Moving Out of Hong Kong: A Practical Checklist
Six-week timeline, sell-vs-bin-vs-ship framework, deposit-safe end-of-lease clearance, WEEE-compliant appliance disposal. Updated July 2026.
Start six weeks out. Book international freight in week 6, sell furniture in weeks 5–3, disconnect utilities in week 2, and book same-day cleanout for the final 48 hours before handover. Appliances go to WEEE·PARK via a licensed operator, not the freight container. Keep proof of proper disposal for your ESG-conscious landlord.
The six-week timeline
Week 6 — decisions
Get freight quotes (Crown, Santa Fe, AGS, Asian Tigers, ReloShip). List what you're keeping. Book a shipping surveyor. Book flights. Notify your landlord in writing per the notice clause in your tenancy — usually 30 or 60 days depending on the agreement.
Week 5 — sell and donate
Post sofas, dining tables, and beds on Carousell and the various expat Facebook groups (Asia Xpat Classifieds, HK Moms, HK Freecycle). Price to move — not to maximise. Charities that pick up: Crossroads Foundation (bulky furniture in reasonable condition), Salvation Army (clothes, small items), St James' Settlement, Oi Kwan Fu Kwan. Book donation pickups now — they run 1–3 weeks out.
Week 4 — pack what's leaving Hong Kong
Freight movers arrive with cartons. Keep an "essential items" pile for week 6–7 daily use. Anything you haven't touched in three months and don't have sentimental attachment to should be sold, donated, or scheduled for disposal.
Week 3 — the messy middle
The "we'll deal with it later" pile is now visible. Book a mid-move disposal — sofa, spare mattresses, old office chairs, exercise equipment, camping gear that never came out. Half a truckload from a typical two-bed flat is normal.
Week 2 — utilities and admin
Schedule electricity (CLP or HK Electric) and water disconnection for the handover date. Cancel PCCW/HKT/Netvigator, Now TV, Netflix, Spotify. Set up mail forwarding at Hongkong Post. Update MPF, Inland Revenue, and any HK bank accounts you're keeping open with a friend's or forwarding address.
Week 1 — handover clearance
This is where estate cleanout service earns its money. On handover day, the flat must be broom-clean and empty of everything the landlord considers "not fixtures". Same-day pickup 48 hours before final walkthrough leaves you time to spot-clean and touch-up paint.
Sell vs bin vs ship: a simple decision tree
- Ship if replacement cost exceeds shipping cost + hassle + insurance, AND the item survives a shipping container's temperature/humidity cycle. Antiques, custom-made, high-end sofas from Andreu World or B&B Italia, art, family heirlooms.
- Sell if the item is 2–7 years old, in good condition, and Carousell/Facebook Marketplace has clear demand. Price to move — being 20% below asking gets buyers. High-turnover: dining tables, TVs, bookcases, quality office chairs.
- Donate if the item is functional but not premium enough to sell. Crossroads Foundation is the best route for furniture — they collect and redistribute. Salvation Army for smaller items.
- Dispose if the item is broken, badly worn, or nothing/nobody wants it. Bulky items go via specialist disposal. Appliances go via WEEE-compliant routing (see below).
Appliances: don't put them in the freight container
Refrigerators, washing machines, TVs, computer monitors, air conditioners and computers are regulated under HK's 四電一腦 (WEEE) producer-responsibility scheme. They must go through a licensed operator to the WEEE·PARK facility in Tuen Mun. Landfill is prohibited and moving them abroad usually doesn't make economic sense given voltage differences (HK is 220V/50Hz).
Your options:
- Fridge disposal, washing machine disposal, TV disposal — WEEE-compliant, same-day, disposal certificate if you need proof for ESG-conscious landlords
- EPD free statutory collection (WEEE hotline 2676 8888) — free but 2–4 week booking window
- Give to a friend or list on Carousell 3+ weeks before handover
The deposit-safe cleanout
Standard HK tenancies allow the landlord to deduct the cost of removing unwanted items and reinstating the flat. A full flat's worth of leftovers can eat HK$8,000–15,000 of your deposit. Even a single abandoned sofa often costs HK$1,500–3,000 to remove because the landlord's contractor charges a premium for short-notice work.
A same-day pre-handover clearance costs a fraction of that and is fully deposit-safe. We can also provide a written manifest of what was removed and where it went — useful when your landlord asks about the fridge.
Common mistakes we see
- Under-estimating the sell timeline. Carousell buyers ghost. Facebook groups take a week per interested buyer. Plan 3+ weeks for high-value furniture to actually leave the flat.
- Waiting until handover day. Rush pickup on the day of the walkthrough is 30–50% more expensive and doesn't always fit in the schedule.
- Skipping the WEEE-compliant route. Some landlords/property managers now request disposal certificates — especially for HKEX-listed corporate tenancies.
- Not photographing the empty flat. Take date-stamped photos of every room after clearance for your deposit-return paperwork.