Considering a Move to the USA?

Moving to the USA from the UK

Abels Moving Services has provided discreet export packing and shipping for over 50 years. We work with discerning families and professionals who are moving to the USA.

The USA: Geography and States

The USA sits in the middle of North America. The country consists of 50 states and a federal district. The 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. sit between Canada and Mexico. Alaska sits to the west of Canada, and Hawaii is a series of islands in the mid-Pacific.

The USA covers around 3.80 million square miles. That makes it the world’s fourth-largest country by total area, and third-largest by population.

Population and Major Metro Areas

Around 343 million people live in the USA. Nine metropolitan areas have populations of over 5 million. These are New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Miami, and Atlanta.

The US Economy

The USA’s key exports include computers and electrical machinery, and vehicles. Also significant: chemical products, food and live animals, and military equipment and aircraft.

Places to Visit

Worth exploring once you’ve settled in: Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. The Grand Canyon in Arizona is a must too. Also worth a visit: Times Square and the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, New York City. The Las Vegas Strip in Nevada rounds out the list.

Planning Your Move

Talk to a specialist international removal company before you move to the USA. At Abels, we want you to feel confident about your move abroad. We give you a range of reputable resources to help you plan.

To speak with an advisor, call or email us today for more information specific to your move.

When you get in touch, we’ll give you the resources to make a formal enquiry. We’ll also give you a precise overview of the regulations involved, so your move to the USA goes as smoothly as possible. This also covers the approach we take to a thorough, premium, end-to-end moving service.

Once you book with Abels, you’ll meet your Customer Liaison Move Coordinator. They manage the booking, organisation and day-to-day details of your move to the USA.

Export Packing

Export packing is essential for your belongings when moving to the USA. Our expert packing services give you bespoke guidance for exporting and shipping goods to the USA.

Export packing protects your items in transit. It accounts for environmental impacts using water-resistant materials and additional packaging. This also meets the requirements for shipping goods from the UK.

A domestic move by road needs less protection. A journey of thousands of miles in a 20ft or 40ft container needs far more. Your items get handled multiple times on that journey. They’re wrapped, loaded, and driven to port. They’re then lifted on and off the stack, and loaded onto the vessel. The same happens again in reverse at the other end. Robust export packing matters throughout.

We use the highest quality export materials throughout. We choose these to withstand a long export journey, not just a short domestic one. Containers stack up to two metres high in transit. Cartons at the bottom need to hold their shape and protect their contents for the whole journey.

Fine Art & Specialist Packing Services

Fine art needs particular care. Shipments to the USA involving valuable or delicate pieces call for enhanced export packing and careful handling throughout. This includes paintings, grandfather clocks, barometers, and chandeliers. In many cases, we build bespoke cases specifically for the item to give the highest level of protection. Find out more about moving antiques, fine art and valuables.

Our team trains specifically to handle specialist goods abroad, with the care and precision these items need. Explore our moving advice for further reassurance ahead of your move.

Airfreight

The USA has many international airports. The main ones include Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Denver International Airport (DEN), John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT).

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta is the world’s busiest airport by passenger volume, handling around 106 to 108 million passengers a year. LAX is the second-largest of the two, handling around 74 million passengers a year.

Sea transit typically takes 8 to 9 weeks door to door, so consider airfreight for anything you need sooner. Security restrictions mean airfreighted goods need professional packing rather than owner-packed cartons. We load them into heat-treated modules of various sizes, with waterproof covering for extra protection. Allow around 2 weeks door to door for airfreight. This accounts for UK and US security and customs checks before delivery.

See more on airfreight shipments.

Customs Information

Import and export rules govern personal items and household goods entering the USA. Your Abels Move Manager will give you tailored guidance through this part of the process.

You’ll need specific documentation for customs clearance. The exact requirements depend on your personal circumstances, and our team will talk you through these ahead of your move. Explore the FIDI Customs Guide for the USA for further background before your move consultation with the Abels team.

Shipping Services

We ship larger volumes and full house moves in a 20ft or 40ft container. Where access allows, we load the container outside your residence, so you can see our team’s care and skill first-hand. We seal the container with our uniquely numbered bolt seals. Where access doesn’t suit a container of this size, we load goods at our warehouse instead (you’re welcome to attend). Or we use a shuttle truck between your home and the container.

Some shipping lines offer low-cost freight at the expense of container quality and transit time. Abels sources containers through an organisation that secures A1-class containers on our behalf. These arrive without fractures, dry, clean, odour-free, and with a reliably consistent transit time. An odour in the container will transfer to your goods, and any fractures risk water damage.

Smaller volumes travel as LCL (less than container load). We take these to our warehouse and load them into heat-treated wooden crates for shipping.

Transit port to port typically takes 14 to 28 days by sea. Vessels depart the UK weekly to ports including the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Oakland in California, the Port of New York, and the Port of Houston. Door to door, allow around 8 to 9 weeks, depending on weather, strikes, re-routing, vessel availability and customs inspections.

Read more about shipping options when moving abroad.

Destination Services

We choose our destination partners for their accreditations. Most hold the FIDI-FAIM quality award. That means the standard you experience with Abels continues right through customs clearance and delivery in the USA.

We notify our destination partner as soon as your container departs the UK. They’ll contact you as delivery approaches and manage customs clearance on your behalf. Once cleared, they’ll arrange your delivery date. This normally includes delivery, unpacking, and set-up of standard furniture (excluding flat-pack items unless agreed). It also covers removal of packaging waste and return of the container to the wharf. Talk to your Abels Customer Service Manager or Customer Liaison if you’d like additional services. This includes a put-away service, cleaning, or settling-in support.

Our destination agents bring local knowledge of import documents, customs clearance and delivery. This keeps your arrival in the USA as smooth as possible.

Wherever your move takes you, we’d like to be the removal company you think of. That means this move, and the next one. If you’re moving to the USA, or anywhere else in the world, get in touch for a removal quotation.

At Abels, we have a dedicated team that will ensure your move abroad is stress-free! Make An Enquiry today regarding your move to the USA.

In conclusion, if you are moving to the USA you are welcome to ask Abels Moving Services to provide you with a removal quotation for your move. If you are moving to another destination other than the USA we would also be glad to assist you with your move.