Moving Overseas from Seattle? How to Hire the Right International Moving Company

Moving to another country is a life-changing decision that can feel overwhelming at times. As you’re preparing yourself mentally for an exciting but drastically different lifestyle, you’ll also need a reliable way to manage the logistics of the international relocation process.

An overseas move involves completing extensive paperwork, sorting through your belongings, and preparing each item for customs. You’ll also face the decision of choosing the best mode of transportation for your items. Fortunately, hiring a full-service international moving company to handle these details will help simplify your move. But how do you know whether you’re hiring the right movers? Read on to learn what to look for as you research international movers in Seattle.

The Importance of Using a Reputable International Mover

At the very least, you’ll need to make sure you are dealing with licensed and insured professional movers, and you can verify this by asking for their credentials. 

To operate legally in the United States, an international moving company must carry cargo insurance and be licensed by the Federal Maritime Commission. Another recommended safeguard is to check for additional accreditations. For example, FAIM is an international moving quality certification offered by FIDI. This is the gold standard for global moving companies, and membership is a major plus because it means the moving company meets stringent requirements and is audited regularly by a third party.

Additionally, a moving company should have a good word-of-mouth reputation paired with a strong online presence and plenty of positive reviews. Disreputable movers change their names and phone numbers often to avoid negative publicity instead of working hard to maintain their reputation.

Questions to Ask International Movers

Once you’ve found reputable international movers in Seattle, it’s time to start asking questions to vet them further and to determine if they can meet your particular needs. Full-service international movers should offer a broad range of services and give you satisfactory answers to the following questions:

Where Are You Located?

Always ask for the moving company’s full name and physical address. It’s a major red flag if a company won’t give you its exact location. Not only that, but when a moving company has a branch in your local area, they tend to be more competitive in their pricing and committed to their reputation in the community. This is why if you live in Seattle, it’s smart to go with a company that has a local presence here. In addition, movers with a Seattle location will be familiar with challenging conditions such as roads with hills and wet weather.

How Long Has Your Company Been in Business?

Anyone can start a moving operation but building a reputation and acquiring various accreditations takes time. When a company has been in business for several years, it’s easier to verify its legitimacy. FMCA is an excellent resource for checking up on movers’ histories and reputations, as is Movingscam.com.

How Much Experience Do You Have With International Moves?

If you’re moving overseas, one of the most important factors to consider when selecting an international moving company is their specific experience with overseas moves.

Hiring expert international movers will ensure that the company is prepared to handle the trickier aspects of your move, such as country-specific customs requirements, flight or water vessel restrictions, and other legal considerations.

Who Will Pack My Items?

Packing up your entire household is time-consuming, so you’ll need to find out early on whether you’ll be responsible for that arduous task. Allowing an international moving company with customs clearance experience to do the packing for you will ensure each item is allowable and ready for customs.

If the movers are doing the packing, you won’t need to buy packing materials; however, you may want to ask for some moving cartons if you need a way to sort through and organize your belongings before the professional packers arrive. Also, ask about unpacking services on the other end if that’s something you think you may need.

How Will My Belongings Be Shipped?

Ask if your items will be shipped in separate containers or if they’ll instead share space with other people’s things. Opting for a “less than container” (LCL) load to save money usually means you’ll be sharing the shipping container. This option is ideal if you’re only shipping personal effects, but if you prefer not to share the space, you can request a “full container load” (FCL), which guarantees you’ll have the container to yourself.

You’ll also need to know if the move will include “door-to-door service,” which is when your items are picked up from the address you’re leaving and delivered directly to their final destination. This is sometimes referred to as a “door-to-door port.”

Are There Any Items That the Movers Can’t Take?

With any move, there are some items movers won’t be able to transport, but when you’re planning to move overseas, that list can be long. Certain items are never allowed with an international move, and there will be other restrictions specific to your destination country. 

Ask the moving company for a list of things that are restricted so you’ll know what to store or get rid of before the move. Each country has its own rules and regulations, which is why hiring an international moving company with extensive customs experience is vital.

How Long Will It Take for My Items to Arrive?

Another important question to ask is how long it will take to get your belongings. That question may sound simple enough, but with an overseas move, the customs process can complicate timing. 

Ask how long your items are expected to be in customs and what involvement, if any, you will have with customs. It helps if the moving company is certified through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT), which can speed up the process of getting your belongings through customs.

What Insurance Options Do I Have?

Although it is unlikely that your household goods will get lost or damaged in transit, protecting yourself against a worst-case scenario is essential with any move, especially an international one. 

Don’t make the mistake of assuming your homeowner’s insurance will cover your items during an overseas move. The moving company should be willing to handle the valuation process of your belongings and discuss all available insurance coverages with you and break down their costs.

Will I Be Able to Track My Shipment Online?

Having your prized possessions transported overseas can be stressful, which is why you should consider looking for a moving company that offers an online portal that allows you to track every step of your relocation. 

When you trust Suddath with your overseas move, all aspects of your move will be updated in our user-friendly Global Move Management Software (GMMS) platform. While not everyone chooses to utilize this convenient feature, knowing you can check on the location of your belongings at any time will give you peace of mind during a potentially stressful move.

Who Will Be My Primary Point of Contact?

There’s a lot of activity leading up to the stage where you can sit back and track your shipment, which is why you should ask if there is someone who will be personally overseeing the details of your move. When you trust Suddath with your international relocation, you’ll be assigned a dedicated move counselor who will assist you with all aspects of the move, including:

• Pre-move surveys
• Container size selection
• Document preparation
• Valuation and insurance options
• Choice of shipping method
• Coordination of overseas shipping

Your move counselor will be available to assist you throughout the relocation process, keeping you abreast of key milestones as they take place.

How Much Will the Move Cost, and What Services Are Included in the Price?

When considering moving estimates, be sure to find out which services are included. You’ll also need to add in the price of any additional services you may need. An international move typically involves inventory preparation, document preparation, and the shipping of freight via air, land, or sea. This freight is often just household items but may also include vehicles.

Examples of specialty services that full-service international movers may offer include custom crating, piano moving, storage, and pet relocation. To give you an accurate estimate, a representative of the moving company will need to see the items you plan to have shipped. This critical step is known as the “pre-move survey.” The survey is sometimes done in person but can also be done virtually. The important thing is that the moving company sees your belongings and provides you with a quote in writing.

International Movers in Seattle

Suddath has provided quality moving services in Seattle for over a century, and we currently facilitate approximately 16,000 international moves each year. We provide dependable, high-quality service and have an extensive global reach with trusted partners in nearly every country in the world. Our relocation counselors are standing by to discuss every detail of your move, including auto and boat transportation, pet relocation, and more.

Get a hassle-free quote today and read more about the process of moving internationally.