You can claim expenses for packing, hauling and movers. CRA specifically mentions in-transit storage. I don't think 6 months of storage fees would pass the sniff test as it seems like an unreasonable amount of delay but that's a judgement call. The flight back for the guy you hired is also a grey area since travel costs are only deductible for moving yourself or family members, but he as the mover so would it be considered moving costs? Probably best to call the CRA for their advice cause the language they use is ambiguous.