Originally Posted by Flying Banana

What to bring...what to leave....

A difficult question as it will depend on the quality of stuff you have, it's age, how attached to it you are etc etc. Often having those familiar items around you whilst you are settling in can help.

Again another factor is your removal plans, if you're going to pay for a sole use container fill it to the brim as it doesn't cost you any more. If you're only sending a part shipment then obviously you want to bring less rather than more.

I would say leave the fridge as they don't travel well and Aussie Kitchens generally have space for a larger one than in the UK. If your washing machine is newish and or decent then consider bringing it, all the fittings here are the same so all it needs is a new plug on the electric string. Same with a tumble dryer, if it's decent and not too old. I worked on the premise that looking around in the UK you won't get much for second hand furniture/whitegoods etc and I had already budgeted for a sole use 20' container, as it happened everything fitted in barring 2 boxes which came shortly after on a part shipment.

I have heard of quarantine having problems with vacuum cleaners, I spoke the AQUIS when I was over here on reccie trip and they recommended dismantling it and scrubbing it with disinfectant, if they can smell it when they arrive should avoid problems. Fridges, if older with CFC's are not allowed for import (was another thread recently). Garden tools - mower is pretty much a nono as you'll never get it clean to Quarantine standards. I left all my garden tools as the people buying my house bought them off me for a decent amount.

I also sold my UK TV as everywhere I looked it said that wouldn't work here but reading here it would appear that it would have worked fine (not too upset as it was only a cheapy Bush one from Tescos anyway and got nearly what I paid for it from a guy I worked with)

Regarding what to do when you arrive here, I was in the same boat as Hevs, due to xmas, my stuff left my UK house on Oct 12th, I arrived in Melbourne on Nov 14th and my stuff was finally delivered on Dec 30th.

There are hire companies out there who will supply rental furniture but they are expensive and will usually only rent for 1 month minimum. Also have heard they don't exactly supply the greatest quality stuff.

You have several options depending on how furnished you want the place to be. Go to Kmart and get air matress(es), towels and bedding there are cheap too, I just got the bare minimum to tide me over. I went to Ikea, bought their kitchen starter pack for about $100 (might have been a little bit more but not much) contains everything you need to cook for a few weeks. Also got a cheapo cutlery set and some plates/mugs glasses.

Obviously wanted a decent Aussie Barby so got one which gave me more cooking options and needed outdoor furniture so bought that as well.

As the place I'm renting in is bigger than the my place in the UK and there was a second 'family' living area I ended up buying a sofa bed when the delivery date for my stuff was pushed back over xmas, and after the cats came out of quarantine and punctured the air matress twice I got fed up of waking up on the floor lol, I got a nice full double bed metal frame sofa bed for $500 delivered the next day.

Really I'd say your decision on what to take or bring depends on your removal plans, container/part load, and how much you want to spend here to tide you over. Doesn't really help much I know.

I suppose the best thing regarding deciding what you buy here to tide you over is wait till you're here, and have a delivery date for your stuff. Once you have that and find a rental property you can gauge how long you need to manage before your stuff arrives. Getting a rental property here can be pretty quick but you need to be fairly pro active. Most agents have a property list which comes out either daily or weekly, however the best way is to check www.realestate.com.au every day and get round and view as soon as possible. Here in Melbourne at least places in good areas will go fairly quickly. Assuming you find somewhere you like that is vacan it is as simple as putting in an application and once this is accepted by the agent/landlord you can be in in a matter of days.

Some more info is at:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=293354

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=291000

Just try a search of the forum and I'm sure you'll turn up plenty more info.

Good Luck with the move, hope it all goes well. And don't worry you'll be so busy settling in and getting everything sorted out you won't even notice the time before your stuff gets here.

Originally Posted by lawlaw

Hello

I noticed you mentioned taking your cats with you, I have 2 cats and we really want to take them, how did your cats cope and how much did it cost to take them and how long do they keep them in quarantine?

Thanks

Originally Posted by Flying Banana

The cats coped fine, a lot better than I did worrying about them lol. Considering we moved out of our house a month before heading to Aus and they spent a month in their normal holiday cattery before the journey even began I was more worried about them than anything else. They went with airpets near heathrow. I think it was about £1100 for the two of them plus quarantine fees over here. FOr me cost wasn't an issue I wasn't leaving them behind.

They had four weeks in quarantine and then finally came home. I settled them in like new kittens again, ie access to a little bit more of the new house each day and they didn't go outside for five or six weeks. Now they are off out exploring all day and am sitting here with a furry purring hot water bottle curled up on my lap.

You have to register pets with your local council out here and some have stricter rules than others about cats roaming freely. Also depending on which area you will be living in you just need to be aware of a few more risks outdoors for them (however animals have an uncanny ability to avoid anything that isn't good for their wellbeing!) mainly stuff like ticks, cane toads in QLD, spider bites a possibility. I shouldn't worry about reptiles, the girl at quarantine said her folks had a cat like mine and they live on a farm in SA, cat regularly brings home live Tiger Snakes!!! :scared:

If mine bring home any reptile without 'gucci' stamped on it they will be getting confined indoors for evermore!!

Originally Posted by Flying Banana

What to bring...what to leave....

A difficult question as it will depend on the quality of stuff you have, it's age, how attached to it you are etc etc. Often having those familiar items around you whilst you are settling in can help.

Again another factor is your removal plans, if you're going to pay for a sole use container fill it to the brim as it doesn't cost you any more. If you're only sending a part shipment then obviously you want to bring less rather than more.

I would say leave the fridge as they don't travel well and Aussie Kitchens generally have space for a larger one than in the UK. If your washing machine is newish and or decent then consider bringing it, all the fittings here are the same so all it needs is a new plug on the electric string. Same with a tumble dryer, if it's decent and not too old. I worked on the premise that looking around in the UK you won't get much for second hand furniture/whitegoods etc and I had already budgeted for a sole use 20' container, as it happened everything fitted in barring 2 boxes which came shortly after on a part shipment.

I have heard of quarantine having problems with vacuum cleaners, I spoke the AQUIS when I was over here on reccie trip and they recommended dismantling it and scrubbing it with disinfectant, if they can smell it when they arrive should avoid problems. Fridges, if older with CFC's are not allowed for import (was another thread recently). Garden tools - mower is pretty much a nono as you'll never get it clean to Quarantine standards. I left all my garden tools as the people buying my house bought them off me for a decent amount.

I also sold my UK TV as everywhere I looked it said that wouldn't work here but reading here it would appear that it would have worked fine (not too upset as it was only a cheapy Bush one from Tescos anyway and got nearly what I paid for it from a guy I worked with)

Regarding what to do when you arrive here, I was in the same boat as Hevs, due to xmas, my stuff left my UK house on Oct 12th, I arrived in Melbourne on Nov 14th and my stuff was finally delivered on Dec 30th.

There are hire companies out there who will supply rental furniture but they are expensive and will usually only rent for 1 month minimum. Also have heard they don't exactly supply the greatest quality stuff.

You have several options depending on how furnished you want the place to be. Go to Kmart and get air matress(es), towels and bedding there are cheap too, I just got the bare minimum to tide me over. I went to Ikea, bought their kitchen starter pack for about $100 (might have been a little bit more but not much) contains everything you need to cook for a few weeks. Also got a cheapo cutlery set and some plates/mugs glasses.

Obviously wanted a decent Aussie Barby so got one which gave me more cooking options and needed outdoor furniture so bought that as well.

As the place I'm renting in is bigger than the my place in the UK and there was a second 'family' living area I ended up buying a sofa bed when the delivery date for my stuff was pushed back over xmas, and after the cats came out of quarantine and punctured the air matress twice I got fed up of waking up on the floor lol, I got a nice full double bed metal frame sofa bed for $500 delivered the next day.

Really I'd say your decision on what to take or bring depends on your removal plans, container/part load, and how much you want to spend here to tide you over. Doesn't really help much I know.

I suppose the best thing regarding deciding what you buy here to tide you over is wait till you're here, and have a delivery date for your stuff. Once you have that and find a rental property you can gauge how long you need to manage before your stuff arrives. Getting a rental property here can be pretty quick but you need to be fairly pro active. Most agents have a property list which comes out either daily or weekly, however the best way is to check www.realestate.com.au every day and get round and view as soon as possible. Here in Melbourne at least places in good areas will go fairly quickly. Assuming you find somewhere you like that is vacan it is as simple as putting in an application and once this is accepted by the agent/landlord you can be in in a matter of days.

Some more info is at:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=293354

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=291000

Just try a search of the forum and I'm sure you'll turn up plenty more info.

Good Luck with the move, hope it all goes well. And don't worry you'll be so busy settling in and getting everything sorted out you won't even notice the time before your stuff gets here.