Moving · 7 min
Moving countries forces a triple decision on every object. International shipping is expensive, rebuying at the destination sometimes wins, and storing in your home country can be the cheapest option. How to decide without mistakes.
International shipping charges by volume (m³) or weight, whichever is greater. A shared container to Europe or the US costs, per m³, far more than months of self storage back home. That completely changes the moving math.
The question is no longer 'do I want to take this?'. It's: 'what costs less — ship it, rebuy there, or store it back home?' — and the answer differs for each object.
High value-per-m³ items that are hard to rebuy: documents, jewellery, small high-value electronics, items with voltage/standard compatible with the destination, and anything of irreplaceable sentimental value (photos, small heirlooms).
These take little volume and lose a lot (or are priceless) if left behind.
Large cheap furniture (a $200 shelf costs more than that in shipping alone), appliances with incompatible voltage (110V↔220V, different plugs), and anything bulky and easily rebought at the destination.
A bed, an ordinary sofa, a fridge — it's almost always cheaper to sell at home and rebuy there than to pay transatlantic freight.
Here's the option most people forget: leaving it stored in your home country. It makes sense when the move might be temporary (exchange, 1-2 year contract, 'testing living abroad'), and items have value but don't justify freight.
Self storage at home costs a fraction of international freight. If you return in 2 years, storing can be drastically cheaper than selling everything and rebuying twice (there and on return).
For each item, ask in order:
1. Is it irreplaceable or high-value/low-volume? → Ship it.
2. Is it bulky, cheap and easy to rebuy there? → Sell at home.
3. Has real value, move might be temporary, freight doesn't pay off? → Store at home.
4. Don't use it, no value, no attachment? → Donate/discard before leaving.
The classic expat mistake: shipping ordinary furniture abroad out of attachment, discovering half doesn't fit the new (smaller) apartment, and discarding it there — where discarding large furniture also costs a lot.
Result: paid freight + paid disposal, for furniture worth less than the two costs combined. A cold decision saves thousands.
If part of your decision is to store back home, we find the right self storage in your origin city — near whoever will manage it (family, friend) and with a flexible contract you can end from anywhere in the world.
[Ask our concierge](/en/contact/) with your city and expected timeframe. And run your items through the [Keep or Let Go tool](/en/keep-or-let-go/) to see what's truly worth keeping.