cammym

Got the job
Got the visa

Now we have to organise the move!
How on earth do we transport our stuff - family of 5 - and continue to live in the UK?
Or do we transport as we move - if so how do we survive in Oz?

We are renting in Sydney at first but will need some stuff to survive.

Any advice on how to manage the move would be welcome.

Thanks

Cameron

biggy

Our stuff left the UK at the end of May last year, we didnt leave until end of June...so basically we were in an empty house apart from stuff we begged from friends to keep us goin....we werent taking our beds to Oz so that was a good thing. We got a rental here, bought beds, a fridge and a washing machine and an outside table and chairs which we used for sitting on inside.

We had no telly or radio that was the worst bit, as I had to talk to hubby at nights lol. and the kiddies had only a few toys but they were exhausted running round the beach all day all they needed was their beds.

Our stuff got to us on the 12th August....it was like christmas......never saw the kids for days....they thot it was great getting all their toys.

Basically u just need to make do...u get used to sitting on boxes and eating off chipped plates.......its not forever....GO WITH THE FLOW

Geordie George

Hi Cameron,

You think carefully about flights (for baggage allowance - may mean you can carry extra on the plane to make the first few weeks a little more tolerable). Then you move into a B&B in Blighty and ship your stuff two weeks before you fly. You then live in a hotel in Sydney at the other end until you find an unfurnished place to rent - then you find the air mattress you brought in the extra luggage to be the best (OK, cheapest) thing ever while you wait for your stuff to arrive. Simple.

Or that might be just what Mr GG and I did.

GG

Pootle

Hi,
Our stuff left the uk the same day we did (new years eve!) we have moved to Melbourne with 2 small children. Had an apartment (furnished) in the city for 3 weeks while we looked around at rental properties. When we moved in we rented a few basic bits of furniture from a company called pabs (don't know if they are in sydney). To be honest the stuff was expensive and crap but it saw us through until our own stuff arrived about 5 weeks later. We hired beds, a 2 seater sofa (yes I was expecting it to be bigger!) and a kitchen table. You could hire a kitchen pack which has all plates, cutlery etc but I managed to buy enough from k-mart and big w for less than the rental cost! Got a kettle and toaster for $10 each and they are still going strong. It was great to see our own furniture and as a previous poster said, the kids though xmas had come again wheb they got all their toys (admittedly they had only just unwrapped their pressies back home when we had to pack them up for shipping...)
All the best with your move, it will all work out ok,
Pootle

Judes2308

Are the shipping companies ok about transporting your stuff when you don't have an address in Oz? We're not taking much but were hoping to send it about a month before we arrive, but we'll be renting over there so won't have an address til we find somewhere when we arrive.

Judy

Flying Banana

My stuff left three weeks before I did (well left the house) it didn't leave port till two weeks later as all ships were booked solid as it was getting close to xmas.

I arrived in Melbourne on Nov 12th and had three and a half weeks in a furnished//serviced appartment before moving in to my rental place. My stuff landed on Dec 12th but due to xmas it didn't get delivered until Dec 30th.

Luckily I didn't bring my UK TV and had never had a DVD so bought those, you'll need to buy a fridge as rental places won't have them (not worth bringing yours, they don't travel well and you'll be better off with a decent sized Aussie one. I went to IKEA and bought their kitchen starter pack (bout $100 and there really is everything you need to cook) and got some cheap cutlery/glasses/plates etc. As most Aussie places have a lounge and a family area I bought a decent double/metal framed sofa bed (bout $500) and an air matress, I *ahem* borrowed some bedding and towels from the furnished place and used the box for the telly as a dining table.

Really though at any other time of year other than xmas your stuff should take 6-7 weeks door to door. If you haven't found a place yet the removals are fine they will happily put your stuff in storage till you do (after all more cash for them) all they will want is a contact number for you and give them the temporary rented address initially, it's mainly so they have an address to put on customs paperwork. Just buy a cheap pay as you go mobile when you get here and you'll have a phone number.

Dicko

We are getting our stuff shipped the week before we go, then arriving at our destination to stay with friends (very good ones )hoping to find a house to rent within a few weeks and hopefully our stuff will arrive maybe a week or 2 later.

Sounds like a piece of cake to me surely can't go that smoothly can it ???????? :scared: :scared:


P.S We are using PSS I know it's a bit late but any horror stories are much appreciated

Good Luck

cammym

Thanks for the advice.

We will be able to sleep on the floor and just go for whatever happens. We do have to make it as comfortable as possible for out three little ones though - and I want them to have a good experience when they first arrive.

We intend to rent an apartment for a few weeks before finding a longer term rental house (and getting all our stuff.)

CAM

natty

Out stuff leaves our house on 29th April
We fly 4th May
Arrive Tasmania 9th May
Aim to stay with my sister until we can move into a rented place ( hopefully no more than 2 weeks later)
We are shipping mostly everything but not bothering to ship plates, cutlery, saucepans etc as will need to buy all those before our shipment arrives anyway.
Some good ideas I got from this forum that I am going to do are:

Ship bed but not mattress ( quite old anyway) sleep on matress for the 4 days in between the shippers leaving and us leaving the house. Give mattress away/take to dump when we leave.
In OZ buy new mattress to sleep on before stuff arrives- then when shipment arrives- put mattress on bed frame and abracadabra- complete bed !!!

Also someone suggested buying garden furniture such as table and chairs and use in the house until stuff arrives.

I also plan to buy a couple of bean bags to sit on.
Hopefully this will see us through.
To be honest I am quite looking forward to it although I expect the novelty will wear off quick enough !!!!
Nat

Pootle

Yes, we used allied pickfords and we just had to ring them when we had arranged an address here in oz. They then contacted the local allied with all the details, ship etc who then arranged for customs, quarantine and delivery. Apart from a problem with a bike they were excellent. The ship took about 5 weeks, but inc customs and quarantine took about 8 weeks door to door.
Pootle