Dazster

I've recently heard from someone who is moving to WA and they are shipping everything they own and even buying new items to take with them. They've bought a new leather suite, new bikes, bedding, and a years worth of toiletries to ship over rather than buying in Oz. Is it just me, or is this taking it to the extreme? Or is it actually really good economical sense (taking into account the 3 grand shipping costs)?

I on the other hand am planning to ship next to nothing and buy everything new when we get to Oz. I want new stuff, and was under the impression that prices of furniture, electricals/electronics, white goods, and indeed toiletries were not all that different to the UK.

Also I'm not rich - so cost is important. Should I consider buying new here and shipping over instead? I'm in two minds now.

Laura and Tom

Blimey that sounds a bit extreme...where do they think they are going!!!

I am trying to weigh this up at the moment so will be interested to see what people advise.

Laura

quoll

Anyone would think this was the third world! We may be a bit backward but, hey we do have (very nice) leather suites (not all that sensible in 40C heat but they will live and learn!)

I subscribe to the declutter principal - sell what you can and gradually buy up stuff here that you need. Unless you have things that are of significant sentimental value then de-clutter and enhance your feng shui (OK I was joking about the feng shui but decluttering is good!)

Sunny Devon

Hi
We arrived 6 months ago and brought a 20ft container with us - but we had in the year before getting our visas brought new 3 piece suite, dining room table, american fridge freezer the cost of these 3 alone covered the cost of the container and more so in our case it was worth it, plus we then could bring our beds (which werent that old) and the other bits and pieces. It really is personal choice but if the 'things' you have are relatively new you wont get that much for them if you sell them in the uk so why not! good luck with everything - new life waiting!

Mairead

Ok I may have gone to extremes but I did out an excel spreadsheet with a few columns. Basically the stuff that I would want to bring with us, the cost of shipping it over against the cost of buying new furniture over. To get an idea of prices I went to a good few home furnishing webpages. The end result was for the sake of a few grand its was worth while trying to sell what I have here and buying new over there.

Mairead

One thing you should also take into account is if you are planning to ship stuff over then timing would have to be perfect. With most rentals being unfurnished in Oz you really would need your stuff asap or you will be in a situation of having to buy new stuff (even on the cheap) to tide you over until your own arrived.

SW3105

We've talked about this, we're going to sell everything here and just ship over a few boxes - there are a few shipping companies who do 5 boxes for the price of 4 offers so we'll take advantage of that for things we really don't want to lose - photos, mine and our daughters baby things, bits and pieces that we could use in the new home, books - the kind of things that we really can't take in a suitcase but not things that we could buy there.

We've been looking at websites like Gumtree, you can buy second hand furniture very reasonably, Australia doesn't look so 'throwaway everything' as we are in the UK. Plus OH's sister knows a few people who live in Perth so we've been promised a good amount of furniture to get us started.

I read somewhere else that you shouldn't take white goods to Australia - our fridge freezers wouldn't cope too well working harder with the heat, only good for beer fridges! There was something to do with sand and tumble dryers too but I can't really remember what that was, but with hearing that you can hang out washing and it's dry within an hour, I don't think I'll worry too much about that!

marc_sp

[QUOTE=SW3105;6059761]I read somewhere else that you shouldn't take white goods to Australia - our fridge freezers wouldn't cope too well working harder with the heat, only good for beer fridges!QUOTE]

If you take your fridge you should always leave it for say 24 hours to allow the refrigerant inside to "settle out"!

Sunny Devon

[QUOTE=marc_sp;6059824] Hi

We have brought our fridge/freezer and it works wonderfully!!! really pleased to have had the cooled water!! We only had to disconnect the water filter before shipping it out, touch wood!! no problems other than having to change the plug did leave the washing machine which may be in hind sight should have brought but was really looking forward to having a large top loader!!

Dazster

Thanks for all your replies so far. We don't have anything new these days. And in fact friends of ours are now in the habit of claiming our possessions whenever they come to visit, e.g. "I'll have those shelves and those tables when you go" - as in "for free". To which the swift response is always "will you buggery!" My next door neighbour swears blind that we said she could have our TV when we go. I must have been on something pretty powerful when I said that cos I don't remember it! Although I'd be lucky to get 50 quid for a 6 year old, 28", non-HD ready set on Ebay - so she's welcome to it really.

However, as I said our current possessions are all old in any case and not worth much. The way I'm beginning to look at it now is, if we weren't emigrating we'd be buying new furniture, TV, fridge-freezer, etc, at some point anyway. So since we are emigrating, it makes more sense (for me personally) to buy it in our destination country and save on the shipping (that 3 grand could get me a top of the range Sony Full HD 47" plasma TV or something). Also, if I bought new stuff in the UK I don't suppose Comet will be prepared to send that sweaty repair guy to Brisbane when my washing machine starts leaking, and I don't fancy a trip back to Dixons in Kirkcaldy with my broken telly - given the hassle I had transporting the old one 2 miles up the road in a Ford Focus. I guess what I'm saying is that if we buy new in our destination country then we'll have the protection of a warranty/guarantee.

And on the subject of leather sofas; I'm still not convinced that a leather settee is a good idea in the blistering heat - just imagine how sticky that would get. That's alright if you're a leather fetishist but I'm more of a rubber man myself

Dazster

jayr

As someone whol sold everything in the UK and bought new here, trust me it is cheaper to ship everything instead.

Also, ship say 6 weeks before you leave, borrow stuff of friends and family in UK to tide you over such that your container arrive in Aus when you do. That way you will avoid needing to buy stuff here.

I'd be suprised if anyone who has gone through this had different advice (unless they are loaded)

AberJazz

Hello

If you do decide to sell everything and just take a few boxes why not fly via the USA with Air New Zealand via LA? As you are travelling through the US, then you automatically qualify for the "two piece" system for luggage. Basically this means two bags at 23kilos each for every leg of my journey.

OK, the flight is longer, but you can break it up, and get double the luggage allowance for each person travelling.

Hope this helps

AberJazz

Gems

Hello,

We are in WA, and we just shipped boxes. Mainly kids toys, books and few small items.

Once we got too Perth we bought essentials like beds, sofa's etc. These got delivered to our house. Then just bought other stuff over the next few months.

We found things are not expensive, if you shop around. eg prices of elec items will vary and you can get cheaper if you pay with cash.

Australia has everything you need,

GEMS
PS, for people who like IKEA a giant one has just opened in Perth. The previous one was unbelievably tiny!

flossie22

this has been an intresting thread-as we too were undecided on what to do.

I am thonking that we should take as much as we can. I think that it would also nice to have some stuff that is 'yours'. I'm thinking that doing such a big move will be a culture shock anyway-having some of a few familiar things around will be nice.

I will need a container for my photo albums and shoes anyway....OH wanted to ship out his Lotus....after having many a deep conversation-he has now sold it!!!

I heard u cant take tv's though!!

jayr

You can take TV's but they are not likley to be able to receive the different reception format here.

However, they will work if you attach FOXTEL or games machines, just not off direct aerial in feed.

Bring em!