Cheetah7

Hello

We are hoping to finish our packing this weekend or by Monday latest. I reckon we will have no more than 6 boxes which isnt much and I cant explain why its taken so long.

We have to buy two more suitcases tomorrow so we can assess just how much we can fit in for our 40kg each luggage allowance.

I cant wait till its over.

fin

Hello and Thankyou!

Yes we are the packers lol and I tell you I can't wait to be an un-packer thats for sure!!

Welcome to the site!!

Ahhh you're so lucky to be finishing on Monday! I'm back in work and have been for the last two days. Last day of the shift on Monday, so I should get my packing done by Friday! Then when I know exactly how many boxes we have I'll be ringing around for quotes! I think I'll have about 8 boxes. Who are you planning on using to ship?

I came to the UK with a suitcase and I'm leaving with a husband and 8 boxes!!

Cheetah7

Did I say Monday?

I bought two new suitcases today, a huge one for Mr PP and a smaller one for me which really is too small and I shall end up taking 3 suitcases now including my smaller one. I fell in love with this cass in TK Max - its blue and pink and I just loved it, common sense went out of the window and I thought 'size doesnt matter' and I bought it.

Then I had to get the two buggers home, so now we have 4 cases plus the little one.

Tomorrow we shall see what fits into what and where and how and everything.

Im hoping Ill be finished ASAP because its getting to me now. I was hoping to do a car boot but that looks like it wont come off now.

Ebay seems like too much hard work, I have some old vintage bears to sell but just dont seem to have time to sell them.

fin

I spent way too much on my suitcase because I liked the look of it!! I love it though. I reckon you've got to have a good looking case though right?

Yeah it's getting to me too. My bedroom is like box city and they're just in the way! I can't seem to get organised either and usually I am, so thats annoying me aswell.

We were going to do the ebay thing, but like you thought it was too much hassle. We did sell my husbands PS2 and games on there though. We've put a few things on the staff notice board at work which have sold. The one thing we really need to sell though is the fridge and haven't had any interest in it at all! It's only 4 months old too!!

I can't wait for tomorrow to be over and done with now so I can get everything sorted. I definitely want the boxes picked up by the end of Jan!!!

Cheetah7

Well we didnt get any packing done today because I felt poorly, although we did manage to go through 10 years of paperwork and do some sifting and sorting, narrowing it into one small box which I shall divide into sections tomorrow - tax, bank, etc....

My mind isnt on it though. Ive got a bitch at work that has it in for me and Dad goes into hospital tomorrow for heart tests.

Packing? Last thing on my mind but still so much to do.

We are thinking of buying our bedding - duvet, sheets and stuff and shipping it out to save money - if we have room in the boxes and using those vacuum bags where you suck the air out.

They say bedding is costly in Oz, I dont know though.

My head is scrambled.

fin

Hey!

Is everyone still about? Well our boxes are finally packed and with the shippers! We ended up using crown relocations. It cost £370 for 9 boxes, from Chippenham to North Lakes door to door. I got various quotes and they seemed to be the best bet! They picked it up today - although they were meant to be here yesterday but called to say they had broken down. I was worried that this was the start of a horrible journey for my boxes!!! Oh well, it's done now and hopefully they'll arrive at the other end all safe!

I didn't get insurance as I packed them myself. I could only get insurance to cover if the whole ship went down, they wouldn't cover the items in the boxes because they didn't pack them. At the end of the day it's only bits and bobs - yes I'll be upset if things go missing but it won't be the end of the world I guess!

Anyway what stage is everyone else at now?

Cheetah7

Hello there

Ive been packing tonight, just finished and Im shattered. It was a case of coming home from work, bath, have a bite to eat, call British Gas and British Telecom and then get down to some packing.

We are taking 6 boxes and all I have to do now is finalise 2 of those boxes - add Mr PP's shoes once they dry after their scrub, add his coat and favourite pillow.

Sort out the 6th box and just write out the customs forms. The shippers will come Saturday - well they said I have to phone them tomorrow to book it, but it will be Saturday morning

Im so bloody tired, I just want one night where I dont think about Australia or have to do anything to do with it.

Anyway, Im on my own tonight so Ive just sat down to a coffee and I am going to chill for the rest of the evening. The cat is bouncing up and down on various boxes.

fin

I know what you mean! I can't stop thinking about Australia, but I don't mind constantly thinking about it as it's different for me as I'm going home!!

I was stressing out about my boxes after I packed them and sealed them as I read some where about removing batteries and I was sure somewhere in each box there was a hidden battery!! So there I was 2am Tuesday Morning opening each and every box I'd already packed and sealed looking for a battery! I found three batteries in total!

I then started stressing about my shoes and whether they were clean enough, so I re-opened that box and re-checked them all....again. I also removed medication that I had packed and decided to take it on the plane with me!

Then filling in the customs form, well I stressed out about having to list the 'new' items. I bought 2 Dysons (I work for dyson so they were factory refurbished ones) so I listed them but stated they weren't really new, but also added they had new filters, bins & cyclones so they wouldn't think they were dusty. They look brand new though so I don't know how much I'll get charged for those!!

So anyway ended up going bed at about 3:30 and then I was up at 7:30 typing out my list of box contents and making sure every box was sealed and I also put a UK address and an Aus address on the boxes. Turned out that the removalists didn't turn up on Tuesday, but Wednesday so there was no need for my sleepless night the night before!!

Well good luck for Saturday! I hope you're not as stressy as I was about my boxes!! I'll let you know how things go at the other end when they get there! I've been told it can take 12-16 weeks because they will be fitting them into someone elses container or something. Who knows, as long as I get them I'll be happy!

Poppydreams

Hi to you both.
I was majorly stressing out about the whole shipping stuff last week and who to go with (possibly Allied Pickfords??). We need the stuff right till the day we leave and I was worried about what we would do without our stuff for 2-3 months at the other end!! However, my parents and my brother have got some extra things for us to borrow so panic over.
Fin, how are you going to get on without your stuff until you leave (if you don't mind me asking)!

fin

Hello!!

of course I don't mind you asking! Well at the moment we're living with my husbands parents, so we're in the one room with all our bits (it's a big room!) Basically we got rid of our bed when we moved in so we're sleeping on their spare bed, I sold my bedside cabinets, and a few other bits. Just before we leave we'll be selling our TV and my husbands beer fridge which is all we basically have left to sell that we don't want to take! I went through all my clothes and sorted out the ones I'll need here to last me the next 6 weeks and the ones I'll need when I'm in Aus. Basically I have very limited winter clothes left here so will just have to wash every second day - but I'm ok with that. We both have laptops and we'll be taking them in our backpacks on the plane. So really all we've left to take is our clothes, PS3 (husband insisted on that being in his suitcase - I wasn't going to argue!) hairdryer and straightner, camera & video camera and a few toiletries. I mean there may be a few things that we can't take with us that we forgot to pack, but if thats the case we'll have a box full of stuff for my husbands parents to ship over when we get there!

At the other end, as you know we'll be staying with my parents so I know we'll be fine!

It's very stressful packing and what not, but it has to be done so I just packed the things I didn't really need to use for the next 6 weeks!!

Poppydreams

OK - you're so lucky. I wish we had that option. Unfortunately, OH's parents are separated and it just wouldn't be viable (especially with 4year old in tow!).
Doesn't this weather suck!!!!!! I want some sunshine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:thu mbup:

kendalanita

I'll be starting our packing in the next month or so - which company has anyone used and this may sound a stupid question - but - what Australia address do you put on as we won't have an address until we get there and have got accommodation sorted - is this a really stupid question?!! My daughter lives in Cairns but I dont want to send it all the way up there if our job offer is in Adelaide!

andym79

Who are you moving your stuff with if you don't mind my asking.

Some companies have told us we can't pack our own stuff!

fin

I think there is an option on storage, so basically instead of giving an Aus address, just say how many weeks/months you'll need it in storage for! We used Crown Relocations.

We used crown relocations, and only had 9 boxes to ship, so it's not like we had a whole house full. With ourselves packing we were unable to get insurance on individual boxes.

Yeah the weather has been crappy. In saying that I'll probably be moaning about the hot weather when we get back!

kendalanita

To get the 40kg allowance are you flying via USA? Is this the only way to get this allowance?