In short: if your timings do not line up, your mover can store your belongings in the UK before they ship, then send them on when you are ready. It helps when you fly out first or your Australian home is not sorted yet.
You pay for the storage period plus the later shipping, and a single FIDI-certified mover can handle both. We match you free; we are not a removal company.
If your dates do not line up, your removalist can store your belongings in England first. We connect households across the United Kingdom with one moving company for storage and the later shipping.
Moves rarely line up perfectly. You might have to be out of your UK home weeks before your shipment sails, or fly to Australia first and send your things once you've found somewhere to live. Storing your belongings in the UK for a while bridges that gap, so nothing has to be rushed or left to chance.
The tidiest setup for an international move is container storage. The mover packs your goods into sealed wooden storage containers at their depot, lists everything, and holds it securely. When you give the word, the very same load is moved into a shipping container bound for Australia, handled by one firm from start to finish.
Storage also gives you breathing room to decide what to take. Since both storing and shipping are charged by volume, a good clear-out before anything goes into storage means you don't pay to keep or send things you'll never use again. It is often the cheapest decision you'll make in the whole move.
We're a free matching service, not a remover or a storage firm. Tell us you need UK storage ahead of your Australian move, and we introduce you to one FIDI-certified mover who does both. They survey, store, and later ship your goods. No fee, no obligation.
Free matching. One FIDI partner. No catch. No fee.
It starts with a survey, the same as any move. The mover works out how much space your goods need, then packs and lists everything on collection day. Your belongings go into sealed storage containers at the depot, each one logged, so the firm knows exactly what is held and where.
While your things are in storage, you carry on with the rest of the move, sorting visas, flights and a place to live in Australia. There is no rush on the shipping. When you are ready, you simply tell the mover, and the same stored load is transferred into a shipping container without being unpacked and repacked.
From there it is a standard international move: the container sails to Australia, clears customs and biosecurity, and is delivered to your new address. Because one company has handled your goods from your UK door, through storage, to Australia, there are fewer handovers and fewer chances for things to go astray.
Storage isn't for every move, but in these situations it saves money and stress.
You leave your UK home before the shipment sails, or before your Australian place is ready.
You go out ahead to settle in, then send your belongings once you've found a home.
Storage buys time to sort, sell and decide, so you only ship what you really want.
Sale and purchase dates don't match, so your goods need a safe place in the meantime.
These are a guide, not a quote. Storage is priced by how much space you use and how long you keep it, so a small load for a few weeks is cheap, while a full house for months adds up. Your matched mover gives a clear weekly or monthly rate after a survey.
Per storage container, weekly
About £10 to £25
Cheapest for an onward shipment.
You hold the key, weekly
About £20 to £50+
Varies by size and location.
A few weeks
Low weekly cost
Often a small part of the move.
Several months
Monthly rates apply
Ask about a longer-term price.
A little prep before things go into storage saves money and smooths the shipping that follows. Since the same load will head to Australia, it pays to think ahead about biosecurity and what you really want to keep.
Once you land, your spending switches to Australian dollars, code AUD, so it helps to plan the exchange while your goods are still in storage. Steer clear of airport desks, where the rates are worst. Set a specialist like Wise or XE against your bank, and look at opening an AUD account before you fly. The GBP to AUD rate changes daily, so check XE.com near the time you transfer. Just so it's clear, we match removals and we don't 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.
Usually timing. You might leave your UK home before your Australian one is sorted, fly out first and ship later, or want to declutter before you commit to a shipping volume. Storage bridges the gap, keeping your things safe in the UK until you are ready to send them, so you are not paying to ship things you haven't decided on yet.
With container storage, the mover packs your goods into sealed wooden storage containers at their depot, and you don't visit them day to day. With self-storage, you rent a unit you can access yourself. For an international move, container storage is usually cheaper and tidier, since the same firm can store and then ship the very same load.
Container storage often runs about £10 to £25 per storage container each week, while a self-storage unit might be £20 to £50 or more a week depending on size and location. The cost follows how much you store and for how long. Your matched mover gives a clear weekly or monthly figure after a survey.
Yes, and that is the neat part. A removal partner can pack your goods, hold them in storage, and later load the exact same load into a container for Australia. Handling everything once means less lifting, fewer hands on your belongings, and one company responsible from your front door to your new home.
As long as you need, from a week or two to many months. Most movers charge by the week or month, so short gaps stay cheap and longer stays are easy to extend. Tell your mover roughly how long you expect to store, and they can suggest the most cost-effective option.
Storage insurance is usually offered as a separate cover, and it is worth taking. It protects your goods against loss or damage while they are held, based on a valued inventory. Check whether your shipping insurance can run on from storage straight through the voyage, so there is no gap in cover at any stage.
Often, yes, though it depends on how your goods are stored. Sealed container storage is harder to dip into than a self-storage unit you can walk into. If you think you'll need access, say so at the survey, and your mover can store the things you might want separately so they are easy to reach.
It pays to. Both storage and shipping are priced by volume, so the less you keep, the less you pay twice over. Sort before it goes into storage, sell or give away what you won't want in Australia, and you store and ship only what truly earns its place. A clear-out now saves money at both ends.
We are a free matching service, not a remover or storer. Tell us you need UK storage before your Australian move, and we connect you with one vetted FIDI-certified mover who offers both. They survey, store and later ship your goods. There's no charge to you and nothing to commit to.
Storing your life's belongings is a matter of trust, so the movers we match you with all hold FIDI FAIM, the international moving industry's quality standard. It is awarded after an independent Ernst and Young audit covering more than 200 points, including how goods are stored and tracked, and renewed every three years. Your things are logged, sealed and looked after.
International Removals Companies has matched movers since November 2010, at no cost to you. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, company 07425576, ICO ZB022743. Norman House, Saint Saviours Estate, Abbey Street, London, SE1 3DH. Working Member of AGM Group since 2010.
Tell us roughly what you'll store, for how long, your UK collection postcode and your likely Australian destination. We pair you with one FIDI-certified partner who can store your goods securely and ship the same load when the time is right.
Get a Storage and Shipping QuoteFree matching. One FIDI-certified mover. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, since November 2010.
We connect UK storage and onward 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.
Storage rates, insurance, transit times and customs paperwork are confirmed by your partner mover before booking.