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Shipping household goods

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NemesisDBA
  5/20/2016 10:14 EST

Has anyone shipped a container of household goods from Seattle, WA recently (2015 or 2016)? I want recent info since anything older would probably be outdated.

We are going to be retiring and will be moving to the Philippines. We don't have one place locked down yet as we are considering a few different locations.

I'm sure prices can vary a lot, but I am just trying to get a feel for what it might cost to ship household goods and maybe even a car.

Thanks in advance

CMike357
  5/21/2016 15:23 EST

I have not shipped a container, but I did some checking a year or so back. I can't remember the company I got a quote from, but it was from one of the links on this forum. I have researched it quite a bit and have decided that there is nothing we have here that I want to ship there, at least not in that quantity. Some things to be aware of are, brokerage fees, import taxes, storage fees, and transportation from the port to your residence. Make sure all of these things are included in your quote. Also, importing a car is very expensive, unless you qualify for some sort of an exemption. We plan on just purchasing there and if we can't find it there we will have our daughters send it to us via a bilikbian(sp) box.

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NemesisDBA
  5/21/2016 15:50 EST

We have some stuff and no, we won't be shipping a car. I have a 12' fishing kayak and it's just a bit to large to take on a plane (already checked).

We will look at the cost of buying new to shipping to determine if it's cost effective. We still have 3 years, but it's never to early to start checking.

Thanks for the info.

zenweasel
  5/22/2016 08:47 EST

LBC will ship a Balikbayan box from anywhere in the US to anywhere in the Philippines for $45 flat rate. The catch is that it takes about 6-8 weeks to arrive but it got here and it's cheap. (this was last November from LA to Laguna)

Also make sure you itemize every single thing in that box that you care about and seal it *really* well.

ACEPoolPlayer
  5/22/2016 09:13 EST

Not "anywhere in the U.S." You must have an LBC location near you....

charkee
  5/22/2016 09:58 EST

My brother sent me a balikbayan box March 3, from California. It cost $80 and its still not here. May 22.

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charkee
  5/26/2016 02:29 EST

I just received my balikbayan box. It weighed over 100 lbs. (there is no weight limit, it's the size that counts.

It took 85 days and well I got all kinds of things that I didn't want. There was even a package of corn tortillas and they still look good???? Maybe the ship took the arctic route? Good though I didn't get a tube of melted ice cream, but he sent a jar of vasoline and it melted all over inside the box and made everything greasy.

catabisis
  5/26/2016 03:18 EST

Did a family member pack it for you, or did you pay a shipper to pack it?

trappedinhell
  5/26/2016 05:59 EST

@charkee - Make some Adobo or Asado buritto or tacos with those tortillas. Just add some chopped tomatoes, onions, & cilantros. I've been doing it for years when I feel like eating Fil Mex cuisine. Those tortillas are "gold" here. Fresh Jalapenos is another rare thing here. Vendors here think Jalapenos are the smaller version of the US green peppers.

ron503
  5/26/2016 07:04 EST

I've made some inquiries about container shipment to MNL about 2 years ago. It will cost approximately $7K for 20ft container, unlimited weight. The car shipment is $5K, unfortunately the taxes for both shipment will cost you arm and a both legs. The way customs value your taxes for your car is by Kelley bluebook, the price of the car is the tax. So, if your car is worth $25K, your tax is $25K, yep that's right in $$.
we've decided to ship the essentials by balikbayan boxes, that was 18-20 boxes, the rest was sold through garage sales. TV, and other electrical items is best bought in the Phil, because of the voltage difference, warranty etc.

lblampman
  5/26/2016 07:17 EST

Hi NemesisDBA,

I moved here from Whidbey Island (north of Seattle for those wondering) last October but I didn't ship anything over.

While that's not helpful information what might be is that there's probably not a lot (once you were here for awhile) that you'd want to ship over. Well, maybe the kayak but there are kayaks here as well.

Otherwise, nothing that I had in my home in Washington was of much use to me here. Almost everything electrical needs 115-volts and it's 220-volts here (though the receptacles are often the same, so be careful). Most everything I had in the states was too big to fit in the homes here (unless you're going for a large "western-style" home). Even the typical queen size bed here is shorter (at 75") and the US-sized queen bed I had wouldn't even fit in the bedroom.

Nothing in the way of US appliances would work in the two homes I've lived in.

The only thing (maybe) I wished I had sent over in a Balikbayan box was clothing. I'm not a really big guy at 5' 9" and about 200 pounds but whereas I wear a large (sometimes a medium) in the US, even XL here is too small and XXL is hard to find (and sometimes it's too small as well). Pants are even worse than shirts.

On the other hand, until I had been here awhile I wouldn't have known what other clothing to send over anyway and it's all worked itself out in the almost 8 months I've been here.

I have to admit, I don't miss much stuff from the US, I like the simpler way of life I have now. That said, it's a very personal choice.

Les

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charkee
  5/26/2016 07:35 EST

@catabisbis, my brother packed it for me. A banana box full of books I don't need packed in a 24X 24.. He gets confused easily and I asked him not to send those and the books I wanted didn't come. Next time he'll get it right.

He is the highest level HAM radio operator and told me that I didn't need a converter for my battery charger. 10 seconds it blew and filled the house with smoke.

ACEPoolPlayer
  5/26/2016 08:00 EST

Les,
I lived in the Philippines for a long time but I'd travel home to New York state every year to visit my parents. Whenever I came home the only real things I'd buy were t-shirts, underwear, good white socks, shoes/sandals/. It's not easy to find good quality cotton material in the Philippines. Definitely size is a problem for shoes and cloths.

NemesisDBA
  5/26/2016 08:39 EST

This is great info. I think we would just send balikbayan boxes and just replace all the electronics. A container wouldn't be worth it IMO. Just glad I'm looking into it now. We will be visiting the Philippines next March to check it out (again) so we know the different places and maybe decide on which place we like best.

NemesisDBA
  5/26/2016 09:12 EST

lblampman,

I like your take on things and I agree, I can live without most stuff I have (except my fishing gear). I checked and there is a Hobie dealer in Makati and I'll be checking it out when we visit in March. I just might leave my Hobie in the states and just buy another one.At lease I'll know what to buy to get it set up before I get there.

-Mark

CAspacecowboy
  5/26/2016 19:08 EST

Doesn't anyone use power converters? Most of the "family's" bahay's have converters for 110. About a year ago we fot a $US10K quote for SF departure, including delivery. But we were not yet ready until I get the SRRV. Between the savings there and that she is dual citizen, we should be OK on customs taxes. But the rub will be how long will it sit in Customs???? Will not ship vehicles, will buy there.

lblampman
  5/26/2016 19:48 EST

CAspacecowboy,

Yes, of course there are converters, but they're primarily intended for small items, not large appliances.

That said, I still (just as a personal opinion) wouldn't spend the money to ship appliances from the US to the Philippines. They weren't designed for the overall environment (different voltage, low voltage, space available, etc).

Very few homes I've been in have had the room for something like a washer and dryer, for instance. The space allowed for a refer usually is not as large as the typical refer here (I bought a "big" refer here as compared to average and it's 8 cu.ft., as compared to what? 19 to 21 cu. ft. in the US?)

If you ship a bunch of small kitchen appliances then you have to always have the converter available and make sure and use it. One of the biggest issues I would have is that the typical 115-volt US plug fits perfectly into the typical 220-volt Philippine receptacle, and if that happens by mistake...poof!

The average Filipino kitchen is nothing like a US kitchen. Most of the time there's not a range (cooktop and oven), just a space on the counter for a propane fueled cooktop (think "camping stove"). Often there's not even space allowed for a US style range.

Most (not all) homes have an outdoor (but covered) laundry area with a tiled or concrete floor where the laundry is done by hand then hung out to dry. I bought a small Filipino sized washing machine but it's not like a US machine at all. There are no hookups for a typical US washer or dryer (actually, I've not seen a dryer since I got here). The small washer I got connects to the water faucet in the laundry area and since there's a drain in the floor that's where the discharge water flows out.

In my opinion, the living difference here in the Philippines is just so great (compared to the US) that I wouldn't ship anything at all unless you've already been here and spent enough time to really get a sense of what kind of place you'd likely rent and/or buy.

I think most people would find that it's easier and less expensive to just purchase new appliances and furniture once you're here. Now, truthfully, that comment is aimed at the average US working person with production furniture and the like. If you have really high-end custom furniture and will be living in a high-end home in the Philippine that's a different situation.

I live in a small (about 60 square meter, or 645 sq. ft.) 3-bedroom home, which by Filipino standards is quite nice (though not "uppity"). My rent is P5,000 (about $108) per month. My 8 cu.ft. Panasonic refrigerator was about P12,000 (~$260). The washing machine was a bit less. I did end up with space in the house for a range (though I wouldn't do it again) and that also cost around P12,000. When I set up my home here (with furniture, appliances, beds, etc) came to less than P100,000 (about $2,200). Of course, you can spend a lot more, so a lot of your choice will be based on your personal situation (standard of living). Just know that it could be (probably will be) significantly different in the Philippines.

Also, if your wife is a dual citizen (actually holds Philippine citizenship) then you don't need an SSRV. I married here and it's much less expensive and easier to get a 13a Permanent Resident visa. Your situation may preclude that but just thought I'd bring it up in case you weren't aware of it.

Sorry this got so wordy, I hope it's helpful.

Les

CAspacecowboy
  5/31/2016 14:49 EST

Have been coming for visits up to 3 weeks since 2008 along with my GF (not married) since then. Converters can be in many sizes and capacities, depending on need. If one is in a Bahay Kubo then they may not be appropriate. But in the family homes from the provinces to cities, we use many different sizes. Thanks and cheers.

charkee
  6/1/2016 02:26 EST

The european type converters need an adaptor in the Philippines.

CoolICEPhilippines
  2/9/2019 17:43 EST

I am interested in finding a carrier or shipper from Anchorage, Alaska, but the cost of shipping goods is very expensive,,,what is LBC?

Paminta
  10/21/2019 08:13 EST

Why would anyone want to ship their stuff to the Philippines when they decide to move there? What I think you should do is keep you stuff, put it in storage,. I say this because what happens if down the road at some point you have to/need to move back to your home country, and you have shipped all your stuff to the Philippines? Now you have to buy everything that you shipped out, and how expensive ie is that going to be? Better just to keep your stuff,and buy what you need in the Philippines.

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