AnalysisMoving overseas · Cut the volume, not the cover
What is the cheapest way to move internationally, once volume is the unit?
An overseas move is priced on cubic metres, so the cheapest move is the one with fewest of them. Published bands ran $1,500 to $3,000 for a shared container and $6,000 to $12,000 for a three-bedroom household as read on 07/25-26/2026. The gap between those is mostly volume, and volume is the one input you control completely — before the survey, not after it. The one thing not worth cutting is the liability option, because the default pays 60 cents a pound.
The four ways a household crosses an ocean
| Method | Sold as | Published band | Wait before sailing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared container (groupage) | Per CBM | $1,500-3,000 | A week or more, to fill |
| Own 20-foot container | Per container | Mid-range | Vessel schedule |
| Own 40-foot container | Per container | $6,000-12,000 for a full household | Vessel schedule |
| Air freight | Chargeable weight | Several times ocean | Days |
Groupage is cheapest at low volume and carries the same consolidation waits and CFS charges as any other LCL shipment. That is the trade, and it is worth making knowingly.
Cutting volume is the only lever that moves both bands
Every cubic metre removed before the survey comes off the quote. Furniture is where the volume actually is: a sofa, a mattress and a wardrobe together often outweigh everything in the kitchen by cubic metres, and all three are frequently cheaper to replace at destination than to ship.
The order that works: decide what is genuinely irreplaceable, price replacement of the bulky rest at the destination, then survey what is left. Surveying first and cutting afterwards produces a revised quote and a renegotiation rather than a smaller move.
Groupage against your own box, at the same volume
The saving from sharing is not the whole difference between the two bands, because groupage carries costs a sole-use container does not.
| Shared container | Own container | |
|---|---|---|
| Priced on | Cubic metres | The box |
| Wait before sailing | A week or more, to fill | Vessel schedule |
| Destination CFS handling | $15-165 per CBM | None |
| Free time | Often runs on the whole consignment | Yours alone |
| Another consignee's customs hold | Delays your goods | Cannot happen |
At 10 to 15 cubic metres the two frequently converge once the CFS line is added. Below that groupage wins clearly; above it, a 20-foot box usually does. What each line of a full quote contains is set out separately under what an overseas move is priced on, and the duty exemption for used household goods — which exists in most markets and is automatic in none — is claimed with documents rather than granted by default.
The one thing not to economise on
The standard liability included in most international moving contracts is released value at 60 cents per pound per article. A 40-pound television is covered for $24 whatever it cost. Full value protection is priced separately and obliges the mover to repair, replace or pay current value.
Between a groupage saving of a few hundred dollars and a liability gap of several thousand, the arithmetic is not close. Cut cubic metres, not cover.
Where this goes next
Three pages carry the rest of this question: the number behind it, the comparison of whoever would do it, and the check that runs before you pay.
- where the freight quote stops and the invoice continues — the figure behind it
- how the mover lists are assembled — who does it
- the licence and bond behind the company name — check the licence
Two neighbouring pieces sit closer to this one than any of them: and why the average is the wrong number, and How to negotiate with a freight forwarder.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to move internationally?
A shared container at $1,500-3,000 for a small household, against $6,000-12,000 for a three-bedroom load in its own box. Cutting volume before the survey is what moves either figure.
Is it cheaper to ship furniture or buy new?
Bulky furniture is frequently cheaper to replace at destination than to ship, because it carries the most cubic metres per item. Price replacement before the survey rather than after.
What is the cheapest way to move things internationally?
By sea, in the largest shared unit your volume justifies, with the inventory cut first. Air freight prices on chargeable weight and runs several times higher.
At what volume does groupage stop being cheaper?
Usually between 10 and 15 cubic metres, once the destination CFS charge at $15-165 per CBM is added. Below that a shared container wins clearly; above it, a 20-foot box of your own usually does.
Should I take the extra insurance?
The default released-value liability pays 60 cents per pound per article, so a $2,000 item is covered for a fraction of its value. Full value protection is the line worth keeping.
Sources
- Published vendor bands for shared-container and full-household international moves, read 07/25-26/2026. Ranges, not medians.
- US household goods rules — released value at 60 cents per pound per article.
- SeaRates measurement of 27 pages ranking for international moving company queries, 07/25-26/2026.