If your belongings are being shipped, make sure you set aside things that you will need immediately when you arrive in Hong Kong (.ie. clothes, children’s toys etc) for an air-freight shipment.

Make sure you take out insurance on your belongings. Even though it can be fairly expensive, if things do go missing or are damaged it is cheaper than replacing them. Take the time to accurately assess the value of your possessions and check carefully what the insurance will and will not cover.

Although the moving company will normally do this, make your own inventory of items being shipped and double check it.

Take pictures of your possessions before they are packed. If anything is lost or damaged this will help with the insurance claim to show the state of the items were in before they were shipped.

If you have special pieces which are expensive, make sure they are crated. The cost of crating is more expensive but it will give more protection during shipping.

Pack moisture absorption products with your goods as Hong Kong can be very humid, particularly in summer and mildew is common in enclosed spaces.

Most apartments in Hong Kong are generally smaller than where you have probably been living. Therefore, keep in mind what large items of furniture you bring as they may not all fit in your new house/apartment. Many elevators are also too small to accommodate very large pieces. More than likely, you will acquire furniture when you are here, so make sure you have an excuse to start collecting some Chinese antiques.

Although it is cheap to buy electrical goods in Hong Kong , other items can be very expensive. In particular, linen and towels are expensive so make sure you bring these items with you.

Make sure you have the local point of contact in Hong Kong with the moving company so that you can touch base when you arrive and keep check on the progress of your shipment and the co-ordination of delivery to your new apartment.

Customs Duty: Normally a fairly easy and cheap process in Hong Kong as there is no duty on most items. Some items however, such as alcohol are taxed. So be careful if you intend to bring in large quantities of expensive wines. Cars are also subject to import duty of between 40 – 60% depending on the age and original cost of the vehicle.

The power supply in Hong Kong is 220V. This does not adapt with electronic goods from the US . Products from Europe and Australia should be OK and the plugs can be easily changed. Electrical goods are fairly cheap in Hong Kong so you can buy TVs and DVD players when you arrive.