Moving to the UK, importing hardwood floors for house purchase.

um85

I am looking to purchase a house soon, and will be traveling back to Canada to tie up some loose ends soon. I will also be loading a shipping container with my belongings and sending it over. Most of the houses that I've narrowed down to either have a very bad laminate or carpets, and all have carpets on the stairs.

I was around when a family member got a quote for hardwood flooring and it seemed quite expensive for a floor board that i didnt even think was very good quality (i.e the thickness of the wood on top was not very thick). I'm wondering if it would be worth it to purchase the flooring in Canada and just have it come across in the container as there is no extra charge.

Obviously lets assume I know the apx square footage I need

Also is there any other home renovation type items that would be worth bringing across?

shaun_from_Africa

There may well be no extra charge for the shipping but if customs carry out a check when the container arrives in the UK, you may well find that you get charged 20% VAT and possibly import duty as well.

When moving to the UK, you are allowed to import personal effects free of import charges but this wouldn't extend to goods recently bought overseas and imported as new.

There is a good possibility that HMCE wouldn't notice or care, but if you allow for charges, it won't come as a shock if it does happen.

Le_Kirk

Check also that there are no restrictions on importing wood, you might need certification proving it is free from any sort of infestation - not that you would deliberately buy infested wood.

I remember from my working days when I had to export machinery, all the timber had to be treated and certified as such and that was just for packing cases!

um85

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

There may well be no extra charge for the shipping but if customs carry out a check when the container arrives in the UK, you may well find that you get charged 20% VAT and possibly import duty as well.

When moving to the UK, you are allowed to import personal effects free of import charges but this wouldn't extend to goods recently bought overseas and imported as new.

There is a good possibility that HMCE wouldn't notice or care, but if you allow for charges, it won't come as a shock if it does happen.

I honestly never even thought about that. I was just assuming that the container would just get sent to my new house.

Le_Kirk wrote: »

Check also that there are no restrictions on importing wood, you might need certification proving it is free from any sort of infestation - not that you would deliberately buy infested wood.

I remember from my working days when I had to export machinery, all the timber had to be treated and certified as such and that was just for packing cases!

Good point on the wood restrictions, I should check to see if there are any bans on types of wood etc..

Thanks for all the great points.

macman

How are you planning to accommodate a 20ft container at your new home? It will need to go to a handling agent and the contents unpacked, it will then need to go onto a truck for delivery.

um85

macman wrote: »

How are you planning to accommodate a 20ft container at your new home? It will need to go to a handling agent and the contents unpacked, it will then need to go onto a truck for delivery.

They include delivery of the container directly to our house, we just need to hire movers to unload. If the container wont fit the company unloads into a moving fan and delivers, again we have to pay for movers to unload.

The street is quite wide, so I'm assuming a truck hauling a 20ft container has enough space. Worst case it will be a moving truck, we dont even have a full 20ft containers worth of stuff anyways.

googler

What if you measure up, bring the wood over, and your installer or yourself finds that you're a couple of square feet short once you've cut it all to size ... and you can't get the same stuff locally?

I know, I know - glass three-quarters empty.

um85

googler wrote: »

What if you measure up, bring the wood over, and your installer or yourself finds that you're a couple of square feet short once you've cut it all to size ... and you can't get the same stuff locally?

I know, I know - glass three-quarters empty.

I would definitely be worried about that also. I'd take a plan of the house and get multiple quotes around how much square footage I need then ask what amount would be playing it (VERY) safe. Worst case we just skip laying wood under any furniture :rotfl:

um85

Quizzical_Squirrel wrote: »

Theoretically I can't see a problem with it as long as it doesn't look newly-bought. We've put many an odd thing in a shipping container.
In practice, I think you could get something very similar in the Uk and you'd know you had the right quantity.

Be warned that if your container gets pulled for checks, customs can really do a number on your possessions. We've had a lot of stuff stolen and stuff deliberately damaged (by US customs not UK though) and it was blatant and shocking.

So don't spend too much because there is a risk of breakage or theft.

Yeah i suppose i just need to price it out, but what I saw at the mid-level price range here I could get almost solid oak planks back home already stained.

I would be a little sad if they get deliberately damaged, that would be quite the setback. But your right I could just have an invoice made saying they were purchased a year previous to my moving or something.

Im really surprised to hear that US customs had ruffled through your stuff and damaged it, i would have been absolutely furious.