Moving From the USA to the UK & Europe: A Complete Guide to Shipping Furniture and Household Goods with ClickMoves

Posted on October 9, 2025

Moving your home abroad is exciting — but shipping furniture, personal effects, and large household goods can feel overwhelming. If you’re relocating from the USA to the UK or Europe, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know, and how ClickMoves can help you make it smooth, reliable, and cost-effective.

Why Choose ClickMoves for Shipping Household Goods

  • Door-to-door service: ClickMoves handles pick-up, packing, shipping, customs, delivery and even unpacking in many cases. 
  • Flexible shipping methods: You can choose air freight (fast, for smaller consignments or urgent items), consolidated sea freight (sharing container space, more economical for medium loads), or exclusive/full container shipping (for large volume moves) depending on your budget & timeline.
  • Experience and reach: They’ve helped hundreds of clients move from the US to the UK in recent years. They also have a network of local movers in the US for pick-ups, plus expertise in UK/EU customs processes.

Key Things to Know Before You Ship

1. Shipping Options & Timeline

  • Air Freight: Faster (around 3-5 days), ideal if you have a few boxes or need urgency. More expensive per cubic foot/weight. 
  • Consolidated Sea Freight (LCL – Less than Container Load): Cost-efficient for mid-sized shipments that don’t fill a full container. Expect longer transit (often 6-12 weeks) due to transit times and consolidation.
  • Exclusive Container (FCL – Full Container Load): Best when you have a large volume of goods. You get the entire container, more control, possibly more protection. 

2. Cost Factors

Your shipping cost depends largely on:

  • Volume / weight of your shipment
  • Whether you do full or shared container
  • Mode (sea vs air)
  • Distance & final delivery location
  • Packing / disassembly / reassembly services
  • Insurance, duties, customs fees 

3. Customs, Duties & Documentation

  • In international moves, customs paperwork is essential. ClickMoves handles the paperwork, but you’ll need to provide info: inventory lists, values of items, origin/destination addresses, possibly proof of ownership or residence. 
  • Some items may be subject to import duties or restricted. Used household goods and personal effects are usually allowed but regulations vary by country. 
  • Make sure packing materials meet required standards (especially wooden crates/pallets may need to conform to ISPM-15 or other treatment/marking requirements). Poor or non-compliant packing can lead to delays or extra costs. (This is general best practice drawn from multiple sources.)

4. Packing & Preparing Items

  • Disassemble large furniture where possible; protect surfaces, remove legs of tables, etc.
  • Wrap fragile items well — bubble wrap, blankets, stretch wrap. Ensure items are well secured in boxes/packing. 
  • Label boxes clearly (what’s inside, fragile, “this way up” etc.). Take photos of items before packing in case of damage. 

5. Insurance & Protection

  • Even with great packing and handling, accidents happen. ClickMoves offers transit insurance/insurance protection for overseas removals. 
  • Read carefully what is covered (full value? named perils? what deductibles or exclusions apply).

Steps to Ship with ClickMoves

Here’s how a typical move from the USA to the UK/Europe via ClickMoves usually works:

  1. Request a Quote
    You fill in details about volumes, origin & destination, timeline, and ClickMoves will provide an estimate. For more accuracy, they may do a video or in-person survey. 
  2. Plan your Move
    Choose mode (air, sea shared, sea exclusive), choose packing options, disassembly/reassembly, storage if needed, insurance, schedule pick up date.
  3. Packing & Collection
    ClickMoves coordinates local movers in the US for packing/collection, or you can pack some yourself (depending on the level of service). Items are prepared for export.
  4. Transit
    Goods travel via chosen mode. If sea freight, being consolidated may add time. Along the way, customs export clearance and import documents are handled.
  5. Delivery & Unpacking
    On arrival in UK/Europe, ClickMoves arranges customs clearance, delivery to your final address, and unpacking/unloading if your service includes it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What about storage?
If your new home isn’t ready, ClickMoves provides storage (short- or long-term) near your destination for household goods. 

Can I send only a few boxes instead of furniture?
Yes. If your shipment is small (say under 10-15 boxes), air freight might make more sense. It is faster, and sometimes even cheaper than sea freight when you factor in waiting times and handling. 

When should I start planning?
Give yourself plenty of lead time. International moves can take weeks to arrange: packing, scheduling surveys, shipping time, customs. Starting 2-3 months ahead is often safe for sea freight; less for air freight.

Tips to Keep Costs Down & Stress Low

  • Declutter – only ship what you really need. Sell / donate / dispose of unneeded things. Less volume = lower cost.
  • Measure & weigh carefully early (or use ClickMoves’ video survey). Under-estimating can lead to surprise charges.
  • Pack yourself where feasible (small items, soft goods) but use professionals for fragile or bulky pieces.
  • Know the customs regulations of your destination ahead of time (some countries have restricted items, rules about wooden packaging, etc.).
  • Read all quotes carefully: make sure what is included (door to door, packing, insurance, delivery, customs) and what is not.

Real-World Example

Here’s a sample:

  • A client shipped 12 boxes of personal and heirloom items from Atlanta, GA to Essex, UK via air freight. Took about 3–5 days, costing ~$ 890. If shipped by sea instead, had the cost gone up to ~$1,300 or more. 
  • Another moved a studio apartment’s content + some furniture via consolidated sea freight from New York to London through ClickMoves for about £2,890 inclusive door-to-door.

Final Thoughts

Shipping furniture and household goods from the USA to the UK/Europe doesn’t need to be a nightmare. With a trusted removal partner like ClickMoves, you gain access to expertise, transparency, and support throughout the process. Be informed, plan carefully, choose the right service level for your needs and budget, and you’ll arrive with your belongings intact and on time.

If you’re ready to get started, request a quote from ClickMoves, organise your video survey, decide on your packing level, and before you know it, your belongings will be on their way overseas.