In Hong Kong, China there are some ferries that have started to harness the solar power technology that has been taken up by some car companies. The Solar Eagle has got a roof full of solar panels and it is hoped that in 50-100 years all ships will have some kind of solar sails.

If the majority of the some 50,000 ships that are involved on a daily basis, shipping goods and products all around the world, can harness the solar power technology that is slowly but surely making its way into the shipping industry then there will be less reliance on fossil fuels thus reducing the carbon footprint coming from the world’s oceans.

There are many companies around the world who will benefit from installing solar panels on their ships. They will be able to lower their costs slightly thanks to the less reliance on fuels, thus bringing more custom through the door which all in all will help a company to expand.

A company like Robinsons International Removals will also benefit from the possibilities that solar power could bring to the table when it comes to shipping.

Well we’re here to give you the correct advice about what you should and shouldn’t be doing.

First of all, you should be 100% sure that you’ve sorted out your finances before you start to think about any kind of move to another country. Not only will you need to be on an even keel, so to speak, but you will also need to have the cash to hand for things like your flight out of the country, your international removals, your short term accommodation and also things like your groceries and car hire.

Lastly, one rather important thing that should be taken into account when you’re moving abroad to places like Australia or New Zealand. You need to have, at the very least, a rough idea about how you will earn, or save up enough money to pay for your lifestyle.

If you’re planning on moving abroad anywhere, then the one thing that you need to bear in mind that organising you removals and shipping is paramount. Whether you’re shipping to Australia from the UK or just over the channel to France, you should contact Robinsons international removals and see what prices they can offer you. Whether it’s a big job or a small job they are sure to offer you the best possible price which all helps you to save more money for when you finally get to your new home.

Cameron Diaz has moved to the UK!

The actress has reportedly hired an international removals firm and upped sticks from America, to move to England.

The 39 year-old, who has starred in famous films “The Mask”, “Shrek”, “Charlie’s Angels” and “There’s Something About Mary”, has moved to London to live alongside the likes of Jude Law and fellow statesider Gywneth Paltrow.

The A-list Hollywood celeb is said to be residing in the star-studded Belsize Park area which is also where pop group N-Dubz live.

A neighbour told a newspaper: “She’s been going to Starbucks a fair bit to get coffee. She’s been walking down the road without a care in the world while blokes have been literally falling over themselves as she strides past. It’s so funny to watch.”

The American has been linked with multiple romances over the years including Matt Dillon, Justin Timberlake and Alex Rodriguez but perhaps the blonde bombshell will find love in the form of a British gentleman?

Whether Diaz is keeping it cool and living alone or hitting the London town in search for an English lad, let’s hope she used some expert shipping America services to transport all her belongings over.

Robinsons International is a specialist shipping company than transports all goods safely, securely and at an affordable rate. Use the trusted international shipping firm today to ship all your possessions if you are considering moving abroad.

And it doesn’t matter where you are emigrating to because they offer worldwide transporting, packing and shipping of antiques and fine furniture. Get in touch today to discuss your international moving needs!

Pic Credit: Flickr, david_shankbone

So if you contemplating moving to the UK in the early start of 2012, start arranging your move today with one of the UK’s leading moving companies- Robinsons International.

We can help you move from anywhere in the world with our expert international removals services. Every move is co-ordinated with a dedicated International Move Manager based in the UK so we can assist from the very early stages right through to the very end.

From packing, transportation, insurance and storage our moving professionals can provide all the support you need and information about tax and customs you need to be aware of when moving the Britain.

We’ve put together some commonly asked questions to help you plan your move to the UK a little bit easier, so ultimately it goes as smooth and stress-free as possible. And we have an essential useful checklist with all the things you need to remember to organise so nothing gets forgotten.

Robinsons can guide you from 5-6 weeks prior to the international move to right up to the moving day which means we can remind you about everything from your visa and passport and travel documents, to travelling with pets.

It is never too early to contact a furniture removal company when you are planning an overseas move but if you are thinking about moving in January, we usually recommend you begin your search at least 12 weeks before to your move.

As for removals costs, the overall price is based on the volume of goods you would like to ship but you can arrange a free quotation with our friendly specialists. So if you are envisaging moving to the UK, get in touch today by clicking here.

A 2011 survey has revealed that Britain has the worst quality of life in Europe due to its high living costs and the second lowest hours of sunshine a year.

The findings showed that the UK has the fourth highest retirement age and the third lowest spend on health.

Furthermore, despite it having above household income, Britons have 5.5 fewer days holiday than the European average.

And what is more, as well as health, the UK sustain below average government spend on education.

The uSwitch study of 10 developed European countries put the UK at the bottom of the rankings as the worst place to live whilst France took the top spot. The United Kingdom even faired shoddier than damaged economies such as Italy and Ireland.

In addition, the research exposed that UK households also struggle with the highest food and diesel prices in Europe, and unleaded petrol, alcohol and cigarettes all costing more than the European average.

As a result, uSwitch reported that 12% of Britons are seriously considering emigrating with 59% saying “broken society” is the biggest concern, followed by crime (49%) and violence (47%).

Of those surveyed, only 5% were happy living in the UK.

As aforementioned, France bagged the top sport for the third year running despite its families earning an average £7,000 less compared to the UK and working longer hours. The French live a year longer than Brits.

The remaining four best European countries to live in for quality of life included Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Germany.

Ship all your belongings and hire a removals expert to move abroad, with the help of Robinsons International.

The 36 year-old, who is currently pregnant with her fourth child, is emigrating to Australia with her husband Harry Kewell and their two daughters, Ruby (8), Matilda (3), and their son Taylor (10).

Her husband Harry, who is originally from Australia, has recently joined the Melbourne Victory football team and the former Emmerdale star is moving the whole family Down under to join him.

Murphy was waved off in style by her WAG friends Coleen Rooney and Alex Gerrard at a leaving party in Liverpool. And her pals treated the mum with bags and bags of generous gifts galore.

As well as the WAGS, there were plenty of celebs present at the party including Coronation Street’s actress Kym Marsh, Hollyoaks’ star Gemma Merna and Sheree’s former co-star Charley Webb.

Despite hiring an international removals firm to transport all the family’s belongings all the way to Australia, Sheree reportedly didn’t look too nervous about the big move.

Robinsons International’s expert shipping Australia services are second-to-none; so if you too are considering moving abroad make sure you use our professional relocation services to ship all your belongings safely and securely.

Moving down under can seem pretty daunting but get the right specialist help from people who know the ropes so you can concentrate your mind on the exciting prospect of a new life in the Aussie sunshine.

For all the information you need on how long it takes to ship all your belongings to Australia, how much it costs and what you can in fact take with you, just ask one of our friendly Move Managers today.

Pic Credit: Pete Goddard/Splash news

The 37 year-old has hired some expert international removals and is leaving the UK to emigrate to America. In an attempt to find just as much success there, the actor has been reportedly house-hunting in Los Angeles.

He said in a radio interview: “I’m moving to the United States to try and make a go of it over there. I’ll split my time and still keep a very small place here. I’ll still be walking my dog in Hyde Park.”

The screenwriter has been starring in an 11 week run of the West End musical Les Miserables and he also voiced the character Benny in the 3D film Gnomeo & Juliet but the celeb now wants to work on more films in the U.S.

Many other British comedians have tried to gain success with American audiences including Russell Brand and Ricky Gervais- so he will definitely be in need of some professional shipping America services to transport all his belongings to his new home.

Robinsons international removal services are both reputable and second-to-none; so get in touch today if like Matt Lucas you are thinking about moving abroad.

There are varying considerations to take into account when moving out of the country, especially with regards to the house, the children, any pets and finances. As a UK national you have the right to live in any European Economic Area (EEA) country- so make sure you have got all the essentials prepared and covered before moving or retiring abroad.

Finances

If you are retiring abroad, you may want to speak to a professional regarding tax advice about the benefits of offshore banking, as this could reduce your tax liability depending on where you are living.

Inform HM Revenue & Customs Charity, Assets and Residence (Residency) and the International Pension Centre when you move and provide new contact details. Get a State Pension forecast.

Health

To protect your healthcare needs find out before you move about welfare rights abroad as some UK benefits are not payable outside the UK. The actual health care costs may differ so do some research beforehand and notify your doctor, dentist and optician of your move. Health insurance can be taken out.

House

Notify all utility providers and the local council tax department to let them know you leaving. But make sure you give a forwarding address, especially for the electoral registration. Pay all remaining bills and outstanding payments to avoid being blacklisted and inform your bank. Have all mail forwarded for a re-direction by asking the Post Office and let the children’s schools know you will be withdrawing them from the local authority.

Moving overseas with Robinsons International is stress-free as we have a dedicated international division that focuses purely on moving abroad. Be confident that you will get expert advice from the specialists and rest assured you will be assigned a Moving Manager who will help you through all the processes and removals- right from the very beginning.

The home is based on the Disney animated film which is a cute pastel-coloured cottage with white picket fence and a rear garage.

In the 2009 CGI movie, a house is carried away by a giant bunch of balloons with a grumpy old man and a little scout boy inside.

It was nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award and won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score- so if you want to live in a house from cinema history and fancy moving overseas to get it, then use Robinson’s international removals services.

Situated in Salt Lake City, Disney gave permission for Utah builders Bangerter Homes to build the house and every detail from the hit film was replicated.

The famously recognised home is on the market for $399,000 and includes four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. And better still- a portion of the property sale will be donated to the charity Make-A-Wish Foundation.

So raise the kids up in a house that reflects fun and animation and move all your belongings across the pond with the experts at Robinsons International.

If you plan on spending your summer vacation in another country this season then make sure you protect your finances in advance.

With the hot temperatures and glorious sunshine it can be easy to forget about security, so before you get all excited and move make sure you read these top tips about looking after your monies during the holiday.

Here is Robinsons International’s finance guide on smart travel this season whether you are heading out on a plane, or taking a road trip. And whatever you are doing, make sure you use our expert International Removals!

- Inform the bank in advance

Let your bank know before you move abroad. It can look suspicious to a bank when a transaction is made in another country if they have not been alerted, especially as it could be fraud and it is of unusual activity.

So to avoid the bank blocking your card and freezing your account whilst protocols are ordered, inform them beforehand of your travels.

- Find out about overseas charges

Nothing could be worse than getting back from a lovely break abroad and receiving a bank statement through the letterbox informing you of a massive bill you have raked up whilst out there.

Find out beforehand of any fees you will be charged when using your card or drawing out cash at an ATM to dodge any nasty surprises.

- Take out insurance

Make sure you buy travel insurance before you go to protect yourself in case your luggage gets lost, or if you need medical help. You never know what is going to happen when in a foreign country; the airline or hotel might go bust or you may be left stranded.

Cover yourself just to be on the safe side.

- Don’t tell potential burglars that you are going away

You might not realise it but by posting on social networking sites that you are going on holiday you are sending an open invite to burglars.

Keep the destination and length of trip vague on your status updates be it on Facebook or Twitter and never post exact dates of your absence, as basically you are letting all criminals know when your house will be vacant to target.

- Redirect mail

Mail can be a great target source for burglars for identity theft. Overflowing mailboxes can help criminals get hold of private information so redirect your mail during your summer move or ask a family relative or friend to pop round regularly to pick them up from behind the door.

- Be cautious of pickpockets

Tourist areas abroad thrive on pickpockets, so take a handbag that can close securely with a zip and that is preferably located on the front of your body so you can keep watch of it more carefully.

But in the worst case scenario, if you are pickpocketed don’t carry around your health card, national insurance number, airplane tickets or credit and debit cards. Keep them at your hotel or living quarters when going out and about or locked in a safe.

A credit card can be beneficial in that if cash is stolen, you are not left penniless in a foreign country.