dh1905

Hi all,
We should be moving out of our house in the 2nd week of January and so have started to pack ready for our move over to Oz in April.
I just dont know how far to go with bringing stuff over, I have loft full of my daughters every drawing, model, scribble!! I also have my own birthday cards from god knows how long ago, old school books, teddies, etc.
My hubby has motorbike gear and dont know whether to sell here and buy new when we get there??
We aren't getting a container as the furniture had been sold with the house so we are paying for a part of one, just for our bits and pieces.

One the one hand I think take everything on the other hand I think c'mon save the shipping cost, am I ever going to need all this stuff!! Why cart it around the world.

Just interested in what others took...

While on the subject of taking things to Australia, can I take food items as long as sealed?? I am thinking galaxy bars

Thanks for your thoughts, Donna x

worzel

It is down to personal preference. Some bring almost nothing and start again. Others bring everything. For us we brought most stuff except: wardrobes (most places have walk-ins here), garden stuff (a lot of hassle getting it clean enough), some of our worst flat pack furniture (even some we brought didn't survive the journey). What has surprised me is that we were really ruthless with getting rid of clutter before we came out - several trips to the tip, ebay, newspaper adds etc but we still have about 15 boxes of stuff we aren't unpacking as we have no need for it. As for kids stuff, we let our daughter keep half of her soft toys and reduced keepsakes to one box full of only the most important stuff. Food depends on what it is - you can't bring things that could harbour pests / diseases like fruit / meat but I think chocolate is okay so long as you disclose it. What it will be like after sweating on the boat for a month is another matter!!

Pollyana

Most food is OK - avoid meat/milk/fish/fruit/veg. You can bring packets of dried stuff as long as they are sealed. Stuff like sealed Christmas cakes and puddings are fine. Tins are OK as long as they don't contain the stuff I already mentioned! Crisps and chocolate are fine too - if the choc melts a bit just stuff it in the fridge for a while!

Lottle tip for people coming in with food, from holidays as well as the emigration itself - make a list of what you have, then you can show that to the AQIS people. That way you won't forget anything! Also, try and pack it in one bag, then if they do want to inspect something,you don't need to unpack everything!

Wave the Sails

Personally I would avoid foodstuffs it can only cause problems as they might think you have more than you are saying. Hand luggage fine, but shipping, don't bother.

One thing I didn't think of was the size of bedding/bed linen. Brought all our duvet covers but not the duvets themselves as they were too bulky and we thought 'we'll just get new ones'. Well they are longer here so nothing fits. Either leave the lot and start again (but it's expensive for decent stuff) or bring lots of different tog duvets.

HTH

biggy

we bought new duvets before we came I put them and the pillows in vacuum bags..its amazing how much stuff u get in one of them.......I had 10 bedding sets in one large bag which went down to as flat as a pancake, bloody heavy tho...but then u dont pay for weight just volume. Did this with all the kids cuddly toys too. also put our fotos etc in vacuum bags saved them getting damp. All your old cards and books etc....if they mean a lot to u then bring them its not that expensive....the thing that u need to remember the most expsive part of shipping is the insurance, but things like fotos amd memories u cant replace so no need to insure

Wave the Sails

Flippin eck, what a good idea. Aaah the benefit of hindsight!!

biggy

the blokes from pickfords couldnt beleive the amount i got in them lol...u just suck some of the air out then squish the bottom half into the box....then suck the rest of air out till bag fits in the box.....or just get the packers to wrap the stuff up in bubble wrap

cranni

We brought 5 suitcases , 3 kids, and 5 tchest followed.
For us a new life , new furniture,
I did not find the furniture too expensive , bought from Harvey Norman, and went to Macro for most of the bedding, towels, pots and pans.
As we have gone along, i have bought more in Sales, at Sheridens [good quality].
We had most our bedroom furnitue fitted in Uk . I did not want to bring beds, Oue bed we left for our kids back home.
We sold some furniture, had car boots.
Im glad we did not bring electrical good, as i here stories about them not working . my friend brought her washer, she has to send back to UK for parts.
We are building a new house , and i have seen so many times , furniture just not looking right in the new house, but they hang on to it , because it cost a fortune to bring over.
It really is a personal choice. I have no regrets what so ever. Denise
by the way it cost us 350 pound to bring 5 t chest.

Sleeping Beauty

We are building a new house , and i have seen so many times , furniture just not looking right in the new house, but they hang on to it , because it cost a fortune to bring over.
It really is a personal choice. I have no regrets what so ever. Denise
by the way it cost us 350 pound to bring 5 t chest.[/QUOTE]


we were thinking of buying new leather sofas over here in the uk, and shipping them over (our current ones we are not taking, they are a bit old and battered). brother in australia has told us that if you have nice furniture in the uk to bring it over, especially as you CANT get nice leather sofas over there. i have read threads in the past on this, and i think you CAN. if fact, we even went as far as looking for them in the shops the other week :scared: ............. and then came to ours senses. what if we bought some, shipped them over, and they didnt look right/fit into the house we were renting/bought. so we have decided not to.

hubbie would be quite happy shipping nothing, or the bare minimal, and is quite willing to sell furniture with the house. he cant see the point spending £xxx to ship it over, when you buy over there. me, same goes probably, but i would want to take sentimental stuff as well.

cranni

we were thinking of buying new leather sofas over here in the uk, and shipping them over (our current ones we are not taking, they are a bit old and battered). brother in australia has told us that if you have nice furniture in the uk to bring it over, especially as you CANT get nice leather sofas over there. i have read threads in the past on this, and i think you CAN. if fact, we even went as far as looking for them in the shops the other week :scared: ............. and then came to ours senses. what if we bought some, shipped them over, and they didnt look right/fit into the house we were renting/bought. so we have decided not to.

hubbie would be quite happy shipping nothing, or the bare minimal, and is quite willing to sell furniture with the house. he cant see the point spending £xxx to ship it over, when you buy over there. me, same goes probably, but i would want to take sentimental stuff as well.[/QUOTE]
tOTALLY AGREE WITH YOUR HUBBY, NEW HOUSE NEED NEW FURNITURE, OR AT LEAST HAS TO LOOK GOOD, AND IF IT DOENT YOUR GOING TO BE PEED OFF. AND YOU WILL KEEP IT BECAUSE IT COST THOUSANDS TO BRING OVER, HERE IS A PIC OF MY LOUNGE SUITE, SEATS 10 COMFORTABLE, LEATHER, 3 PIECES, COST 3995 DOLLARS. COFFE TABLE 300 DOLLARS. IT WIL LOOK BETTER IN THE NEW HOUSE THOUGH. DENISE
EXCUSE THIS MESS WE,VE JUST EATEN.

Anastasia Beaverhausen

If you are going to buy them over here I recommend the Ikea Extorp leather sofas. They are 400 for a 2 seater, but they do 3 seaters aswell. The 2 seaters are quite large though. We bought 2 in January this years and they are still in perfect condition, despite the batterings of a toddler. They have foam seats so hold their shape well. I know Ikea isnt everyones cup of tea, but these sofas are the best thing I have ever bought.

edit - Just noticed you are already over, never mind

cranni

Yes we saw some in Ikea the other week, looked good, we need some more for theatre room when we move, and im taking my son and girlfriend there when they come over, i think they will like them.

karenjc

We bought everything!!! I'm so happy to be surrounded by my stuff again it really makes it feel like home but as everyone says its personal choice.
Karen x

dh1905

We originally wanted to bring EVERYTHING in our house, but our buyers wanted our furniture so we thought what the hell, sell it to them!

I think I have decided to bring every momento I own even if I stick them in the loft in Oz and only pull them out every 5 years, so what, I love having stuff that brings back all the memories and having a good few hours every now and again pouring over the stuff will do no harm.
I am taking the advice about the vacum packs, I have the argos book out as we speak!! ( what will I do without that book!)- great idea- thanks

I think I'm also going to bring a few things from around the house like my wall pics, twigs and vases- am I mad bringing twigs??- hubby thinks so, but I love them!!

The house is like a bomb site at the moment as we have the entire loft contents spilling out everywhere, while sorting out, we must have 500 soft toys-any takers??!!!

Donna x

Larissa

We brought loads of crap with us, honestly, I don't know what I was thinking! Maybe I went overboard as I coldn't picture our new life without all that junk? Well, now we are in our own place after renting for nearly a year, I am now piling it all up in the alleyway, all ready for the bulk collection... plus trying to squeeze in loads each rubbish day. Now I'm settled, I know I can afford stuff, no need to cling on quite so much. We got really cheap shipping, so that wasn't an issue, but now my motto is "If it isn't beautiful or functional, chuck it out!" which is very cathartic. I keep a few things for sentimental purposes, but am soo much better!
BTW There are loads of furniture places here in Perth, I really don't think you will have a problem buying a leather sofa.