations.
The table below gives indicative container shipping rates for 20ft and 40ft containers to popular international destinations. Rates shown are from UK port to destination port.
| Country | Port | 20ft container (typical 2-3 bed home) | 40ft container (typical 4-5 bed home) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Melbourne | £2,897 | £4,998 |
| Australia | Sydney | £2,897 | £4,998 |
| Australia | Adelaide | £2,897 | £4,998 |
| Australia | Brisbane | £2,897 | £4,998 |
| New Zealand | Auckland | £4,900 | £8,350 |
| New Zealand | Wellington | £4,750 | £8,050 |
| Canada | Montreal | £3,900 | £5,850 |
| Canada | Toronto | £4,600 | £6,550 |
| Canada | Vancouver | £5,300 | £8,100 |
| USA | Charleston | £4,605 | £5,232 |
| USA | Chicago | £4,950 | £7,150 |
| USA | Houston | £4,643 | £5,232 |
| USA | Los Angeles | £5,468 | £6,420 |
| USA | Miami | £3,900 | £5,850 |
| USA | New York | £4,758 | £5,309 |
| USA | Norfolk | £4,605 | £5,232 |
| USA | San Francisco | £5,818 | £6,770 |
| South Africa | Cape Town | £1,550 | £2,450 |
| South Africa | Durban | £1,550 | £2,450 |
| Cyprus | Limassol | £1,350 | £2,100 |
| Dubai (UAE) | Jebel Ali | £4,775 | £6,917 |
The container shipping costs above are based on port-to-port rates and are shown as a guide only. If you are moving household goods or personal effects overseas, your international removals quote will usually also include UK collection, professional packing, customs documentation, destination clearance, insurance and delivery to your new home.
For more detailed information about complete door-to-door international removals services, customs requirements, and destination-specific moving costs, please see our main removals pages for removals to the USA, removals to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Dubai, Cyprus, Singapore, South Africa and Cayman Islands
See below for more information on container shipping costs for your destination:
We provide up to date shipping schedules on our shipping schedule pages. Please check the links below to find up to date information on the next available shipment to your destination country, including the name of the vessel, sailing date, port-to-port transit time and last moving date.
International container shipping schedules UK to:
Transit times vary by destination, shipping route, customs clearance and final delivery location. Our team will advise the expected shipping schedule and delivery timescale for your move when you request a quote.
Once your shipment has departed, we will give you your container number so you can follow the progress of your container overseas using our container tracking tool. Our team will keep you updated throughout the move and advise you on the expected arrival, customs clearance and delivery process at destination.
1st Move International arranges shared and full container shipping services through the main UK container ports, including London Gateway, Felixstowe and Southampton. Depending on your final destination and sailing availability, your shipment will be routed through the most suitable UK port for your overseas move.
Our team manages the shipping arrangements, documentation and routing so your move is handled as part of a complete door-to-door international removals service, rather than a port-to-port container shipment.
We arrange international removals for household goods and personal effects to popular destinations worldwide, including: removals to the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Dubai, Cyprus, Singapore and South Africa, along with many other countries.
Our team manages the shipping arrangements, documentation and routing so your move is handled as part of a complete door-to-door international removals service, rather than a port-to-port container shipment.
1st Move International specialises in overseas removals for household goods, furniture and personal effects. We have been helping customers move overseas since 1997, with professional packing, weekly shipping services and door-to-door delivery through trusted overseas partners.
Our team will advise the most suitable container option for your move, prepare the packing inventory, support the required documentation and keep you updated throughout the shipping process. And because every move is measured exactly after packing, you only pay for the space your move actually needs. See how we cost your move.
If you are planning a larger move overseas, send us your details and we will advise whether a shared container, 20ft container or 40ft container is the most suitable option.
You can request a quote online, complete a WhatsApp home survey or use a video survey to show us what you are moving. We will then prepare a clear international removals quote based on your destination, volume, packing requirements and delivery needs.
Your life, carefully wrapped, beautifully packed, and protected for the journey ahead.
We are extremely proud of our unique packing process. We are the only moving company in the UK that uses this tried and tested method to ship your treasured personal possessions overseas.
Visit our Facebook page to find a snapshot of each shipment captured as the final pallet is wrapped.
