stevensfamily

We have just had our second survey of our belongings today. One survey was stating 31.5 cubic meters, and one 37 cubic meters. Both said we would have to reduce our items to between 28 and 30 cubic meters to fit into one container. I cannot believe that we will struggle to fit into one container as we have not got any childrens bedroom furniture, we only have our bed, lounge furniture (coffee table, nest of three small tables and settee) a dining room table and 6 chairs and sideboard, computer/table, two desks (ikea flat pack) very few toys of the kids, lawnmower, fridge freezer, microwave and thats basically it.

I am hoping they are over estimating.

We are a family of four, poor kids have basically emptied their toy cupboards and we have a massive pile for boot sale.

Quotes vary so much as well from £3,800 - £6,000 so far

ladywithatorch

Hi there, we made the move in 2006 and used John Masons. They were totally brilliant. If my memory serves me well the quote was aroung £3.500. We are also a family of four and we took everything!!!!(bloody good idea to do this - - you don't want to be stressed with not knowing where the best shops are). We had a four bed house in the UK and everything fitted into a 20 foot container - -just!!!! It was touch and go with the last few things but they are such good packers they got away with it.

We made around 20 trips to the tip and got rid of loads too. Its like christmas when your stuff turns up!! We sent ours out 5 weeks before we left and only had to do without it for a week - -nice to have familiar things around you. Nothing that we brought has had to be replaced yet - -- everything works fine escept the telly - -but we have got foxtel and aslong as you have a set top box of some sort you can get sound.

Hope this helps.

xRx

stevensfamily

Thank you so much. I know I will worry anout fitting it all in until they close the doors but I suppose the best thing to do is to hang back with older stuff and see if there is room.

We are selling the bikes as it sounds far too much hassle to clean them and the kids will be out of them in about a year anyway. Did you bring a lawnmower? ours is a good one nearly new petrol and we dont think we will get much for it if we sell it second hand?

We have friends in Adelaide, Belaire, we visited in November and its beautiful. Hope life is going well for you.

Thanks for your help
Cheryl

ladywithatorch

Hi Cheryl,
we did bring a lawnmower as ours was nearly new too! It took us both 3 hours to strip it back and clean it - - worth it though as we are only just getting to point of having to worry about buying new stuff. The lawnmower is still fine but we have bought half an acre that needs a petrol one!!

I have mates in Belair too - -lovely spot. We are in the hills so have got the best of both worlds - -- lovely part of the world for our 2 boys to grow up. They have all their mates around them, and they walk to school.

When are you heading over?

xRx

stevensfamily

My friends are niki and Lar they have two great girls and also have friends in the hills. We are flying on 15th April and plan to send our stuff around 20th March prior to visiting family to say goodbye. We live in Germany (forces) and will leave from here rather than UK.

Very stressed at the mo as neither of us have jobs and I am giving up a good job (hand my notice in next month). I know it will be worth it in the end but this next 6/7 months will be very stressful.

We love Adelaide and would move there if it were not for family in Melbourne (and I live the Mornington Peninsular, have loved it since I was a child)

Anyway, thanks for all your help and you live in a beautiful place your boys must be so happy.

Cheryl

JoolsB

We filled 3/4 of a 20ft container. Flat contents: superking bed, double bed, huge sofa, footstool, coffee table, dining table, 8 chairs, large fridge, washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher, microwave, plates/pots/pans etc, 2 chest of drawers, 2 dressing tables, 4 side tables, 2 bikes, 2 x TV, mirrors, picture, all clothes, rugs, computer, books, dvds, clothes, shoes etc etc

You sound as tho' you have less stuff than us so if we only filled 3/4 then you should be fine I would have thought

stevensfamily

Thanks Jools,

Where are you living, we are moving to Mount Eliza/ South Frankston/ Langwarrin area have family in Drouin.

Thanks for taking the time to reassure me, I think the companies are covering their back a little and we probably will have space on the day, you have comforted me a little.

Cheryl

Jools just seen you are flying on 27th January. Good luck and enjoy your trip, luckily you are flying Qantas and not BA, I know Qantas gets a bit of a bad rep from some on here but we have flow with them four times and think they are great,

I read on previous post that you are in property, so am I, I am a Chartered Surveyor (Commercial General Practice) whats your field?

Cheryl

Nozzys

Hi,

We arrived in October, container arrived beginning December. We had a 20ft container with PSS. We brought with us pretty much everything, just left the beds as we knew we would need to buy some straight away for rental property and ours needed replacing anyway. We brought three piece suite, additional sofa, coffee table, computer and computer furniture, freezer, fridge/freezer, tumble dryer, dishwasher, large sideboard, large dining room table and chairs, two large bedroom chests of drawers, bedside cabinets, loads of boxes full of kitchenware, photos, cds, OH record collection, hifi, childrens toys, 6ft pool table, 5ft air hockey table, lawnmower, fishing tackle, outside patio furniture, garden tools, OH tools (he is an electrician), bike helmets, boots etc, 3 push bikes, loads of boxes of clothes and shoes.

If you a bringing anything that has been in the garden or used outside, after cleaning spray items with Vircon S, this is what was recommended to us by PSS and nothing from our container got pulled for additional cleaning as the shippers stated what we had used on the paperwork. It is a substance that they use to disinfect horse stables etc. We had a pet shop and horse suppliers up the road from us and were able to obtain it from there. It is in a sashet and you just mix it with water.

Nat X

homewardbound

Sounds like overestimation to me too!

Although Mum has been round tonight helping and she thinks we have WAY less that the 70-80% of a 20ft as quoted. BTW I got JMasons down to £3000 but you need to play one company off against the other which is pretty easy to do by email.

I have a double bed and bed head, 2 chest of drawers, 1 single bed and mattress, LOADS Of toys around 3 chests of clothes, Large rocking horse, dining table 6 chairs, 3 seater sofa, 2 arm chairs, Loads of books nad dvds. cds, coffee table, washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher, 2 boxes of kitchen stuff maybe 3, large tall cabinet, 2 computers, 2 printers, laptop, bike, golf clubs and thats about it. oh and 2 flat pack wardrobes.

stevensfamily

Thanks everybody, I cannot tell you how much more confident you are all making me feel. I think at this point in the moving process the stress levels make you unsure and vunerable. I look forward to putting one quote against another, but at the moment no one has come under £3,800. I suppose we are moving from Germany!!!!

Thanks folks,

Cheryl

chrisk8

WIth one quote at 31.5 cbm and one at 37 cbm - you're only just over a twenty foot container and it is not worth paying for a forty for such a small amount over!!!

Imagine your belongings fitting into a single garage because that is roughly the size of a twenty foot container. As far as your estimates are concerned - most companies will supply you with a list of items to be moved - if there is a big difference in estimated volume then check the lists against each other - where are the differences???

My guess it will usually be in the number of boxes that will have been allowed for room by room or one company may have allowed for some thing to be packed flat and the other company hasn't. If you had two companies in get a third to double / triple check the volume. If you're still going to be tight fitting into a twenty foot container - ensure that when it comes to packing anything that has space inside it - fill it - don't flat pack chest of drawers use the drawers to fill with soft items. Fill wash baskets, bins, TV cabinets etc - if you're taking dining chairs with you make sure you get your packers to fill the space underneath the seat between the legs. By adopting this 'pack down' method you'll be surprised how fewer boxes you'll use and consequently give yourself a better chance of fitting all you want into the twenty foot container.

But whatever happens make a priorty list - i.e. things that you won't ship if there is no space left. Present this to packers when they arrive and you'll be surprised how well they will take up the challenge to make sure it will all fit if they can.

Good luck

JoolsB

Thanks for the good wishes Cheryl-getting very excited/nervous now

We will be looking at both Mornington Pen and Eltham areas (the beach seems to be winning right now!). Tho I'm officially an Aussie I have never been to Melbourne (was born in Blue Mountains, lived in Sydney but in UK for last 30 yrs since 4 yrs old) so it will be thrilling to have somewhere new to explore

I have been managing a sizable portfolio of rental properties for a private landlord for last few yrs but am hoping for a dramatic career change!

Hope your move goes well-I found that by keeping as calm & positive as poss it all ended up a lot less stressful than my many UK moves.

ulpul

Try Anglo Pacific in London if you havent already. Very good and super service. Have used them a few times now.

Paid around 3000 pounds 2 years ago for the last one for my car.

busterboy

If you come to Eltham, give me shout!

JoolsB

Thanks I will!