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ship or buy new??

ship or buy new??

Old Dec 15th 2009, 11:54 pm
  #16  
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Default Re: ship or buy new??

Originally Posted by australianinleicester
We are taking all our stuff with us. We often have a good laugh at the furniture in peoples houses as seen in australian real estate ads. most of it looks like they had it since the sixties. Even the more expensive properties look like they got their sofas from an old peoples home about 30 yrs ago!
When I previously moved to Australia with my parents, they said many times how glad they were that we took all our stuff and wish they had not got rid of some of the stuff they did, the washing machine for one.
This is the most important thing, you do not realise how much all your stuff costs until you have to replace it, and I will be honest, and it may not go down well with some of you, if you want to replace all your things with secondhand stuff others are throwing out, its up to you, quite frankly I can think of nothing worse as a way to start life in a new country.
So, take all your belongings that you can afford to, replacing it with decent stuff will cost most an arm and a leg, remember, Australian houses are generally bigger so you will need plenty to fill them.

What you must realise is that i think house here are much bigger than the majority in UK.

We brought all our gear, and so glad we did. We lived in a modest 3 bed terraced house in the uk. We now live in a modest 4 bed house, with a huge dining room, 2 lounge rooms, 2 bathrooms.......so as you can see you do need alot more furniture here to utilise the space, consequently we now have 4 sofas ( 1 brought from uk ) we've added chairs to the dining room and only had to buy 1 bed.......

So my advice is definately bring what you can, when you weigh up what it costs to ship against what it costs to replace, its peanuts really...
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Old Dec 16th 2009, 1:41 am
  #17  
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Default Re: ship or buy new??

We shipped a few boxes of clothes, toys etc.. so didnt cost us too much on that front. Sold everything in the house and bought new here. Most of our furniture in UK was due for replacement anyway.

Got our furniture from fantastic furniture as they do packages and can mix and match. Got our electricals from the good duys. May be due to the time of year (we have only just been through all this last week!) but got some good deals. Free 22" tv from Samsung for buyin what seemed to be an already reasonably priced 40" tv and $100 back for buying the washer we did and $150 back from sydney water for it being a water efficent washing machine (start price was $799, then getting $250 back in rebates).

Check out the websites for prices. But we have furnished a 2 bed unit (Leather settee, tv stand, coffee table, dining table and 6 chairs, double and single beds plus bedroom furniture, TV, dvd player, set-top box (for the 1 small TV we did ship) micro, kettle, toaster, hoover, washing machine, fridge freezer) for less than $10,000.

IMHP, it depends on the quality of the goods you have at home.
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Old Dec 16th 2009, 6:05 am
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Default Re: ship or buy new??

Take the lot.
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Old Dec 16th 2009, 7:24 am
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Default Re: ship or buy new??

We brought loads over, ended up renting a furnished house and paying for 2 years storage....

Also quickly realised that with houses being so much bigger over here none of the stuff we brought is of any use so we'll probably end up replacing it all quickly anyway

Sell it in the UK and buy when you get over.
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Old Dec 16th 2009, 8:43 am
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Default Re: ship or buy new??

Originally Posted by Australia_bound?
Would say that as the exchange rate is pap at the moment and will be for some time to come, take what you can with you. Cost us £1650 to ship some £15000 min worth of stuff. AU$1.78 to the £ is not good for those heading out to Aus, wish I'd excahnged some this time last year , but nevermind.
Who did you ship with and what size container did you have?

Thanks!
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Old Dec 16th 2009, 11:05 pm
  #21  
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Default Re: ship or buy new??

what i dont understand is... as houses there are bigger... then surely all your stuff from the UK WILL fit..?

we're getting few quotes from diff shippers at the moment, they're coming back around £3,500 at the moment... +++ obviously so prob end up around £4,000
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Old Dec 17th 2009, 7:09 am
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Default Re: ship or buy new??

So if you take everything with you, what you meant to do whilst waiting the 12 weeks for it to arrive? Surely you would end up going and buying some stuff, so it kind of defeats the object?

We dont know what to do either. Obviously there are things that just cannot be left behind, but I dont have any ties to my furniture and none of it is expensive. The quote we had would cost £2000 just to take basics and memorabilia.
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Old Dec 17th 2009, 7:21 am
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Default Re: ship or buy new??

Leave it all behind . . . there's load of gorgeous stuff in the shops here, and so CHEAP!
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Old Dec 17th 2009, 8:56 am
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Default Re: ship or buy new??

Originally Posted by spartacus
Leave it all behind . . . there's load of gorgeous stuff in the shops here, and so CHEAP!
Really? Best places to shop? Recommendations please!
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Old Dec 17th 2009, 2:00 pm
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Default Re: ship or buy new??

Originally Posted by 1968_karen
Really? Best places to shop? Recommendations please!
He's winding you up!

Also take the exchange rate into consideration now. If it's $2.50 to £1, then it may be better to buy stuff there, but at the current rate you may lose a lot if buying new over there.

We plan to take almost everything of reasonable value and buy the necessary few new things there.

Last edited by Alfresco; Dec 17th 2009 at 2:06 pm.
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Old Dec 17th 2009, 8:42 pm
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Default Re: ship or buy new??

We are takin everything possible from our 4 bed house. We have had 2 quotes over the last week 1 by Anglo Pacific and one by Britannia. Both were very professional we just need to read the small print of there terms now to make a decision. Also just in case you don't know ring the airline you are flying with to see if they offer free excess baggage. We have got double the allowance so for 5 of us we are being allowed 40kgs each. So we are going to take clothes towels, etc. anything we might desperately need before shipping arrives whilst we are in temp accomodation.
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Old Dec 17th 2009, 9:17 pm
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Default Re: ship or buy new??

Originally Posted by Alfresco
He's winding you up!

Also take the exchange rate into consideration now. If it's $2.50 to £1, then it may be better to buy stuff there, but at the current rate you may lose a lot if buying new over there.

We plan to take almost everything of reasonable value and buy the necessary few new things there.
Absolutely right Al . . . and apologies Kim I was just winding you up
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Old Dec 18th 2009, 12:28 pm
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Default Re: ship or buy new??

Im split right down the middle on this one. If you take over new stuff wont you get taxed by Immigration?
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Old Dec 18th 2009, 4:12 pm
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Default Re: ship or buy new??

Originally Posted by 1968_karen
Im split right down the middle on this one. If you take over new stuff wont you get taxed by Immigration?
No they are personal belongings. They won't tax you unless you have 10 x new boxed plasma TVs in your container for example.

Last edited by Alfresco; Dec 18th 2009 at 4:16 pm.
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Old Dec 18th 2009, 9:27 pm
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Default Re: ship or buy new??

Originally Posted by ice mocha
what i dont understand is... as houses there are bigger... then surely all your stuff from the UK WILL fit..?

we're getting few quotes from diff shippers at the moment, they're coming back around £3,500 at the moment... +++ obviously so prob end up around £4,000
Originally Posted by 1968_karen
Im split right down the middle on this one. If you take over new stuff wont you get taxed by Immigration?
If its not nailed down... bring it. All your furniture will fit in your Oz house... but it may look like Wendy House furniture. Houses are bigger and the furniture is as well. A two and three seater pair of sofas we brought now sit on the landing !!

Four grand is about average for your own container.
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