Ship personal effects and household goods from the UK to Australia by sea freight — LCL to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. Door-to-door delivery. 8-14 weeks transit.
Sea freight is significantly cheaper than air cargo for larger volumes of personal effects and household goods. If you are shipping 10 or more boxes, bags, or any household furniture, sea freight from the UK to Australia is likely the most economical method — typically 60-80% less expensive than air cargo per cubic metre.
Australia has the world's strictest biosecurity rules — all wooden items, natural fibres, soil, seeds, food, and used outdoor equipment must be declared at Australian customs. Wooden furniture may require treatment or fumigation at the shipper's cost. We advise on Australian biosecurity requirements at booking.
For smaller volumes or urgent shipments, air cargo from the UK to Australia takes 5-10 working days. Compare air vs sea →
LCL (Less than Container Load) means your personal effects are consolidated with other shippers' cargo in a shared container — you pay only for the cubic metres your goods occupy. LCL is the standard sea freight method for personal effects shipments to Australia for most individuals and families.
As a rough guide: a standard removal box = approximately 0.09 CBM. 30 boxes = approximately 2.7 CBM. A typical family's personal effects consignment of 30 boxes would be a LCL shipment.
The LCL and CBM pricing above applies to bulk and groupage shipments — multiple boxes and household goods consolidated in a shared container. If you are sending one or two individual bags or suitcases door-to-door (subject to your destination) rather than a bulk consignment, these are priced differently, using cubic feet (CUFT) rather than cubic metres, charged on whichever is greater between actual weight and the space occupied.
See our sea freight personal effects guide for a full explanation of the CUFT method, including a worked example. Rates vary by route and are confirmed at the time of your quote — contact us on 0800 096 38 39 or WhatsApp for an accurate price for your luggage.
We collect from homes across the UK for sea freight personal effects shipments to Australia. Key UK communities shipping to Australia:
London (Shepherd's Bush, Clapham, Putney), Brighton (Hove), Edinburgh, Manchester
All goods must be declared at true replacement value. We recommend insuring all sea freight personal effects shipments. Ask us about transit insurance at booking.
Get a quote in minutes, or call our UK-based team on 0800 096 38 39.
Excess Luggage Co. has been shipping personal effects from the UK since 1998 — over 28 years of experience. Operating from MetEx House, 2 miles from Heathrow cargo terminals, we are one of the UK's longest-established specialist luggage freight services. Expat forums and community discussions consistently cite our 25-year track record, confirmed pricing and customs documentation support.
For official customs requirements, import duties and restricted items guidance, visit the Australian Border Force — the official customs authority for Australia. Always verify current requirements before shipping.
Shipping commercially? As well as personal effects, we handle commercial sea freight to Australia — full container load (FCL) and LCL groupage for businesses. LCL is charged on a weight or measure basis, so your dimensions matter as much as your weight. See commercial sea freight from the UK.
Door collection Monday to Friday from any UK address. Select your nearest city for local collection times and details:
Within M25: Mon–Fri 09:30–16:00 • Outside M25: Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00