Very few China moves line up perfectly. Your UK house sells before the permit arrives, or your Chinese tenancy starts a month after the container lands. Storage bridges the gap, and the thing to understand about it is that the storage itself is rarely the expensive part.
One vetted mover from our network arranges it at whichever end you need. International movers usually offer both, and the useful question is what handling costs rather than what the weekly rate is.
Storage comes in two shapes for a relocation. Ordinary storage for goods that have cleared customs, and bonded storage for goods that have not.
Storage is not usually planned. It becomes necessary when two dates fail to meet, and the same handful of situations account for most of it.
The permit is not ready. Your Chinese residence permit is still in process and shipping ahead of it risks the customs relief. Goods wait in the UK until the permit is in hand.
The UK property sells first. Completion arrives before you are ready to fly or before the shipment is booked. Everything goes into storage at the origin end.
The Chinese tenancy starts late. The container has landed, cleared and is ready, and your flat is not available for three weeks. Destination storage bridges it.
A delayed sailing. A held vessel or a customs query pushes arrival past your delivery window and the compound cannot fit you in.
A short posting. You are going for eighteen months and it makes no sense to ship a whole household. Part goes to China, the rest into UK storage until you return.
Repatriation. Coming back to the UK before you have found somewhere to live is common, and goods land before an address exists.
On bonded storage. Where goods arrive before your relief position is settled, bonded storage holds them under customs control without clearing them. It is a useful tool where a permit or a Transfer of Residence reference is genuinely imminent, and it costs more than ordinary storage. Ask about it rather than assuming a container has to sit at a port accruing quay rent.
Storage is quoted as a rate per period, but the bill has three components and the weekly rate is often the smallest. Ask for all three before you agree to anything.
One off charge
Often substantial. Paid whether you store a week or a year.
Modest weekly rate
The part people focus on, and the smallest of the three.
One off charge
Also substantial, and easy to forget when comparing quotes.
Tell us where the gap is in your dates. Storage at the right end is usually cheaper than storage at the obvious one.
We match you with your vetted mover, which means one team handles the whole relocation. It is free, with no obligation. Get a quote today and hold your dates.
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Storage is not a pause button. Goods sit for weeks or months in conditions that are stable rather than ideal, and some things should not be in there at all.
Liquids of any kind. They leak, they freeze, they burst. One bottle ruins its own carton and everything beneath it, and nobody discovers it until the goods come out.
Perishables. Food, obviously, but also things people do not think of as perishable: opened condiments, pet food, seeds and bulbs.
Batteries. They leak over time and corrode whatever they are in. Remove them from every device before storage, not just before shipping.
Aerosols and pressurised containers. Temperature changes and pressure do not mix.
Anything damp. A slightly damp rug or a mattress that was not fully dry will be a mouldy one in eight weeks. This matters even more with goods heading to a humid Chinese destination afterwards.
Documents and valuables. Passports, deeds, jewellery, cash. Keep them with you. Retrieving a document from long term storage is expensive and slow.
On climate control. Ordinary storage is dry and stable rather than conditioned. For most household goods that is fine. For instruments, artwork, wine, photographs and anything with an adhesive binding, ask specifically whether conditioned storage is available and what it costs.
On insurance. Transit insurance does not automatically extend to a storage period. It is usually a separate arrangement and it is worth having, since a storage claim is exactly the kind of thing that emerges months later.
Storage is usually a symptom of dates not meeting, so the timings page is worth reading alongside.
A move usually means moving money too, whether that is a deposit on a Chinese flat or funds coming back the other way. We have helped customers with currency exchange in any currency through trusted partners for many years, and our partners can help with the money side of your move. Mention it on the form and it gets included.
Experts in currency exchange
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Because dates rarely meet. Your residence permit may not be ready, your UK property may complete early, your Chinese tenancy may start weeks after the container lands, or a delayed sailing may push arrival past your delivery window.
In three parts: a handling charge to receive and store the goods, a rate per week or month, and a handling charge to retrieve them. The weekly rate is usually the smallest of the three, which is why short stays cost more per week than long ones.
Depends on where the gap is. Store in the UK if the permit is pending or your property sells first. Store in China if the container has landed and your tenancy or delivery slot is later. Handling costs differ between the two, so ask both.
Storage that holds goods under customs control without clearing them. It is useful where a permit or a relief reference is genuinely imminent, and it costs more than ordinary storage. Worth asking about rather than letting a container accrue quay rent at a port.
Not automatically. Transit insurance does not usually extend to a storage period, so it is a separate arrangement. It is worth having, because a storage claim is exactly the kind of problem that only emerges when goods come out months later.
Liquids of any kind, perishables, batteries, aerosols and anything even slightly damp. Also documents, passports, deeds and valuables, which should stay with you because retrieving them from store is slow and expensive.
For most household goods, no. Ordinary storage is dry and stable. For instruments, artwork, wine, photographs and anything with adhesive binding, ask specifically what conditioned storage costs, particularly if the goods are heading somewhere humid afterwards.
Usually, at a cost. Retrieval and re storage both incur handling, so it is worth setting aside anything you might want before the goods go in rather than paying to dig it out later.
Usually as long as you need, though minimum periods and notice requirements vary. Longer periods spread the handling charges, which is why a three month stay often costs less per week than a three week one.
Send your collection address, your Chinese destination, a rough idea of the volume and your date. A vetted mover from our network checks the route, the paperwork and the access, then comes back to you with the price.
Send your move detailsWe match international moving enquiries with vetted moving companies in the AGM Group network, each holding FIDI FAIM certification and BAR Overseas membership.
We are not a removal firm ourselves. We find you the one that suits your route, and you deal with them directly from there.