findingherself

My husband and I are moving to Germany (Stuttgart )
i'm not only nervous about moving somewhere so far away from home but i'm confused on what to bring! furniture and clothing.Is furniture and thing cheaper or not. i have no idea how to speak German ..sigh ..
i'm trying to do this positive and open minded but its soooooooooooooo hard.

is there any type of house good i should bring with me. Any advice ? i'm all ears.

tonrob

Definitely take bog roll. That narrow European stuff will get you into all sorts of trouble. But leave the beer at home. Theirs is better.

Novocastrian

And don't forget the kitchen sink. And the taps.

tonrob

And all the clothes you've bought since the 1980s.

Assanah

Well, both options are expensive. I would not send your furniture unless it is really top quality or you really love them . Sometimes it can be a comfort to have your things around you in a foreign land. You can also always buy reasonably cheap furniture in Germany. Look at the websites of Ikea for example or google "möbel", "möbelhaus", "einrichtungshaus" in Stuttgart. You will be able to compare prices. I think you should be able to navigate the sites - you only need a few German words - such as Wohnzimmer - living room, badezimmer - bathroom, Bett -bed, Tisch -table. You'll figure it out.
I would pack as many of your favorites clothes as possible - if you move now take your winter clothes and have the rest send over later.
Enjoy your stay in Stuttgart. My sister lives there.

gryff31

Hi, Were currently living in the US too and were moving to Erbach Germany in December.. I would say it depends whether your paying for the shipping of your furniture on whether you should take it.. transport can be expensive so if you are I would properly buy again in Germany..

Clothes etc are definitely cheaper here in the US. so maybe treat yourself to a new wardrobe before the move. I know i have for our move, our company is paying our shipping so where taking most off our furniture (however think the King Bed has to stay here! Can't find an apartment big enough! LOL) Bought new clothes (especially winter stuff) /shoes for the family, and new bikes for us all as they were definitely cheaper to buy here here.

If you do ship anything, make sure it doesn't look new or be prepared to pay tax again. ensure all new tags are taken of clothes and things look used. also if things are new it may delay your shipment at customs unless you have declared everything

Good luck with your move

notathome

Welcome to the forum.
One thing you should note is that all electrical appliances in the USA are not designed for use here. Germany (Europe) uses 230 volts. Otherwise unless someone is paying your removals sell up in the USA and buy here. The language is a problem you can solve here. In Stuttgart they speak with a strong dialect anyway!
Bring warm clothing, the winter is beginning here. It could last until May.
Try to think of the move as an extended 'holiday', the area you are moving to is beautiful. Once here you will make friends and if you have family back home, connect to Skype on internet, then you can see who you are talking to live, we use it to speak to our family and friends all over the world. It is free.
Any other questions, please fire away.