A 20ft container is likely to cost in the region of $7,000. Try replacing just furniture (sofa, table and chairs, 2 double beds, with boxsets, chests of drawers for 2 bedrooms) with that, then deduct the cost of the airfreight you have referred to and see how much change you will have left to purchase everything else.

IMO you are PERFECTLY correct

Thats YOUR opinion, based on YOUR experience.

Quite

If you like your stuff take it with you, if not then get rid and buy when you get here - simple.

Just do some research - (Butch gave you the most common stores used to get furniture from and don't forget theres places like Walmart for inexpensive things to get you by too).

Would someone really want to sell decent furniture and then replace it with stuff from Walmart?

I appreciate that, if all one has in the UK is a cardboard box, a cardboard box from Walmart will be a sufficient replacement.

I would suggest that most people would struggle to replace their UK possessions with similar Canadian possessions for the amount they could realise by selling their UK possessions, together with the cost of shipping their UK possessions to Canada.

In addition, most people would also need to buy additional furniture due to the increase in their house size (isn't this the only real reason most move from the UK)

Each to their own.

I suppose it does all boil down to cost, if you have decent furniture then theres no way you'l be able to replace it all (a decent set of bedroom furniture can cost you $5000 for one room, dining table and chairs $800, 3 piece suite $1000 and I could go on).

Wally world might not be your first choice AC but for stuff like sheets, towels etc - its an area that you can cut down on expense.

I get lots of nik naks from there

Fair points, but I believe we could still have a hung jury.

Exactly, WallyMart, RCS, HomeSense/Winners, a quick trip across the border to Targété or Big Kmart. ALL good places to stock up on soft furnishings, everyday glasswear, even (if you look hard enough) 'high end' brand small appliances at (very) low end prices.

I agree. I'm well hung.

We personally will be selling all of our stuff before we move (barring clothing and such items). We plan to retire for a while and travel NA and really don't want to be storing, and moving our stuff left right an centre until we find a long term place to live.

Our own personal choice.

I don't doubt that. I have never been a bring it all or sell it all, extremist. I think there are too many variables to adopt such a position as I note you do.




I think that that is what potential immigrants miss. It is very expensive over here.


Me too, I don't have the "Big bad corporation" attitude towards it that our more intelligent friends from Ontario seem to have.

Oh dear, I thought you knew me better than that . Surely you are aware (on issues like this anyway) I am VERY flexible and my answer would change in response to the phrasing of the question as well as the previous responses. That said, my own PERSONAL choice was to sell most of my UK household and start again, my PERSONAL experience was that I came out with a minor LOSS, but by no means the massive loss that people said I would be hit with.

Just Ontario? I thought certain elements from BC where also anti-US conglomerates?

We plan on selling/giving away our stuff here & re-buying when we get to Canada. We'll have a specific amount set aside for that & anything that we've not got from our budget will have to be worked for. We don't plan on buying anything new for our house here & TBH I think I'll be well sick of seeing the stuff we do have by the time we move. I've been looking at sears.ca & I know some things are pricey but will look at other online stores to get an idea of price too.

As we've got kids, we'll be shipping their fave toys over & there are a few sentimental things I'll bring too, like himself But as with everything in life, our plans may change & I wouldn't be too opposed to living with what we currently have, but then we've pretty much decided that the cost of shipping stuff over would be more than what it's worth. Not necessarily more than the cost to replace but defo what it's actually worth iykwim.

When we moved over we sold everything and just shipped boxes of personal stuff, so glad that i did as we found some good shops

Its just not the standard ones that you look for, but liq centres as well, we was lucky and got some real good deals, also know that we got fab deals on the big electrical stuff as well ((its called asking for discount ))

We had a pot in the uk and everytime we sold something we added the amount to it, put things on ebay and did a list for friends, OK we was left with nothing afew days before we moved, but we had the cash
It helped as we had a good friend in town that lend us stuff for the first few weeks.........
It has made the kids relise that what we have is special, we arrived in a 3 bedroom rental with 5 suitcases
Must admit the stuff i had in the uk i do miss as they was antiques, but they wouldnt of made it here with the dry weather so better that they have a new home.
Although a year later i look round the house and think OMG where has all this stuff come from..................

If the container hit's Canada the same time as you , fine if not ( we had to wait 5 weeks) what are you going to sleep on, sit on, eat from, ?????

We purchased all funtiure here , it was cheaper to have a smaller container and spend the saved money here , the big shops have stupid deals on at the moment ( just stay away from the brick)

TV, was told it would not work , but we took it for the kids xbox bought a transformers ( $30) and away we go , the cable guy saw it and was able to get it working receiving TV signal within 5 mins,

Big things leave , but bring , all your kitchen ware , bedding,

hope that helps..

Same goes here! 10 months on and we're still on a mattress on the floor with no drawers, tables etc! Kids have beds though! Amazing what you get used to!!

Bring all you can - otherwise its lots of shopping at ikea! Always seems exciting to redo your house, then reality bites and you realise that you have spent so much getting over here that you are skint!!!