If you're determined to buy a light single in the USA, it is possible to have it dismantled and loaded into into a container (preferably along with a low-hours engine in good nick, all mods done and no corrosion; where you buy is important).
A maintenance company (short of business) looked at importing several this way some years ago. The idea was to use idle but paid for hangar capacity to assemble, inspect and rectify as needed for the CoA, and then sell/hire for an overall profit. IE a hospital jib.
The business case was that the price of the used aircraft "as is" in the States was so low that, with shipping costs and all CofA work in UK added in, a profit was possible in UK. That may or may not be true now.
The container was cheaper than a ferry flight, all things considered, even if you don't pay the pilot, and probably still is. If you are in no great hurry you can get good shipping rates. The ferry is not easy, although it was just possible, then, to get enough fuel on board to get from each fuel stop to the next (1 up only, preferably a non-smoker!). GPS, which was not then available, would improve the chance of doing that in a straight line.
But the best way to hours build is to fly for nothing for someone who needs you to do that (eg ferry flights!).