Why Choose White & Company?
Planning to move to California in the near future? Here’s just a few of the reasons why you should consider choosing White & Company as your designated removals specialist:
- offices & storage depots in the USA & UK
- door-to-door packing & removals
- founder member of BAR & FIDI
- Members of OMNI
- award winning service
- established in the UK since 1871
- fully insured
- dedicated team of trained professionals
- tailored removals package
We’re members of the British Association of Removers, FIDI & OMNI and have been providing removal and shipping services to destinations all over the world for over 145 years.
Contact White & Company today and let us take the strain out of your house move to California, USA.
Reasons to move to California:
With 39.5 million residents across a total area of about 163,696 square miles, California is the most populous state across the whole of the USA. Stretching along the west coast of the USA for nearly 840 miles, it is home to many major cities including its capital Sacramento.
As a result of the ‘Golden States’ diversity and migration, it is a hot bed of amazing cultures, you will find a wide range of people, languages, traditions, arts and music awaiting you if you decide to relocate here. Often described as enjoying a freewheeling, fun-loving lifestyle, California epitomises the ‘American Dream’ and is a great place to live and work.
Deciding where to live will be tough choice. There has always been strong competition between Southern and Northern California or (NorCal and SoCal). Each gives its residents something different. NorCal offers some of the best cuisine in the county but SoCal’s renowned Mexican food is on another level. The South side has almost 365 days of sunshine whilst North tends to have a little cooler and wetter.
Seen as a destination for trendsetters in the music industry, California has produced some fantastic home-grown talents such as the Beach Boys, Katie Perry, Will.i.am and Gwen Stafani.
Hollywood is still synonymous with the silver screen and has produced many famous figures, Ben Affleck and Arnold Schwarzenegger were both born in California. And of course, the state is home to the most magical place children can visit, Disneyland!
Long gone are the Gold Rush days when men flocked to work the gold rich rivers and valleys. Today, if you are moving for work, there are some incredible opportunities. California has the largest economy of any US state with Hollywood, Silicon Valley, manufacturing, and agriculture all making significant contributions to its vast economy.
Are you moving with children? If its great education that’s most important to you, the Golden State has this in abundance. Offering a choice of over 400 colleges and universities, California has education wrapped up.
For recreational activities the state is hard to beat. Residents have access to several national and state parks and stunning beaches where surfing is more of a religion than a way of life. Enjoying the great outdoors in California. You can enjoy walks, hiking, cycling, fishing, climbing and much more, all of which providing a range of free entertainment possibilities.
California itself has some hugely popular attractions with museums, theatres, shopping, eating out and wine tasting just a few of the recreational activities available.
With all options covered with regards to education, work, lifestyle, weather and entertainment, it is no surprise that so many people from the UK and globally seek to relocate to this amazing part of the world.
Moving to California
When you talk about the State of California the first thing most people think of is the thriving film industry and year-round sunshine, but the state has so much more to offer its residents.
As the largest economy of any U.S. state, California boasts a diverse economy amounting to 3 trillion dollars of output in 2018, higher than the whole of the United Kingdom!
Diverse both in population and geography, the amazing State of California has an abundance of history, culture and natural beauty.
If you are thinking of relocating here, you will not be alone as thousands of Brits make this momentous decision every year.
Export Packing & Wrapping Service
When the client has accepted the quoted price and a move date has been secured, the vehicle and removal team will arrive at residence.
The removal team will proceed to export pack and wrap all items being transported in special breathable bubble wrap.
Special made-to-measure wooden creates can also be used for difficult to move or fragile items.
Customs Clearance
Our dedicated team in the UK & USA will ensure all the relevant paperwork and customs clearance is processed correctly.
They will arrange the unloading and unpacking of your household goods ready for checks or inspections.
Once your belongings have cleared customs, you will be contacted to discuss a convenient time to deliver them if not already agreed.
Storage Facilities
White & Company offers secure containerised storage facilities via its own depots. We have 19 strategically placed storage facilities throughout the UK to choose from.
Our partners in the USA can also off your storage facilities should you require them.
Insurance for Removals to the state of California
Despite our best efforts sometimes items get damaged or things go amiss. White & Company always try to minimise problems during the moving process. That’s why we offer limited liability insurance.
Marine insurance is a key consideration when shipping overseas. We recommend you consider protecting your valuable personal possessions while in transit or storage with our ‘All Risk’ Marine Standard Liability cover.
Marine Insurance Cover is offered to you on receipt of a completed Overseas Valuation Form. Such insurance cover is ‘Comprehensive’ and ‘All Risk’ and is based on the values as declared by you on the Overseas Valuation Form.
Moving to California? Get a removals quote
Property
Property in California is, on average, significantly more expensive than in the US as a whole. This is partly down to the desirability of living in California. Additional factors include; limited homes for sale, persistent demand, very low unemployment and a steady economic growth, all of which have impacted property prices.
The average cost of purchasing a property across California is £430,362 ($556,815). This shows an increase of 1.8% in the past twelve months, certainly a promising sign. If you have decided that renting is the best option for you, a much more common choice in the USA, you can expect average costs of £2,164 ($2,800) per month.
Doing your homework is key to a successful purchase. Even though the process for buying a home is similar throughout the USA, there are anomalies state to state. Make sure you hire a reputable “buyer’s agent” who will have significant knowledge of local neighbourhoods as well as the unfamiliar legalities you may need to traverse.
With so many famous and desirable locations in the state, choosing where to live is the real conundrum. Each district in the state has a unique flavour and feeling that sets it apart from its neighbouring one. Some of the cheaper areas include Oxnard, Ventura and Camarillo.
Whilst more expensive real estate is centred around the familiar names of Bel Air, Beverly Hills and Malibu. The coastal strip of southern California, lined with palm trees and overlooking the Pacific Ocean, are hugely attractive for anyone contemplating a move to America’s west coast, this is where prime real estate is located.
Niche is an excellent tool when deciding where to live. They have compiled data based on crime, public schools, cost of living, job opportunities, and local amenities for each neighbourhood.
Providing shipping to California
Jobs market
The state of California has some of the most exciting and best paid work opportunities anywhere in the USA. It has an incredible powerhouse of an economy, larger than global countries such as China, Mexico, Spain, Japan and Germany. If California was its own country, it would have the sixth largest economy in the world!
It makes sense to do some research to ensure there are jobs available in your field before well before you begin the visa process. The five largest sectors of employment in California are trade, transportation, government, professional and business services, education and health services and leisure and hospitality, with the largest sector being financial services.
Silicon Valley in northern California is a huge employer. 250,000 people work in the IT sector and the HQ’s of 40 of the Fortune 1000 corporations are based here.
Among the best paid jobs in California are Psychiatrists, Anaesthesiologists and Surgeons. Meanwhile, the fastest growing demand is for wind turbine technicians, miners, roofers and web developers. This indicates the true diversity of the job market across the region.
Researching what type of jobs are available and in what sectors, will give you a good idea as to whether your particular skills are sought after and if they are transferable.
Visit some of the most popular job sites to find out if your skills are in demand currently:
Indeed – https://www.indeed.com
Jobbatical – https://jobbatical.com
Removals to the state of California
Now that you’ve hopefully decided to settle down and move to California it’s time to figure out how to get there.
California has long been the expat destination of choice with thousands making the move each year.
During this time White & Company has positioned itself as the international removals firm of choice for all Removals to USA.
Weekly removals services to the USA with full load consignments can take your belongings direct from point A to B or part loads that are delivered shortly after your arrival.
Shipping can take anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks. From arrival at the nearest port of entry to the additional time taken for the clearing of customs and quarantine.
Storage offered either at our secure facilities based in the UK or through our industry partners in the USA.
To find out more about how we could get your dream move to America underway don’t hesitate to give us a call today.
Alternatively fill out a quick quote form or chat to our Bot and we’ll get in touch with you straight away.
Read Our Moving Guide
Want to learn everything there is to know about moving to USA from the UK? Then read our recently published blog post that details the top 50 emigrating facts before you cross the pond!
Schools
If you are planning to relocate with children, one of the most important decisions you will face is education. Researching schools well in advance of your arrival is a wise choice. You may even decide to plan your move around the best possible educational opportunities for your kids.
California’s open enrolment policy allows for you to send your child to any school within your home district. That said, there are often waiting lists for international or religiously affiliated schools so being ahead of the game will be imperative.
Generally, you will find that education standards are excellent in California. However, understanding the system takes a little adjustment. Seeking advice from your employer, or other expats who already have children in school will be a great help. There are also plenty of useful websites out there with all sorts of valuable information.
California offers a host of schools from entry level of kinder garden to high school all the way up to university level. Prior to higher education, American students attend primary (elementary) and secondary school (high School) for a combined total of 12 years. These years are referred to as the first through to twelfth grades.
With regards to university level study, the state comes into its own. California boasts the biggest public university system in the country. Stanford, California Institute of Technology, University of California-Berkeley, and Pomona College are just some of the top colleges and universities located here. Not only do students from all over the country flock here for a place at these prestigious Uni’s, many travel from all over the world to attend.
Living costs
It is difficult to make a direct comparison to the cost of living in the UK. You will find some day to day expenses in California cost more than at home and some less. However, with the average salary a staggering 40% higher than London, expats find that the cost of living works out very similar to home.
Groceries can be as much as a third more expensive, however when it comes to bills, the cost of basic utilities such as (electricity, heating, air conditioning, water and waste collection) is 40% cheaper when compared to a region like London. The cost of eating out, a much more common culture in California, is 30% less when compared to the capital of the UK.
If you intend to run a car, commute to work via train, bus or taxi, costs are also much more reasonable. For a litre of fuel, you will pay around 94p compared to £1.60 in some places in the UK. This is certainly a big saving.
You could find yourself spending a fortune visiting some of the local attractions, especially if you have a family. It is good to know that there are cheaper alternatives, with many places across the state having attractions which are free to experience.
Several web sites advertise a pick of some of the best “free of charge” things to do in California, here are a couple of popular ones:
For further information visit some the following websites:
What Others Say…
Wayne Middleton and Brian Witherford were professional and extremely helpful. Did a brilliant job. Would recommend Whites to anyone. Thanks very much.
Have used this company regularly for 5 years including my time in the armed forces. They are professional and efficient. Will use them again on our next move.
The move went very smoothly and they were very polite.
A very smooth move by White and Co. The team worked very hard and were polite, professional and helpful.