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Take everything or nothing at all?

Take everything or nothing at all?

Old Sep 28th 2006, 1:28 pm
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Default Re: Take everything or nothing at all?

Originally Posted by Wendy
It would have cost us more to ship it than the stuff was worth TBH (I have three kids, so now just what you mean )

The shopping is fun, but a bit tiring. A few tips for you though.

1 - Shop around a bit
2 - See what the price is for cash and get them to write it down
3 - Get the prices and take them to another shop, see what they'll let you have it for
4 - HAGGLE
5 - HAGGLE a bit more
Thanks Wendy, bet its worth it though having all that nice NEW stuff around you Hubby is an expert haggler so I will do the best bit of picking it out and leave the rest to him

Good idea of taking prices to another shop
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Old Sep 28th 2006, 1:30 pm
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Default Re: Take everything or nothing at all?

Originally Posted by conat
Thanks Wendy, bet its worth it though having all that nice NEW stuff around you Hubby is an expert haggler so I will do the best bit of picking it out and leave the rest to him

Good idea of taking prices to another shop

Yep, I probably saved about $1000 doing that
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Old Sep 28th 2006, 1:31 pm
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Default Re: Take everything or nothing at all?

In our experience, it depends how much cash you've got to spend on furniture when you get here and where you're headed. We sold everything (and gave a lot away in a fit of generosity!) for a pittance in the UK and intended on buying new here. Seemed a good idea at the time but we found price of furniture where we live is expensive compared to UK, and 2nd hand is often ridiculously over-priced, old fashioned or past its best. The Quokka has bargains but we have to travel a fair bit and are often disappointed when we get there. We've tried garage sales but slim pickings, and you can waste whole weekends getting no where. The early birds definitely get the best worms but unfortunately we not even out of bed usually, so miss out. My kingdom for a decent car boot sale! Electrical stuff is reasonable, especially as you get government rebates for water wise stuff and energy efficiency models. Beds were reasonably priced and you can get some good bedroom packages. In hindsight, I would have brought out nice pieces of furniture such as our settees, dining table and chairs, and unusual personal bits and pieces we collected over the years and subsequently ditched. Also would have brought our nice bed linen - duvet covers, throws, rugs and curtains. Traipsing around looking for bargains is no fun when there is so much else to do! We did ship over a few cartons of daughter's favourite toys which was a great idea as certainly helped her settle in. We have a lot of IKEA stuff now, only we live quite a distance away and every trip we have made so far has had at least one damaged item needing replaced. IKEA have no problems replacing but its the hassle of getting there and back as they are not open Sundays. Don't underestimate how much you need to spend to refurnish a house as well as garden stuff you will invariably need/want/desire!
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Old Sep 28th 2006, 1:59 pm
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Default Re: Take everything or nothing at all?

Hi
It will depend on your circumstances as what to do. If you have kids then they will want familiar items around them and its a big pain taking then shopping for a house full of goods, it may seem like fun but it isn't after a few days, also remember that you probably spent years getting all your stuff together and not just a few days. We shipped a full container but PSS 'lost' a box of kitchen equipment and it hit home how expensive the small things are over here esp. when the shops and locations are unfamiliar.
Secondhand/charity shop stuff here is fit only for the tip! and you will get peanuts for your stuff in England.
PS Don't bother bringing wardrobes as most homes have built-in ones.
Your Call

Last edited by woodiesinaus; Sep 28th 2006 at 2:02 pm. Reason: I can't spell !!
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Old Sep 28th 2006, 2:05 pm
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Default Re: Take everything or nothing at all?

Just remembered something else I bought.

My PC - don't know how I forgot that one

I have this one with 17" TFT monitor and Lexmark 3 in centre - cost me $1199 from Harvey Normans
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Old Sep 28th 2006, 3:11 pm
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Default Re: Take everything or nothing at all?

It is a balance like some of the previous people have said

But for us the balance was 7000UK pounds to ship 40ft of everything!

Yep 4 years ago $17.5K we could of had a spending spree....not!

No way and I think even now could we have bought what we had in the UK here for 17K ....a family of four, very established house.

Kids 9 and 12 at the time, just their stuff alone would have take a hefty chunk think

bikes - at least 100 pounds each minimum - I am not replacing those straight off
beding - not one set I mean at least three!
clothes
shoes
skates - ice or roller!
riding gear
tent and camping gear - cos we have to still take them with us!
bedroom, drawers, beds, matress, desks, chairs, rug, lights
computers, tvs, dvds, videos, ps2 etc etc - ok they do not have all this but yours might?

Now I have finished with the might be with kids!

Then I think my dinner services....at least three, the good the bad and the ugly They alone need three packing cases

Then talking of dinner services......I need my antique kitchen dresser...ok ok not really antique but previously designed to give me room to display and room to play!

I never even got down to hubbys and my really really antique bed when I decided I was shipping......

I shipped my crappy really really crappy off the internet settees two for 500 pounds....we still have them, down in the other lounge room!

So price up shipping the lot.....against what you really want to buy for the $ equivalent and make up your own minds.

Each of on this site will fight it out that we made the right decision---- and of course for us it was. I only regret that some smart arse insisted we did not ship our relatively new 1400 washing machine (also other white goods) and I have spent the last four years with a crappy 900 spin speed!!!!! oooooh and I forgot I gave that crappy colander to my sister that I actually really liked!

Check out your home insurance in the UK and if you are covered to replace the lot for less than 7K UK and you are not attached and think that sort of money will replace it....then do not ship - or strike a balance of what you yourself want.

OK this is only my thoughts
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Old Sep 28th 2006, 10:32 pm
  #22  
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Default Re: Take everything or nothing at all?

We brought everything with us and didn't regret it. Our removal expenses were GBP3700 including insurance, we have spent that since arriving on a dining table, Plasma TV and entertainment unit, some new spare bedroom furniture and new bedroom furniture for my 8 year old. I wouldn't have liked to drag my 2 youngests around to furnish a whole house. Our stuff left before us, we rented furniture for a month and then had a stuff delivered just after that. www.freedom.com.au is a nice shop, check out their website.
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Old Sep 28th 2006, 10:59 pm
  #23  
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Default Re: Take everything or nothing at all?

Originally Posted by samnsam
Just interested in what those who have already emigrated did in regards to shipping everything out or selling the lot and buying new in Oz. We are more for selling the lot as by the time we get out there we could probably do with a change and I couldn't face all that packing and labeling (my worst nightmare). Who thinks this wouldn't be to bad an option or should I, when the time comes, just knuckle down and get on with it.
look forward to your comments.
Sam x.

We sold all of our furniture but kept things like cultery, pans etc as well as clothing, bikes, sports gear.

We found it very easy to purchased beds, sofa, white goods etc here and it saved a lot of hassle getting it sent over. I guess if you have extremely good quality stuff that is fairly new I would bring that over, but if your stuff is a little older (like ours was) then you may as well invest in new stuff.
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Old Sep 29th 2006, 12:05 am
  #24  
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Default Re: Take everything or nothing at all?

When we came over here, I was still paying off the interest free credit on my new sofa, so that had to come too! Our shipping costs were about GBP1500, the sofa cost half that... We originally came out on a 457 visa, the process was very quick and we hadn't really expected it to all go through so had gone ahead with buying expensive electrical equipment for xmas (eg a replacement TV when the old one died, a digital tuner etc). So it made it worth shipping things over.

However, OH made me sell lots of stuff at car boot sales / give it away to friends to reduce the shipping costs, which I really regret now, especially things like books, which I can't justify replacing on our reduced salaries in Australia

We bought a new fridge and washing maching because ours were too knackered to make it over to Australia (we sold them instead with the house to some first home buyers), and had to buy a new microwave because Allied Pickfords 'dropped' ours. Also bought a new bed, we chucked the old one. Have to say this kind of shopping was extremely boring and would have much preferred to have spent money in those first few weeks on more interesting things / activities.

It was also lovely when everything was delivered off the ship (well, minus the 10 per cent of our things that Allied Pickfords 'lost' or 'damaged') and I had all my favourite things again.
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Old Sep 29th 2006, 12:19 am
  #25  
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Default Re: Take everything or nothing at all?

Just brought ourselves (2 adults & 2 kids) a wooden dolls house and 6 suitcases. Important things like wedding album and photos Rellies brought over each time they visited us.

It was so stress free! Sold everything to friends and had the money to buy brand new (YES!) when we got here. Kids sold a lot of their toys that they had so many of they didn't know what to do with. It was great they had allof their own $$$$$$$$'s to spend on new toys and books. I think this helped them settle in here so quickly. We let them bring their 'special' toys of course we aren't that heartless!

It was the start of an adventure when we were on the plane to Sydney. We really did make the correct descision as the week after we emigrated we decided to check out Melbourne as we had never been and although we had relatives in Sydney and we had spent a total of 5 months there over the last 7 years we wanted to just have a look at Mel before making roots and getting the children settled. So glad we didn't bring anything to be shipped or we would have had to then ship it to Melbourne as we fell in love with it within 48 hours! It was the easiest house move ever! found rental house and arranged for new beds and fridge to be delivered that day straight from the shops. Just picked up bits and bats as we went along and it kept me busy when husband was working (In Sydney believe it or not!) and kids were at school.

So for us no regrets about not bringing anything but everybody is different. It also depends on how many things of sentimental value you may have etc.

Good luck in your decision.

LJJ
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Old Sep 29th 2006, 6:53 am
  #26  
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Default Re: Take everything or nothing at all?

Originally Posted by samnsam
Just interested in what those who have already emigrated did in regards to shipping everything out or selling the lot and buying new in Oz. We are more for selling the lot as by the time we get out there we could probably do with a change and I couldn't face all that packing and labeling (my worst nightmare). Who thinks this wouldn't be to bad an option or should I, when the time comes, just knuckle down and get on with it.
look forward to your comments.
Sam x.
Take what you can!!!. We gave away so much or sold it and had to replace it at the other end obviously at a cost. Endlessly we were saying 2 wish we had brought that or this" We were so wary about the AQUIS but wish we had just said sod it and taken stuff. Mind you some white goods you will need straight away ie fridge etc so it may be an idea to sell before you go. However you could always end up with a spare when you get here!
Good luck anyway!!
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Old Sep 29th 2006, 7:50 am
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Default Re: Take everything or nothing at all?

Bring the lot, including the kitchen sink unless you have $20k to $30k going spare to furnish the houses out here...

We brought everything and we've still spent about $12k on filling up our house.
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Old Sep 29th 2006, 9:05 am
  #28  
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Default Re: Take everything or nothing at all?

Originally Posted by ljj
Just brought ourselves (2 adults & 2 kids) a wooden dolls house and 6 suitcases. Important things like wedding album and photos Rellies brought over each time they visited us.

It was so stress free! Sold everything to friends and had the money to buy brand new (YES!) when we got here. Kids sold a lot of their toys that they had so many of they didn't know what to do with. It was great they had allof their own $$$$$$$$'s to spend on new toys and books. I think this helped them settle in here so quickly. We let them bring their 'special' toys of course we aren't that heartless!

It was the start of an adventure when we were on the plane to Sydney. We really did make the correct descision as the week after we emigrated we decided to check out Melbourne as we had never been and although we had relatives in Sydney and we had spent a total of 5 months there over the last 7 years we wanted to just have a look at Mel before making roots and getting the children settled. So glad we didn't bring anything to be shipped or we would have had to then ship it to Melbourne as we fell in love with it within 48 hours! It was the easiest house move ever! found rental house and arranged for new beds and fridge to be delivered that day straight from the shops. Just picked up bits and bats as we went along and it kept me busy when husband was working (In Sydney believe it or not!) and kids were at school.

So for us no regrets about not bringing anything but everybody is different. It also depends on how many things of sentimental value you may have etc.

Good luck in your decision.

LJJ
Thanks everyone for your comments, Ive certainly got a few ideas to think about, I'm coming round to the idea of shipping out sentimental stuff such as photos (lots of) and my beautiful Budah that my OH bought me for Valentines day 3 years ago this was the one thing I really didnt want to leave behind. Our 3 kids aged 9, 10 and 11 are definitely up for selling their stuff for a wad of cash. And they cant wait to have a shopping spree.
Anyway thanks again for your comments and good luck to those like myself who have not yet been granted visas.
Sam x.
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Old Nov 23rd 2006, 9:02 am
  #29  
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Smile Re: Take everything or nothing at all?

We came to Oz on my 457 visa whic we viewed as the first step to PR - 6 months ago and sold everything on advice from a mate who had emigrated the year before.

Pro's: you get to buy new stuff, your old stuff may not look so good in your new Aussie place, you save a shed load of money in shipping.

Cons: you get nothing for your old stuff when you sell it, you miss stuff you are sentimentally attached to, it costs a packet to buy all new.

We also found out too late that my employer would have paid for relocating the whole lot!!

It all depends on the person. Just do whatever YOU want and ignore the rest.

J


Originally Posted by samnsam
Just interested in what those who have already emigrated did in regards to shipping everything out or selling the lot and buying new in Oz. We are more for selling the lot as by the time we get out there we could probably do with a change and I couldn't face all that packing and labeling (my worst nightmare). Who thinks this wouldn't be to bad an option or should I, when the time comes, just knuckle down and get on with it.
look forward to your comments.
Sam x.
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Old Nov 23rd 2006, 9:29 am
  #30  
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Default Re: Take everything or nothing at all?

We went through the same dilemma but as we knew we wanted to ship photos, computers and hubby's guitars we decided to go for half a container which meant we left some stuff behind and bought some new stuff as soon as we got a rental. We sold dining table and 3piece for peanuts and gave loads of household stuff away to anyone who was interested. If I had to do it again, I think I would just pay for the container and ship the whole lot.

As another poster said, the likelihood is that you will end up in a larger house anyway which means additional furniture. (we have two lounge suites and a bed settee!).

I resent pulling money out for stuff such as stepladders and baking tins etc., which I am still buying one year on.

The only thing I dont regret is not bringing double bed, majority of beds here would be queen or king size and I think these are more comfortable in the heat when you have room to stretch out.

Julia
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