We've not been on the forum long, but have quickly become addicted to the varied and interesting opinions of all you out there! With there being a few posts at the mo concerning removals etc, we are keen to know - is there anyone else out there who is selling up everything lock, stock and barrel to buy new/secondhand when they arrive on the other side? We have initially planned just to take all the childrens stuff and only a few personal/sentimental things of our own i.e my shoe collection
Are we completely mad or does it not really matter?

Any comments appreciated, Leigh.

YOU ARE COMPLETELY MAD!


Take everything you possibly can. Finding you bearings on the otherside and setting up your new life is hard, time consuming and expensive enough. Spend this time settling your family not dragging them round shops looking for everything from sofas to a potato peeler. You will have enough descisions to make areas, schools, cars and houses don't let dining suites and bed linen add to them. In the end it will cost you a fortune as you will get cheesed off and buy the 1st one you see instead of bargin hunting.

Thats my 10c worth anyway, we filled a 20ft container and wished we had brought more.


Paula

Thanks for the honest reply Paula.
was there anything in particular that you did leave behind and wish you had taken with you?

Best wishes, Leigh.

Ian sold a very good welder and pillar drill which he misses. Garden tools like spades and forks which really wouldn't have taken long to scrub down with disinfectant. Should have defrosted and brought my fridge and freezer, have brought new for the kitchen but would be really useful in the garage for beer and stocking up.

Paula

Hi Paula, thanks for the info - only one other question - I promise! You said you used a 20ft container - did you get preety much a house worths in their? I.e 3 bed house furniture?

many thanks, leigh.

Pretty much. We left behind all large whiteware (ie fridge, freezer, cooker, microwave, washing machine, tumble drier & dishwasher). Took our double bed base but left behind matress. Left behind all garden furniture. We also managed to squeeze in hubby's ZRX1100 motorbike.
Took pretty much everything else from our 3 bed house.

It was packed v.tightly with not much spare space.


Paula

no your not mad we are doing the same. We have though purposefully not made any major purcahses really for the last 2 years. I think the answer here very much depends on cash, if you have the money to spare and have planned to replace things then fair enough. Our budget is £15 - £20k max to refurb our new house.

I guess it depends whether you have a house full of antiques or new and expensive stuff, or on a very tight budget then I guess shipping is best.

cheers


James

Hi James,

now i'm umming and aahing about whats the best thing really. We can afford to buy new when we get out there and plan to rent furnished for a year anyhow, but I wonder if shipping would take the hassle out of shopping for new when we do purchase our new property. WHAT AM I SAYING? I'm a woman - SHOPPING? - Thats heaven!!!

Best wishes, Leigh.

Leigh, i can't pretend I have ever understood women so this could be a tricky one for me however...

Renting furnished seems to be the expection not the rule in aus so thats one to consider.

The shopping will be hassle but it depends if you are in love with your stuff or not I guess. Our is crap. good sofa mum wants it though so being genrous TV's all 3 plus years old, beds all 4/5 years old, and most the stuff no longer to taste anyway.

we are in our 30's and if feels like we are living in the set of george and mildred - only kidding - but we now want need and must have new stuff.

My best mates has a furniture biz here. I like these tempur beds. Don't know if you've ever heard of them made out of some space foam type stuff really!! they are very different.

We have a water bed at the moment but its got to go we are drifting apart.

James

In the time we have been on the forum, we have gone from taking absolutely nothing, to taking as much as we posibly can, even if we throw it out when we get over to Australia.
When on this subject, people who have gone over, have said that their biggest regret was not taking more of their belongings with them.
If you are paying for a container, you may as well fill it to the maximum.
We weren't going to take garden implements even up till yesterday because we thought that it would be a problem, but having had the removals man out, he said that we should wash them in the disinfectant and give them a lick of paint, and that is what we are going to do.
Even he said that people regret not taking things.

Whisky

Just to add my £0.02 to the debate:

I'm planning to only take personal effects with me, kitchen stuff crockery and so on, not furniture etc. Most of it's old and needs replacing and I can't see the point in paying £000s to take it with me. Not taking white goods either as I don't want to risk things not working at all/efficiently over there.

Part of the new life I'm planning is the new start of furnishing my house from scratch.

No doubt I'll buy some stuff cheaply to get me started and then replace later; that's what I've had to do before when I became a single parent.

I guess it depends on how much a part of you your own belongings have become. Don't get rid of everything that makes you feel comfortable in your home now if you would miss it in your new home in Aus.

Just my thoughts - it depends on how you feel as to what's best for you.

Elaine

Just had another shipping quote for my (3) bed left but 4 bed house contents Taking everything except the kitchen stools and dishwasher. Colins tools are a large parcel but less than we originally thought. We have been tld again that we have a tight full container load but when we got the quote we have two alternatives??????????????????

a 20 ft container of 850 cu ft at one price and
a 20 ft container of 1050 cu ft at another higher price.


I thought a 20 ft container was just that and no other company has mentioned the smaller capacity.

Anyway as they were £800 more than PSS gues who we are going to use.

Yes the container will take a good 3 bed house and lots of crockery and everythings else (we have 45 years worth of things including about 200 books)

On our visits to australia we have felt that the furniture etc there is a littl dated for UK tastes it appears to be in a 15 year back timewarp So we want to t ake our good stuff with us we would not get G Plan replacements of this quality cheap and of course would not get their worth if we sold them here in the UK before we went. It seems silly to pay £2000 for a part container when by taking everything you would spedn £2800 plus insurance and get evberything in - you can always sell what you eventually don't want in australia with nothing lost.:lecture: :lecture:

In my opinion, you should take all you can afford to send and rent unfurnished here. When you are waiting for your gear to arrive, buy second hand (very good stuff here, very cheap, easy to have delivered - second hand places very good here) to tide you over, then let the kids wreck it playing WW2 like we used to or sell it back to the 2nd hand places/give it to charity shops. Other than that, you can hire furniture and fridges etc to keep you going.

Like Whisky said, a lot of people kick themselves afterwards for not sending all their gear. It seems a hassle now and expensive, but it saves money and trouble in the end. You can save your shopping trips for flashy stuff then with the money you save.

I must say at present we are taking everything. I have a few penpals who have moved recentely and they regretted not taking everything. So we will take the lot, and what ever doesn`t sell we will give away or bin !!

footie chick

TAKE EVERYTHING

I've moved twice now UK to Auckland and NZ to Brisbane and taken about half a container each time and both times now I've regretted leaving stuff behind. It's a false economy unless the items are falling apart.

The only items not worth taking are wardrobes, old TV and Video. I've still got my dining room set and 3 piece and must be 20 years old now all bought in Blighty and I fully plan to take them back to NZ when I go.

Renting furnished you will pay twice as much per week as renting unfurnished (this will generally be holiday accom unless you are very lucky), so it's only cost effective whilst waiting for your stuff to arrive and your choice will be far more limited.

Unfurnished rental accom is widely available, not so furnished rental accom.