Forum Sweden

[Ecrivaine]

I will be moving to Sweden in January to take a study place at Blekinge Institute of Technology. I am presently working out the details with the emigration board, and the school is helping me with a place to stay. But I wonder how I will get my things over from Chicago to Sweden without going broke? Does anyone have any ideas?

[texkourgan]

Congrats on the move! Sounds exciting.

Have you checked out the easy expat guide to Stockholm (http://www.easyexpat.com/en/stockholm.htm)? It has great info about Sweden in general. There is also info on shipping under International Removal Companies (http://www.easyexpat.com/en/stockholm/d ... panies.htm).

In regards to moving your things:
The price of moving depends on the how much is being moved, the value of the goods, and the distance to be moved. Compare companies because the prices can be quite different. The first step is determining if the company is approved by an international remover network like the International Association of Movers or the AMSA. This allows for some recourse if something is damaged. You should also keep records of what is shipped and their values.

If possible, ship only the truly indispensable items and try to buy when you arrive to abate some of the cost. Shipping costs are calculated on the amount of volume (Cubic Feet) that your packed goods will take up in one of our shipping containers. Volume is calculated by multiplying the length x depth x height. An example would be a full size refrigerator/freezer that is 3ft wide, 2 feet deep, and 6 feet high would be 36 cubic feet. A 20 foot container total cubic capacity is 1172 ft 3 and a 40 foot container capacity is 2392 ft. A standard 2 to 3 bedroom house or condo should fit into 1 x 20ft container. A larger 4 to 5 bedroom house would need 1 x 40ft container.

Sea
To move by sea takes longer (6-8 weeks), but costs less then traveling by air. If moving by sea, your household goods will be packed into containers that are usually loaded at your residence. Once your home is packed into the containers, they are then shipped by rail or transport to the port where they are then loaded on to a steamship container. The container is then loaded on the boat as cargo. Once your goods have arrived in the new country, the container is unloaded and must pass through customs. International movers will be able to help you with the custom forms and are responsible for clearing your goods.

Air
Moving household items by air is becoming increasingly popular, despite a much higher price tag than shipping by boat. Heavy cardboard boxes are normally used to pack your goods, although some air freight companies will use containers. You may find that shipping items by air is less expensive than renting a furnished place to live or hotel costs while you wait for your items to reach you. Most companies offer both options so inquire about the price difference and decide which method is best for you.

* Some basic factors in determining the best shipping method are: Volume of personal belongings- (for road and sea shipments); the weight and volume of your personal belongings (for air shipments).

Groupage
To save money, you can ship your items with other people's belongings. Known as "groupage", your personal belongings will be shipped on a large truck together with the personal belongings of one or more customers. Depending on the final destination of your shipment, your personal belongings may be unloaded at a central warehouse somewhere in Europe, for instance, and then shipped to their final destination on another truck departing to your destination country from that central warehouse. A groupage truck option is usually less expensive than a direct truck option, but door-to-door transit times are longer.

If your household goods shipment is large or cost is not as much of an issue as time, direct shipping might be a better option. The truck will contain your personal belongings only and will go directly to its final destination without stopping at any other warehouse. A direct dedicated truck is usually more expensive than a groupage truck shipment, but the door-to-door transit time can be significantly shorter.

To get an idea of price, many companies offer a free quote for the move if you submit your information to their webpage "free quote" section. (For example: www.justmoving.org or www.justmovers.org).

Good luck!

[Ecrivaine]

Thanks for the info! Actually I have no furniture, so I won't have that expense. But I do have a LOT of books, most of which I will probably leave behind, as I don't plan on staying in Sweden indefinitely. I will definitely check out the websites you suggested and start thinking now about weeding down some of my things.

[texkourgan]

Glad I could help. Enjoy Sweden!

[Ecrivaine]

I am definitely feeling very nervous about the move. On the one hand, it's exciting, but on the other hand, well, as I said, I'm feeling nervous. The people involved with the program are being very helpful, but I am wondering about whether I'll be able to cope with the non-work aspects of relocation. How do you go about meeting people when you don't speak the language, LOL. Fortunately most of the people in the program speak English, which helps, and I understand that many Swedish people speak at least some English. But I still wonder.

[Ecrivaine]

As it turns out -- I am putting off the move to Sweden. I am still hoping/planning to go, but not until fall. This makes it somewhat easier on my finances and works better with the timing of the programme, as it turns out.