In short: a 20ft container suits a typical 2 to 3-bedroom home, around 25 to 28 usable cubic metres. You get sole use, so it ships as soon as it is sealed, usually faster than a shared load at roughly 6 to 9 weeks at sea.
Typical cost: around £4,500 to £8,000 door to door, depending on destination and access. We match you with one FIDI-certified mover free; we are not a removal company.
A 20ft sole-use container suits a 2 to 3-bed home. We connect movers from England and across the United Kingdom with one FIDI FAIM removalist for a full container removal to Australia.
A 20ft container is the standard choice for a one or two-bedroom move from the UK to Australia. You book the whole container for yourself, so no one else's goods travel with yours. It holds roughly 33 cubic metres, enough for the contents of a flat or a small house, including beds, sofas, a dining set, white goods and a pile of boxes.
The difference from a shared load is timing. Because the container is yours alone, it sails as soon as it is packed and sealed, rather than waiting for other shipments to fill it. That makes a sole-use 20ft noticeably quicker door to door, which helps if you are working to a fixed start date in Australia.
You also get a sealed box from your front door to your new address. The container is loaded at your home where access allows, closed with a numbered seal, and not opened again until Australian customs or biosecurity need to look inside. Fewer hands touch your belongings, which lowers the risk of damage on a long sea journey.
International Removals Companies is a free matching service, not a remover. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD runs it, and we don't move anything ourselves. Tell us about your 20ft container move and we introduce you to one FIDI-certified mover who calls you, surveys the job and prices it. There is no fee and no obligation.
Free matching. One FIDI partner. No catch. No fee.
Your matched mover brings the empty 20ft container, or a shuttle vehicle, to your UK home on packing day. The team export wraps your furniture, boxes the breakables, and loads everything so it can't shift at sea. Once the container is full, it is closed with a uniquely numbered seal and booked onto the next sailing.
If your street is too tight for a 40-foot trailer, a 20ft unit is often easier to place, but access still matters. Where a container lorry can't reach the door, the crew loads a smaller shuttle vehicle outside and moves your goods into the container at a nearby depot. Your mover checks all of this at the survey, so nothing trips you up on the day.
At the Australian port, the container is cleared by the Australian Border Force and held for a biosecurity check if the packing list flags anything. It is then taken to your address, unloaded, and unpacked if you have booked that service. From collection to delivery, a sole-use container keeps your move on its own timetable.
A 20ft container is sized for smaller homes. Here is roughly what fits, and how to tell whether you have outgrown it.
A bed, wardrobe, sofa, dining set, fridge, washer and 30 to 40 boxes. Usually fits with room to spare.
Two bedrooms of furniture, a lounge, the kitchen and white goods. A 20ft is the typical fit for a modest two-bed.
About 33 cubic metres of usable space. Roughly 5.9m long, and a little over 2.3m wide and high.
A motorbike or small car can sometimes share the space if your effects don't fill it. It must be declared and biosecurity clean.
Treat these as planning figures, not quotes. The real price turns on how much you ship, where it is collected in the UK, where it lands in Australia and how easy the access is at both ends. Your matched mover sets a firm price after seeing your home.
Lighter load, sole-use 20ft
About £3,500 to £5,000
Door to door: 9 to 12 weeks.
Full sole-use 20ft
About £4,500 to £6,500
Sails on its own schedule.
A tightly packed 20ft
About £5,500 to £7,500
A 40ft may suit larger homes.
Effects plus a bike or small car
Priced after survey
Subject to space and clearance.
The UK left the EU in January 2021, so every shipment now clears Australian customs on arrival. Household goods you have owned and used for a year or more usually come in free of duty and the 10% GST, treated as unaccompanied personal effects, as long as your move and the shipment clearly belong together. The goods owner signs the B534 statement and the mover lodges it with the Australian Border Force. Biosecurity officers can open a sole-use container for inspection if the packing list flags a risk, so garden tools, outdoor furniture, bikes and shoes must be cleaned of soil and plant matter before they are packed.
Life in Australia is priced in Australian dollars, code AUD, from your first food shop to your rental bond. It pays to plan the exchange before you fly. Airport desks give poor value, so weigh up a specialist like Wise or XE against your own bank, and think about opening an AUD or multi-currency account before you leave. The GBP to AUD rate shifts every day, so check it live on XE.com near the time you transfer. We are a removals matching service and we do not buy, sell or exchange currency.
This guide is maintained by Darren Benjamin, who has run International Removals Companies since it launched in 2010 and has over 20 years in the logistics industry. Since 2013 he has also been Secretary and Manager of a UK removal company, a role verifiable on Companies House. In practice that means matching people moving abroad with the right certified mover, and knowing the customs and shipping detail behind an international move to or from Australia.
Our partner movers hold the industry's recognised credentials, including FIDI FAIM Certified (audited by Ernst and Young), BAR Overseas, IAM, EUROMOVERS and FEDEMAC membership. You can read more about who we are and how we vet partners on our about us page.
A 20ft container holds around 33 cubic metres, which is the typical fit for a one or two-bedroom home. That covers beds, a lounge suite, a dining set, white goods and a good stack of boxes. A modest three-bedroom move can fit if it is packed tightly, but a larger home is usually better in a 40ft container.
As a planning guide, a one-bedroom load runs about £3,500 to £5,000, a two-bedroom home about £4,500 to £6,500, and a tightly packed small three-bed about £5,500 to £7,500. Access, volume and your destination port all shift the figure. Your matched mover gives a fixed written quote after a survey.
The sea crossing takes about 6 to 9 weeks. Door to door, a sole-use 20ft container usually lands in about 9 to 12 weeks, quicker than a shared load because it sails as soon as it is sealed rather than waiting to be filled. Customs and biosecurity add a little time at the Australian end.
No. You pay for the whole container with a sole-use 20ft, so it costs more than paying for part of a shared load. What you get for the extra is speed and sole use, your goods travel alone, sail on their own schedule and arrive sooner. A shared container is the cheaper option for smaller loads.
Usually yes, if a container lorry can park near your door. A 20ft unit is easier to place than a 40ft one, but a narrow or steep street can still be a problem. Where the lorry can't reach, the crew loads a smaller shuttle vehicle at your home and transfers the goods into the container at a depot. Your mover checks access at the survey.
Sometimes, if your household effects don't fill the space. A motorbike or a small car can travel alongside your belongings, but it must be declared, drained of fuel and cleaned to meet Australian biosecurity rules. Your matched mover advises on whether it fits and what paperwork the vehicle needs.
Belongings you have owned and used for at least 12 months are normally free of duty and the 10% GST, treated as unaccompanied personal effects. Items bought more recently may be taxed. The goods owner signs the B534 statement and your mover lodges it with the Australian Border Force.
The main arrival ports are Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Fremantle for Perth, and Adelaide. If your new home is inland or regional, the container clears at the nearest port and your goods are driven on to your door. Your matched mover arranges that final leg.
We are a free matching service, not a remover. Send us the details of your 20ft container move and we put you in touch with one vetted FIDI-certified mover. They ring you, survey the job and quote it. You are under no obligation and we never charge you a penny.
Every partner mover we use holds FIDI FAIM accreditation. It is the international moving industry's quality benchmark, checked by an independent Ernst and Young audit against more than 200 separate criteria and renewed every three years. The audit looks at packing, container loading, insurance, customs handling and how claims are dealt with, which is exactly what matters on a long sole-use shipment.
International Removals Companies pairs each 20ft container enquiry with one of these accredited movers, free of charge. We have run the service since November 2010. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, company 07425576, ICO ZB022743. Norman House, Saint Saviours Estate, Abbey Street, London, SE1 3DH. Working Member of AGM Group since 2010.
Send your UK collection postcode, your Australian delivery address, a rough idea of your volume and your preferred dates. We pair you with one FIDI-certified partner who confirms access, the port, the price and your Australian customs plan.
Get a 20ft Container QuoteFree matching. One FIDI-certified mover. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, running since November 2010.
We connect 20ft container and sole-use shipping enquiries for Australia with one vetted FIDI-certified partner mover. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, company 07425576, ICO ZB022743. Norman House, Saint Saviours Estate, Abbey Street, London, SE1 3DH. Working Member of AGM Group since 2010.
Prices, transit times, insurance and customs paperwork are confirmed by your partner mover before booking.