Aussie4me

Just wondering if anyone could help please. We will have to replace our dining room furniture as there is no way I want to take the existing stuff with me! Have seen a really lovely table in solid wood with leather chairs, all at a really good price. Question: Is it worth it?

I believe that it would need fumigating or some other process before entering Aus. How much would I be in for to get this done? Also, what about our bbq? Its great, but has wooden legs and side tables. Would it be worth taking it with us? I have looked at the AQIS website regarding importing timber, but I am finding it quite hard to understand - maybe I'm not reading it properly, but it seems quite complicated.

Having seen what I cannot take into Australia, I see it mentions bamboo and woven basketware - we have a coffee table made of bamboo and our bedroom furniture includes lots of basketware. Am I really going to have to get rid of it all, or is the cost of getting it treated going to be worth it?

Thanks for any help anyone can give me. (I did do a search for this but can't find specific info)

Thanks,

Lou

moneypenny20

If you're bringing a container worth of stuff and it's a bargain then bring it. It won't need fumigating - only untreated wood gets that sort of treatment, if they allow it in at all. Normal furniture is fine. However you can get great dining suites with leather chairs here so if you don't have a container don't bother.

By timber they mean raw untreated wood.

With regard the bamboo and wicker stuff, I'm fairly certain they won't let it in but I've not seen the AQIS site for years.

surfingwoozy

Hi,

Our shipping company said to us it was no problem as the table and chairs (at least the legs on the chairs were wood) as it had always been indoors. It is only outside furniture that gets scrutinised. I hope they were right as ours is on its way!

One thing to consider though is that if you buy new you have to declare anything under 1 year old and you could end up paying tax on it so I would try and get the VAT back in the UK - you could get the store to sell it for export.

I hope this helps

Paul.

Aussie4me

Moneypen20 thanks for your helpful reply. It looks as though the coffee table and bedroom furniture will have to stay here. What a bummer, as I spent AGES scouting around for the basketware stuff for the bedroom! Typical!

Paul, thanks for the info. Maybe we could take our new furniture. How could they PROVE your stuff is under a year old? (Maybe if I buy it now, by the time we come to ship next summer, it will already look very used!!)

I wonder if UK has the same strict requirements for people coming in to this country?!

Cheers, Lou x

Pollyana

They are very unlikely to do you for GST - they are really looking for high value, mainly electrical stuff, which is being brought in for re-sale

margy

Hi,

We had to get rid of our cane furniture and I've given away any baskets we had.

There are varying opinions on this but I didn't want to risk it.

Thanks.

M

BATS666

you can't claim VAT back on personal container exports. (ex VATman)

BATS666

we bought loads of new stuff summer 07 knowing we would be shipping this autumn.
Why? Well there's way more choice here and what there is Oz is either poorer quality or way more expensive. Even with the container costs we reckoned it'd be better to have what we wanted rather than simply what was available.
Re AQIS- wooden furniture is no problem unless it is old (antique) AND/OR shows signs of pest damage (woodworm etc). Even antique furniture shouldn't be a problem, as long as there are no little holes all over it and wee piles of sawdust here and there. Then you'll cop a nice fat bill for fumigation or irradiation. You'll be charged an AQIS examination charge anyway.
I'm not taking an expensive original deco suite coz it has horse hair filling, which is another no-no.
Bamboo is usually a no-no too.

carlap

We had a lot of old furniture we didn't want to bring, so got a shared container and saved some money there. Worried about the choice in Oz, but needn't have.

We were going to pay a bit and buy good quality, but ended up with a 7 piece dining suite for $500 and 2 bedside tables and tallboy for $500 (knocked $80 off price).

We were fed up with chunky traditional pine. This stuff is pine, but really nice contemporary stuff (well we think so) in darker stain. Drawers and backs are real wood, not hardwood.

After a couple of weeks we still love it !

Plus of course the trip to Ikea (melbourne). For the back room bought a klippan 2 seater for $280 and TV bench for $100. Still not bought lounge furniture as we can't decide on modular or more 'traditional' 3+2.

Another thing to consider is where you might be living. A lot of places we saw had large open plan living areas, but fairly small bedrooms with built in 'robes. Some of the things from the UK just would not have fit or just looked out of place.