I will be leaving Switzerland in a few months and moving to San Francisco. Would appreciate any tips for the move and how I manage this. Also need suggestions on reliable movers and cost. Thank you so much.
Hi all,
When you go - Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
Can get an offer here:
https://www.dsv.com/en-ch/support/qu…?id11=1&id16=7
Also when you fly to SF inquire about transporting additional freight. Once heard that its cheaper to transport when one is on the same flight. Believe Swiss does this.
Yes, excess baggage. The downside is that you have to get it to check-in yourself and on the other side claim it and clear it through Customs.
If you take a connecting flight you will have to do the customs at the connecting airport, which could delay you
Fly direct. As bowlie said, you have to claim your bags and repeat the process at the connecting airport.
Why did I sing that in my head as I read it?
Thanks for the tips
Depending on the value and amount of furniture you have, you may find it cheaper to sell what you have here and repurchase in the US. This is particularly true if you're in the "IKEA" stage of life, rather than the "whole house of Vitra classics" stage of life. Focus on keeping personal items and sentimental pieces of furniture, but replacing bulky, more pedestrian items. If you're not averse to used items, good-quality furniture in the US is practically free -- when we cleared out my parents' house of high-end, solid wood furniture, we literally couldn't give it away. Check out Craigslist to see what the market in SF looks like.
Most movers will insist on packing you if they're going to be responsible for damage in transit, and they'll want to see what's in each box to list it for the manifest and customs clearance. We moved a 40ft contained within Europe, and the move was not far off CHF10'000 (luckily paid for by our employers). Add sea freight to the other side of the planet, and the quotes can be eye-watering.
There are hundreds of 2nd hand stores in the BA, and as Village Idiot says, during the pandemic people were throwing out all their belongings and buying new. The consignment shops stopped taking almost-new furniture--even for free--because they didn't have the warehouse space for it all. The charities suspended donations of stuff! There are several threads on EF regarding US moves and what to expect.