I've only been looking at this discussion forum for maybe just over a week, and Ive got to say it's great, some really wonderful people and very useful information here.

I'm just wondering has anyone ever attempted to make a comprehensive list of things that they have to do to move back to the UK ?

Something I don't understand is why some people like to take furniture or things like fridges and freezers back with them. Surely you'll spend lots of money transporting it when you could sell it and use the money you've saved transporting it and what you got for selling it to to buy new or used.

I know people do have keepsakes. but surely know one can be emotionally attached to a refridgerator ?, LOL !!!!

Hope everyone has a great christmas and new years, and for those who are back in the UK or really close, all I have to say is this, you lucky buggers.

Take care everyone,

Simon

I would agree with that. In all my travels I constantly see people who worry about storing furniture, beds, TV's etc - all the kind of things which are fully replaceable and need replacing after a few years anyway. People seem to pay a lot of money on storing or transporting worthless utilitarian type items.

The way I look at at is the cost of replacing your furniture and household items against the cost of transporting it back to the UK. It's cheaper for me to put it all on a container and ship it as I'm shipping machinery for a business too so i may as well ship my furniture.

I agree with you Simon, I'm not bringing a container.

Most of my stuff here in Aus is years old, it would cost me $8k to transport it back, for GBP 3.5k I can furnish a small house with stuff that will actually fit that house, and the white goods generally come with the house in Scotland anyway. So all I need to buy is towels, sheets and kitchen stuff.

Plus I get to feel good by donating my old stuff here to a charity that places homeless people and refugees into permanent accomodation, they get my old (though serviceable) furniture whitegoods and household effects.

All I am taking is a suitcase of clothes, my photos and my pets.

When we left the UK we sold everything and started a fresh in the US, not realising how hard it was to buy everything all over again, so this time were moving back to the UK and were taking everything apart from electrics and the sofa.

Yes, we have to consider the time it takes to buy stuff, especially if we want to get it right, not just any old thing. There are so many things to arrange after a move, especially an international one, that having the basics is a big relief.

We can't take much in the way of electrical back from Canada, so that's not an issue, but we will take quite a bit of furniture as it's what we like and should fit into the sort of house we're likely to buy. But if was something we were ready to get rid of of course we wouldn't bother.

Bev

When we go back, it will be our 3rd international move. From experience, I would advise taking back as little as possible. Bare in mind that when you get there, you will still have several weeks, sometimes monhs before your stuff arrives. What will you do until it all gets there? We have found ourselves going out and having to buy a lot of stuff we were shipping as we needed it before it arrived, so in effect you are not really saving money.

When we return, we will just have a few tea chests of important or sentimental stuff. Also our bed frame which we love and dismantles well.

On my two trips back over the last year, I made it my business to go out and investigate the cost of essential items for a new home. I was blown away at how cheap stuff was. Now that we have the credit crunch and shops are begging us to buy, i imagine there will be even better deals.
I have also looked at the cost of secondhand stuff on the likes of ebay. I discovered a few weeks ago that you could get decent seconhand hand appliances from top name brands like Bosch, Zanussi, Hotpoint etc for peanuts.
I found a washing machine, fridgefreezer and dishwasher. The total cost for all 3 would have been just over £300!!

I think you need to seriously sit down and work things out.

Yep won't ba taking any furniture back with me. I don't have alot anyway seeing as Im living with family so not much point forking out for shipping will just sell the stuf and buy when in England.

Well we have the packers in at this very moment!We have decided to take everything back as could not sell anything here!we have had a good clear out but everything else is fairly new.did not realise we had so much .
Its a strange feeling when you are packing up as we are exhausted,excited,scared all at the same time!
Ihave been giving them coffee,biscuits,sandwiches and one. man said .........the english are always hospitable but not the aussies!..........the aussie replied......yeh but we are the best!.........to which we just stood there realising he missed the point entirely.
just comments like that make me realise i am really doing hr right thing as had enough of this rivalry.
when you add up all what you have to buy it would still cost alot and i disagree that very few years you have to replace things as if its good quality it should last longer,but then i understand if you get bored looking at same things.
we ended up putting lots out for bulk rubbish and neighbours whom we had not seen before came out !!!!! we have been here for 18 months!

As i am typing i can hear neighbours hooning in the street and another swearing t their child,and this is nice neighbourhood! so cannot wait to get out of here .

We leave on monday

Bubbles I laughed a lot at your post, and the thought of your tightarse neighbours raking through your old crappy stuff ha ha.

Off on Monday - best of luck with it all.

you must be sooo excited...we can't wait...which shippers have you used and were they reasobale with cost?

We are busy packing too as Chess Removals arrive here on 5th January and we leave Perth on 7th Jan.

We sold quite a few things but still kept a lot and having a 20ft container. We're in a holiday cottage for 6 weeks in Devon whilst we look for a house and that has everything in we could possibly need.

Need to buy a new freezer, fridge, tv, mobile phones, dishwasher, dryer (never had one here) when we have our own house.

Like you put lot's out for the bulk rubbish and saw PEOPLE outside sorting through it. Never seen anyone outside on this road before!


Getting excited now as each day passes! Can't wait to go!