pockygoes

I know that it has probably been asked a hundred times but....

the general consensus seems to be to take everything that you can.

We have a dilema - have had 3 removal companies around and the stuff we are taking is too much for a 20ft container (we are approx 30% over) but could fill a 40 ft if we took absolutely everything - hubbie is of the opinion to go with the 20ft & get rid of the rest.

Now, we have 1 large double wardrobe & a single - as most Oz homes have built in robes - is it worth taking? Of those that have gone before - did you need the wardrobes or would you have left them if you had to do it again?

The other thing is the range cooker. We have a leisure range cooker that is about 18 mths old & we love it. It is dual fuel - has anyone taken their gas cooker & did it work & would you take it again if given the choice. We know that we will probably have to change the burners & regulator - is it worth it - I waited so long for it & would ove to take it - most Oz homes have built in cookers too don't they?

Of the big stuff that people have taken - would you have taken it if you had to move again?

We need to lose 350 cubic whatevers!!!!

cheers

pockygoes

sky

We are in NZ but think most of the houses are similar to oz and they have fitted wardrobes in most houses so would probably find a new home for them. I regretted not bringing everything to nz, we sold our house with most of the appliances so had to rebuy here which was a bit of a hassle. We brought our electric cooker because it was brand new though but every house we have looked at had a cooker in and the one we have bought has a fitted one so now ours is surplus so will just sell. Dont know about oz but in NZ the gas is in bottles not piped so dont know how compatible a uk gas cooker would be if oz is the same.
Should be lots of people on here who are in oz who should be more able to answer your question though

pockygoes

sky

Did you take things like wardrobes & chests of drawers. We are really in a dilema - half of me wants to take everything, the other
half of me wants to limit the stuff & replace some of it when we get there. it is the expense too - you just don't know how long it will take to get work etc.

Hope that people will share their experiences.

pockygoes

yafm

Hi Don't know about NZ but in australia there are lots of places with town gas. If you have to use bottled your cooker will need conversion. We brought everything we could fit into a 20 ft container and wished we had got a 40 ft one in the end We had to leave some things behind dish washer tumble dryer booze frig and lots of tools
It would have been cheaper to go the other 1000 sterling to go to the 40 ft container. and brought everything. Tools and diy goods are not cheap here.
We left behind a tile cutter - they are $99 plus and not as good as the one left and you do - if you are diy-ers tile floors here.
The camping gear like lights and cookers were left behind because we were told they did not have the same 'gaz' and gas bottles for the appliances here. Wrong they do and we gave them away!!!
Silly things like coat hangers they take up a fair bit of room but think of going out and buying all you will need again. Most homes here imn oz have built in wardrobes but not a large bedroom and not much room for chests of drawers and therefore more stuff needs hanging up.
All white goods are dearer here and he UK ones do work quite well we have found. Also of course you do keep far more in the frig's due to the ants and heat - bread jams cake and etc.
So long as they are packed property painmts - mostly the water based ones are good to bring - the cost of paint here is hair raising!!:scared:
Just make sure that all your garden tools and good are clean - we scraped, cleaned and painted handles and b;lades of spades trowels etc. and wish we have brought the garden vac and the strimmer although the lawn mower would not have been much use. Garden furniture was left behind but cleaned up and washed over with Jeyes fluid it would have easily got thru customs. Light fittings are very expensive here so if you like your uk ones bring them - they will fit - wiring is the same as UK.
I took a chance and brought over lots of my store cupboard food. Tinned goods I still had on the shelf and home made jams and chutneys. They got thru without being looked at. - BRING YOUR OWN MAYONAISE the stuff out here is full of sugar and quite peculiar to our tastes.
Pasta sugar rice and etc got thru ok the only things hey threw away were some already opened curry and chilly powder and things like bicarb and tubes of tomato paste etc which I had inadvertently packed. They charged me $75 to throw away an ice cream container full of these items.
The spice rack complete with contents got thru ok and has been a godsend out here.
Really bring everything you can and lots of things you do not think you will want (you can always have a garage sale after you have settled) and recoup some of your costs.
We also would recommend PSS removals if you have not tried them for a quote yet.

cafa123

20' or 40' - try and get your employer to allow B]salary sacrifice [/B] - this is an Aus system that allows various costs to be taKen out of pre tax $ - so on the top rate it saves you 48.5% of the cost. This is an allowable cost, and costs your employer nothing - well it actualy saves them a $ or two because they pay less payroll tax

If you employer does allow salary sacrifice (and if not then ask them why not), then look into an Assoiciated Lease for your car costs - can save $,000s per year. Must be the only palce in the world (that I know of) where you can get the Tax office to fund your car![

sky

Good tip about the coat hangers we left or threw ours and really really wish we hadnt. We brought the chests of drawers and am so glad we did ... most fitted wardrobes are deep enough to put the drawers inside and thats what Ill be doing. Im just saying from my experience and Ive not been here long I really regret not bringing EVERY mortal thing. The fridge although a couple of years old would have been great in the garage for wine and beer and I am going to have to buy another one now. I was even at one point thinking of just selling everything and landing with just our suitcases, it seemed such a hassle arranging it all but I am so glad I didnt, you have no idea just how much your stuff will mean to you when you are on the other side. I was even blubbering over the bedding for goodness sake as I unpacked it cos it still smelt of home

cafa123

Just don't forget the 6 week delay in getting your gear - and can be upto 10 weeks, plus customs clearance.

So anything you have to buy to get over that 6 - 10 weeks, you may consider not bringing it - unless you want two! And what do you do with all that stuff - in the UK lots of social is inside the house, so we tend to stuff up with lots of gear. In Aus it is mostly outside, so different type of gear required.

We ended up with 2 dinning sets, 2 lounge sets, spare beds etc.

Colin.

Ceri

Leave the wardrobes for sure, I have never ever lived in a house that did not have built -in's . If you're building or buying new - forget them again, all new homes have walk in wardrobes. I think your wasting your time bringing your wardrobes .. very few homes here have no wardrobes.

Cooker - I'd say leave it, sell it and if the cooker is not up to your scratch here, buy a new one from good guys.
Bring everything else with you (ie good furniture)

cheers

P.s .. stock up on cheap DVD movies (assuming you have a multi player) ... I recently went back to the UK where I purchased "Hellraiser" for 5.99 (pounds)... here it is a "new release" on DVD (it's an old 80's film) .. it's close to $40 !!!! (can't get over that)

DianeOZ

Leave the wardrobes, bring the chest of drawers. We have a pine wardrobe sitting in the family room looking rather out of place.

Leave the cooker too, sorry I know you love it.

Diane

jayr

Disagree. The trick is to send it say 10 weeks before you leave. That way you borrow everything you need off friends and family in the UK, get inflatable mattress, wire coat hangers etc. It is much easier to do this than it is do so at the other end when you don't know anyone. Wish we'd done that

DianeOZ

That's what we did...blow up beds, borrowed linen & crockery - everyone rallied round & was glad to help. it was a bit manic returning everything the day before we flew but great to have everything here as soon as we arrived.

sky

We stayed at mums before we moved and our stuff was shipped before we left uk but were still some weeks without our stuff. The hubbys boss lent us a portable tv and a sofa and we went out and bought mattresses and blow up airbeds to sleep on,a budget dinnerset with glasses and cutlery included, some really cheap tacky pans and a very cheap kettle,toaster and iron and I mean cheap but they did us proud for the time we waited for our things to arrive

Sandra

Both rental and house we bought have some bedrooms without fitted wardrobes - but agree if you are building or buying new you will not need to bring over. But chests of drawers and storage is always handy.

I brought two wardrobes over and do use them. Oh for the tip about the hangers, we spent a fortune buying new ones.

We went for the 40ft - and I only regret the things we did not bring

Cheers Sandra

JubJub

You need to look for traditional egg based mayonaisse, it should be in the supermarket next to the Kraft stuff that is very sweet as you have found..

jayr

I am still to this day buying hangers after 14 months.