Sea vs Air Freight
Due to the distance involved Air Freight is really something you’d consider for small items (a few bags maybe) it is generally 2-3 times faster than sea freight, but will cost as much as 8 times more.
Average cost of sea freight from UK to Australia
| City | 20 foot container | 40 foot container | Shipping time |
| Brisbane | £3,700 | £6,700 | 48 days |
| Sydney | £3,800 | £6,800 | 47 days |
| Melbourne | £3,500 | £6,200 | 45 days |
| Perth | £4,200 | £6,900 | 41 days |
*These are average rates your actual quote depends on many different factors
How Costs are Calculated
I a nutshell the total volume of your goods and the distance they need to travel are the main factors that will affect the cost. There is also the distance between your home and the sea port (on both ends) packing, insurance and extras for hazardous materials.
Compare Quotes
There are many shipping companies out there and they will offer considerably different rates for the same route. MoveHub claims to be able to save people up to 70% on shipping by allowing them to compare quotes.
Ship it or Buy it?
Shipping costs are calculated by volume, not weight, so you might want to leave your bean-bag collection at home. There are some items that could tip you over from needing a 20 foot container to needing a 40 foot container, so you may want to buy these new in your destination city. Things like beds, sofas and dressers usually take up a lot of space, and can be easily purchased at the other end.
Taking Your Car
A car will fill up roughly half a 40 foot container, and completely fill a 20 foot container. This means you won’t be able to ship very much else.
You can ship your car separately via RO-RO (roll-on, roll-off), however this would be a separate shipping cost.
For cheap vehicles it is nearly always a better idea to buy a new car at the other end than ship it. For vehicles which are worth more than the total cost of shipping it is smarter to ship them.
Packing Yourself?
Most shipping companies offer a packing service and unless you’re a tetris champion it’s a probably a better to let the experts do it. You can take more with you, and your items are less likely to break in transit.
This packing service is normally included with door-to-door shipping, but it’s always a good idea to ask your provider exactly what’s included.
Shipping Insurance
Rarely automatically included but always offered. It costs about 5% of the total value of your goods. With nearly 50 days at sea there’s bound to be some high-winds and big waves. For a long route like this you’ll save more in the long-run with insurance. Better safe than sorry!
Shared Shipping
If you’re not shipping enough to fill a 20 foot container it is always a good idea to do shared shipping, or groupage. You will share the container with one or more other people and pay a fraction of the total cost.