Paul Wildy

What? Do your funiture and other posessions hold all sorts of bad memories? Moving to Canada to start a new life is about quality of life, a better home, new friends, good schools etc surely not about escaping from your furniture (unless, like I said, you still have the IKEA stuff from 20 years ago). I can't say that I see shipping your funiture as "bringing your old life with you".

Flossie and Jim

We are only looking at a part container load (about half a 20 cu ft container), hence why we are looking to 'downsize' a little! I can see that if you are going for a full container or near-full container then you may as well fit everything you can get in it!

Having said that we are still looking at around the 3 grand mark for 500 to 600 cu ft!!!

Flossie

Ginger3710

Thanks Oakvillian, I just did a quick google on Oakville bylaws and came across that thread. Seems it applies to many US communities as well. What a waste!

ladymoose

We brought nothing apart from 3 suitcases of clothes then followed up with 2 small crates of photo albums, kid's toys etc. The feeling of owning nothing apart from this little pile of stuff was actually really exiliarating Really felt free to start a new life unemcombered.

We didn't go out immediately and buy lots of stuff either - been here 3 years and over that time have very gradually bought just what we needed when we needed it ie when we had finally gathered enough stuff to fill a bookshelf or cupboard - we've gone and bought one but not before. Beds, a sofa, sheets, towels and a basic kitchen-ware set up were the only things we needed in the first couple of months really.

If you decide on this approach - a couple of tips though. Make sure you leave enough time in the UK to sell off what you aren't taking - we didn't and missed out on a lot of cash. Time your arrival here to the spring to take advantage of the many garage sales that take place through spring/summer - there are many good quality bargains to be had and it is a fabulous way to get to meet people in your local community especially a lot of ex-pats we found!

Also, in Edmonton, there are cheap furniture store to be found where the furniture is of a decent quality. And if you have cash and are buying a couple of things - they like to deal. Try the St.Albert area or the south side warehouses.

Member123

LAdymoose forgive me if you have stated this answer befrore but which shipping company did you use. We are of the same mind as you and were thinking of using excess baggage?

Cookie

We brought over a 20ft container and filled it to the brim.

Far cheaper to do that than try to start from scratch. With queen beds at around $1000+, without headboard or bedding, it'll cost you a fortune to furnish a family home.

We used our UK furniture to furnish our new family room. Really glad I took lots of kitchenware, chest of drawers, towels, bedding boxes of clothes, garden equipment, DIY tools as well as dvds, cds, books, PC, pictures, etc.

We still had to buy lots of new things here including all electricals, living room/dining furniture, plus of course a car so your money will soon be gobbled up anyway.

When our container arrived it was like Christmas in our house. I was sooooo pleased to have many familiar things around me. We weren't moving to Canada to start afresh, we were simply moving on

ladymoose

Hi Alvic - you know I haven't got a clue now who we used - sorry - but they weren't very good anyway, I wouldn't recommend them. One of the small crates we ordered custom made specifically to fit a couple of larger pictures that we wanted to bring over - they both arrived broken - both frame and glass. I'll go through some old paperwork and let you know if I can find the name of the company.

ann m

Yep - wot they all said !!

Take as much as you can - the shopping does get tiresome (and I never thought I'd say that!) - you do so much mileage running around trying to find what you want - and you spend so much money.

You would never replenish your kitchen cupboards or refurnish your house for the equivalent of the shipping costs, or what you got by flogging off your stuff in the paper or at the car boot. The £3k-£4k you spend on your shipping is probably one of your wiser investments in all this emigrating lark. Fill that container ! (but as someone else said, bring it if it works or is decent enough).

For a country so hot on timber products, I fail to see why nearly all the furniture here is dark coloured tat ! It's hard work to find some lighter coloured woods, good quality furniture and modern styles - I've never seen so much wrought iron or fancy and fussy rubbish reminiscent of a 1980's caravan. Be warned. There is some good stuff but it's hard to track down.

hot wasabi peas

Where on earth are you shopping?

ann m

HWP - I've been in every shop I spy ! From the big chains, to local arty farty shops. From furniture, to lamps to pictures - dark wood is in, big time - and I just don't like it

ladymoose

Our king-size plus headboard/frame was about $1000 all in - that's for a decent mattress as well with that memory foam stuff on the top. Maybe we just got lucky with the price? Got from a decent furniture store in St.Albert, Ed. about a year ago - before that we were on a blowup!

I think this is the key to figuring out how to approach what to take - will you feel happier with familiar things around you or do you want to start afresh? Will it be sufficient to have only photo albums and the like for memories and comfort, or do you want to have your reliable, cumfy armchair and the desk you did your homework on when you were a kid? Do you want to furnish your new house completely from day 1 or are you happy to get things in dribs and drabs? Only you know what will suit you. It's all personal I guess - dependant on the type of personality you are, how much time you have to organise it or how much money you'll have when you come over.

If you can figure out your (and your family's) motivations and comfort-levels before you go, then you won't make a mistake.

PS The only thing I regretted was not bringing more books with me. I had hundreds - they were my comfort and memory system. But so heavy when it came time to leave that I only bought a few across (chucking out clothes instead!). But books are very expensive in Canada relatively speaking ie a substantial percentage of a monthly budget. I do wish I'd brought a few more with me. I couldn't give two hoots for furniture - but I loved those books...

hot wasabi peas

I don't like dark wood either but I didn't have trouble finding lighter stuff.

Steve_P

Ikea is full of the light stuff

boxerdog03

AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH. I've just packed two boxes of books ready for car boot sale. :curse:.

gloveman

We bought most things with us and are glad we did. However when we got here we had to go out to buy things to tied us over until the container arrived and now use the new things and needn't have bothered bringing our old stuff out (things like saucepans, cutlery etc). We bought a lot of new furniture in England before we moved and had it shipped. That was an excellent plan for us as it has saved us a lot of time this end and to be honest Canadian furniture is a bit hit and miss and trying to fine nice lamps is impossible (glad we bought our goods ones with us and simply had to change the fittings). Shopping is very time consuming especially if you have a house to fill - bringing our stuff with us saved alot of time, probably money and avoided a lot of arguments!