sharonmcallister

Hi everyone, we have our student visa and know which shipping company we are using. My question is my house is up for sale so when do you arrange to get the movers in and arrange flights. I know once the house is sold and we have a date but how do you manage once the house is sold. Do you get the movers just before the sale of the house, what did you do next, did you stay with relatives or stay in the house till the leaving date and then get on the flight to oz?

I am so confused with all this my head is spinning, i was thinking once all your stuff is away whats the point of staying in the house if you have nothing in it? LOL,

Any help is appreciated, when did you cancel child benefit, insurance etc?

Thanks
Sharon

DestinationSydney

Hi Sharon, it is all confusing isn't it! I booked flights once the missives concluded on the house. We are not taking furniture so sending personal stuff 3 weeks before. Giving ourselves 9 days with relatives before we go to finalise the money etc. There is a to do list one here which points you in the right direction as well at the start I think. Im just trying to sort out the money at the moment praying the exchange rate goes up!!
Michelle

Mairead

Have a look at the below thread. Theres is plenty of info there

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=345774

moneypenny20

You do what works best for you. We exchanged on the house and had the shippers ready and waiting. We knew it wasn't going to fall through for various reasons (other than death anyway) and wanted our stuff to arrive when we did so the shippers came a month before we left and we got by in a near empty house for four weeks. Decided it would be easier to borrow bits from friends and family rather than struggle without stuff on the other side of the world knowing no one.

Worked brilliantly for us but others do it differently.

Congrats on the visa and good luck with the house selling.

Machiavelli

Wish we'd done it this way!

We got shippers in one month before we left and then moved in with family.

Nightmare! Crying relatives, no privacy, nowhere to run to basically. Never again.

We didn't ship beds, dining table, washer etc, so it would have been so easy to just camp out in our own home.

Not that I'm planning such a big move in the near future, but I'd definately do it Moneypeny's way next time.

M

cheekivimto07

We've got the shippers coming 2 days before we leave, close to the bone i know but i love my own bed, then we are spending one night with friends and the final night in London with relies, before flying out.

tawkins1

My worry is that we sell the house, get the shipping company in, get everything on its way then the sale of the house falls thru
What would you do??????

cheekivimto07

After exchanging contracts dont they give you 2 weeks to complete? I know we had a 2 week gap when we sold. So therefore you could get your shippers in during that period. Hopefully that would solve your problem.

tawkins1

I hope so
Thanks for that

ozzieclare2b

This is what we did

had a rough idea when we would complete, so i booked shippers and gave them a rough date then when we had a date for exchange of contracts i booked them. We had 2 weeks from exchange to completion so john masons came end of first week after we exchanged, then i had a week to sort anything/clean house before it completed. Day shippers came we moved in with inlaws and stuff went into storage with shippers until we had visa.

2 weeks after we got visa grant our flights are booked and its coming out of storage this week and sailing off to adelaide so hopefully it will arrive same time as us we fly 30th june been quoted up to 12 weeks

shoshana

When we purchased in 2006 we got 6 weeks (requested due to 8 week notice period on rental) and no one in the chain had an issue with it. I think it gave them all extra time to organise things, knowing that contracts had exchanged so everyone was safe!

travelbug

I think i've read somewhere that your insurance can cover you for that - ie, if your stuff is shipped away and then you need it back again!

We're planning to do what most people i think do - get the shippers in once we've exchanged. We're leaving fridge/freezer/cooker/washing machine in our house when we sell - and are not planning on taking our beds and one of our sofa's - so we should be able to live fairly comfortably for 2 weeks...
We'll just put aside some old crockery/cutlery/glasses and perhaps borrow a few bits from family till we go...
Well that's the plan anyway!!!

jdraper

Hi Sharon

Hope everything's going well with the house sale - is your auntie having it?

We moved into rented accommodation in October (after selling our house - bit eager I know!!!).

Our stuff went last Wednesday so we are sitting on a crappy borrowed sofa, two wicker chairs and a smelly deck chair (alternately as they are all uncomfortable!!!). Didn't ship TV or beds so still OK there.

House is rented so got their fridge, freezer and washer. Borrowed some plates, bowls, cups, cutlery etc.

The house is very echoey but OK.

We will have had no stuff for 7 weeks but we wanted our stuff there when we get there - I miss my stuff already!!!! I know it has only been a week!!!

Like Moneypenny says though, we would rather be without here as you can borrow off friends and family.

Sharon, with regard to Child Benefit, I rang them yesterday to change my bank details and asked them about this. The girl I spoke to said that I should phone back just before we leave, as if I cancelled it now, she would have to cancel my payments immediately. I have put it in my diary for the week we are going to phone them and Tax Credits. Hope this helps.

Have phoned my house insurance and told them I want to cancel from 14 June but can't do that until 30 days before either.

The only things I have done so far are Council Tax, Water and TV Licence.

Jo
xx

sharonmcallister

Hi Jo, thanks thats great, there is so much to do will have to sit down and make a list!

Cant wait, my auntie isnt buying the house anymore, so it went on the market on thursday last week, 1 person wants a viewing its only been on remax website since friday and the schedule is ready today and 6 people have requested this already so fingers crossed!

Sharon

jdraper

Keeping our fingers, toes and legs crossed for you!!!

Let us know how you get on.

Jo
xx