RollTide

Thanks everyone for your responses. Another reason why I love this site so much. I have decided to just go ahead and sell all my furniture. I will have some small items that I will be taking back home but enough to go in my luggage.

So excited abou this new chapter in my life......also so looking forward to travelling in Europe next year!!!

Pulaski

Congratulations on your decision, sounds like the best idea. Good luck with your move!

alexleeson

Good decision. We moved from Australia to UK. We sold some of our big stuff (like King size bed, sofas, grand piano, dining tables), but brought the rest. We had very nice furniture that was just too big for UK homes. We sold them very cheaply and don't have enough money to replace them with similar quality. But I am grateful for second hand shops.

I remember I kept wishing the container ship would sink and we would just get the insurance. We were happier in the 2 months without our stuff - living a minimalist life - and then everything arrived. It is nice having knick knacks back, clothes and heirlooms, but not as nice as having very little!

Going from a 5 bed, 4 recep house to a 2 up 2 down means we are still very tight with space to fit all our stuff. We got rid of more stuff and are still getting rid of stuff six months on! But living in a smaller place is nice after a big home.

GarryH

Hi:

I have moved around a lot in my 46 years and one thing I have learned is that possessions can and will tie you down. My last major move was from Scotland (I lived there when I left the RAF after a long career) to a remote region of NE Canada. It cost us a lot of money to shot all our possessions out and, on balance, we could have bought new furniture for the cost of shipping what we did out.

That said, however, some things you will want to keep (photos, personal items etc) and this should be sent out. As for clothes, furniture, and the likes, it`s all replaceable as it is costly to ship.

I advise you to carry out a cost analysis based on the value of the items and the costs incurred to ship and base those that on the costs of replacing it for new and make you decision on the figures. If it is not worth the outlay, it`s probably best to sell it all for what you can and just come back with suit cases and ship a few boxes. If, however, you come out even, then base the decision on the age and condition of the furniture as, again, you may as well replace it for new rather than face a huge outlay to ship it to your new destination. It`s just `stuff` and it does not need to tie you down if it does not have to.....the hardest decision is the one to move back home and I too am facing that quandary re` my uncertainty staying in Georgia, USA!

I hope all goes well for you!

Garry H
Georgia, USA

GarryH

Duhhhh!

I should read the whole thread before I send in a reply! I`m glad you have made your choice (it sounds like a good one to me) and please let me know how it goes back home. I left RAF Bruggen in Germany in 1994 and served all over Scotland for the duration f my career (Leuchars, Kinloss, Lossimouth) and live the inner and outer Hebrdies and miss the UK A LOT and am not sure if I want to stay in the US (health `insurance` and shitty paid jobs the main reason). I miss my home on the Moray Firth with a beach down from my back yard at Hopeman.....the most stupid decision I ever made in my life was to sell that and come to Canada and now here!

All the best

Garry H
Ga, USA

feelbritish

I know the OP has already made a decision but this may help others. I am sentimental about my furniture as some of it was inherited, some sauced by me over the years in antique shops and my paintings are all originals by me or other artist friends. I also like to feel surrounded by "familiarity" plus to buy an entire home again would definitely cost more than the £7000 it cost us to ship. We brought all our stuff including my OH tools and battery operated drills etc. He simply went into Maplans and bought a converter for £60 and all his garage stuff works. We brought our beds which are queen size because they were of excellent quality and on pricing them here one like it would cost around £800. On the downside of beds, they just fit in the room with about a foot of space between it and chest of drawers we brought. However we only use that room to sleep. We left our large couch and armchair behind as we knew it would not fit the house we are in. New, being made up for us, is a loveseat and small chair is costing us £900. Every thing else from our life was sent. Getting a company to handle it all, except packing containers, was worth the money as they deal with customs and unwrap heavy furniture and place it for you and then come back and take away the boxes and wrapping when you are finished with it. Otherwise we would have had to find somewhere to take it to and done several trips in our tiny car. For us it was worth it. If it is a full container I would go for it again but small stuff of only one or two items I would not bother.