izzi81

have sent you a PM...

energysolutions

Ditto......

izzi81

Well, I am currently sitting in a flat surrounded by boxes! Hamiltons were here today doing the packing, and it seems to have gone well. 2 guys worked just about non-stop all day to get it all done, apart from the bed and the computer - the essentials! the rest gets done tomorrow early morning, and then the container arrives at 10am. Hopefully it all fits!

I'll report back tomorrow afternoon, no doubt feeling even weirder than I do right now...

99problems

I went with Clipper Cargo (Air Transat) and they have been quite efficient and I collect from customs at Calgary airport on Saturday (18th). Hope it all goes to plan....

Kaye5

for you, Izzi! Hope all gets uplifted ok.

When do you fly?

izzi81

It's packed and away!
Guys started at 730am this morning, container all packed by 12pm. Took a photo of the seal so I have a record of it lol. Got a few things to do this afternoon but will write a longer post this evening about the whole experience.

We fly to Iceland on Tuesday, stay for a few days then arrive in Canada on Friday. Next week

Kaye5

Exciting times! We're not far behind you. Packers arrive 29th May. We fly out on 13th June - also via Iceland though sadly we couldn't afford a stopover.

99problems

thats interesting obviously with Icelandair. We plan to go back via Rekjavik in a year - it breaks it up and I get to do the glacier trip again - if you haven't been before Iceland can be done in about 3/4 days - golden circle trip, go round Rekjavik and Blue lagoon on way back from airport. Wea re in Calgary and move into new apt today been here 5 weeks now...

izzi81

OK, here's a longer post about our removal experience so far

The pack was over 2 days, though really it was a day and a half. There were 2 guys packing, mainly because we'd gone for the budget option which meant 2 guys rather than 3, so our 2 guys worked really hard over both days. There was a younger guy, who seemed to be the one experienced with international shipping and container packing, and an older guy. Both were very nice and friendly and consumed more tea than I've ever seen anyone drink! I think removal men are powered by tea lol.

The only negative was at the very beginning. John (from Moving Partnership) phoned in the afternoon on Wednesday (packing was on Thurs-Fri) to ask if there was any way they could come and start packing on Wednesday night because the container was due to arrive at 10am on Friday and they were a bit worried about the time. Unfortunately our flat was still a tip, and there was no way they could start packing. So I said no that wasn't possible. They didn't mind, but John told me the removal guys would phone me on my mobile that evening to confirm their arrival time but it woudl probably be able 9am. I waited, no one phoned.
Next morning I got up early to do more organising, maybe about 7.15am, and they turned up at 7.45am! Good thing I was up early lol. They hadn't been told that they were to phone me, they thought the office had told me they'd be arriving 7.30-8am. Hmmm. But after that everything went smoothly. We still had things to organise so they worked around us; I separated out things not to be packed so they could just rattle through stuff. Slowly the flat became less full of stuff and more full of boxes! They worked until 6.45pm or so and when they left everything except the bed and the computer was packed up.

So this morning they were here at 7.30am (arranged this time!) and worked full speed through everything else. The container was due to arrive at 10 but turned up at 8.45, something they'd said might happen. Their 3hrs for packing starts when the container turns up, so they worked fast to try to get it done but ended up going over by maybe 30mins because they weren't ready to start stocking the container straight away.

I'd been really worried that everything wouldn't fit - when you see all the boxes totally filling your flat it looks scary! - but in the end there was plenty of room to spare. The young guy did all the packing in the container, while the other guy brought stuff out from the house, and it was like a giant game of tetris. The weather was gorgeous, blue skies and sunshine, I watched planes leaving from Glasgow heading north

So everything was packed, I took photos of the full container, and then it was closed and sealed! Scary to know that all our worldly goods - bar 4 suitcases - are in that container. The driver was friendly as well, said it was off to Grangemouth and that the ships sail at the weekend so we'll have to wait and see whether it leaves this weekend or next.

And now here we are, in a flat with no furniture! We have a TV, SKy box, 2 camp beds, fridge, microwave, plastic plates etc. and the laptop. We can survive for 4 days

Lastly... the little details I learned from my first packing experience....

1. You can never be too ready for them to arrive. You have to *really* think about what you need to not be packed - we ended up with a couple of things (books, car reg document) being packed and we then had to rummage to find them again. NS maps were packed and not recovered, as was a small amount of Canadian dollars. There are 3 categories... things that are definitely going with you in luggage, things that are definitely going in the container, and a few things that you don't want to go in the container that you won't think about! So take a good amount of time thinking about what you need to take with you for the first few weeks out there.

2. They will pack everything. This sounds daft, but I didn't think it through enough! Iain (my OH) likened them to locusts (in a nice way lol). They descent, they pack everything, they leave. They pack *everything*. Those cleaning products under the sink that you'd forgotten about? Packed. Everything in the cutlery drawer, including the plastic tray that belongs to the rental flat not you? Packed. If your granny was sitting in the flat she'd get packed up and loaded in the container before you realised!

3. Have a kettle, mugs, teabags, milk and sugar handy. They will drink a *lot* of tea.

4. Don't panic about it. I have a tendency to stress about things, and got worried about the packing process, about whether it would fit in the container, about whether things would get packed by accident. It's all fine. It all fitted, because everyone had estimated that it would. Yes, a few things got packed by accident. But they're in the container! Nothing got left behind, it will all get there eventually.

OK I think this post is quite long enough Another update to follow once the container arrives in Canada!

Siouxie

Great post!

Hope that the ship leaves on time and you have your stuff back soon.

Kaye5

+1

Strangely, I had just this morning noted to remove vital documents from my "office" folders the night before (like our car papers, various certificates AND the Canadian paperwork)! I had visions of it being swept away never to be found again.

We're getting to the semi-organised state, although still some way to go.

.... a feeling of mild panic has set in today.

bcmama

Sounds like it went well for you, that's good to hear! Best of luck for your move over. Our stuff will be heading to Grangemouth next Friday - assuming all goes to plan

izzi81

Yup all seems to be going ok so far, though I won't be relaxed until the stuff arrives with us in Canada! Just discovered something else that got packed that shouldn't have - my mums holiday diary. She'd loaned it to me, I promised it wouldn't get packed