bandrui

Now that I have made my decision to move back to the UK I find myself looking at my possessions with a new eye. At first I thought sell almost everything but I find myself wondering how much it would cost to replace certain things, e.g. towels and bedding, a maple kitchen table.

I realise there is a lot of personal choice involved but I would love to here from those of you who have gone home regarding what you wish you had taken with you and what you wish you had left behind.

Lorac05

I am in the process of packing up what I want to take with me. You have to consider how much it would cost to ship it vs replacing. I don't know about Canada but I do know mattress sizes in US are different to UK so sheets aren't easy to take. I am taking couple of comforters with me as well as my feather bed that goes on top of the mattress. But my towels are due to be replaced so no they are not going. Also as I have no idea of the size of the place I'll move into once I'm home I am getting rid of the furniture. My bedroom furniture has already gone and the majority of the living room will be gone this weekend. It has cut me up a bit as I had some well made attractive pieces and I have had to sell them for a song - there is a lot of people trying to sell stuff out there but taking it all would have cost me a lot more money and as I said homes in the UK have smaller rooms. I have also decided against taking crockery/cutlery - one set is very nice but bulky and I am gifting that to my best friend who I know will appreciate it. I am taking my cast iron pans and set of saucepans and a couple of favourite mugs but that's about it from the kitchen. No electricals - they wouldn't work without adaptors and nothing is that expensive.

What I am taking are clothes, books, ornaments and stuff that would make a place a home - and trust me they have takne up more than enough boxes. Only time will tell if I have made the right choice but as stuff can be replaced I'm sure I will survive with my decisions.

bandrui

Thanks Lora. That's very helpful. I definitely will be taking booksand some ornaments. Let me know how it all works out.

Anyone else?

GoldCoastMag

We moved back to australia last year, and had not entirely factored in the time it takes for stuff to arrive by sea. We therefore had to purchase some kitchen items and other items that we knew would eventually arrive, not a biggy if you have family to go to, and can borrow can openers and pots and pans etc, but a waste if not.

We overpacked clothes too, but the irreplacable items with sentimental value are certainly worth taking or getting someone to post when you have an address. Or if they are visiting, or you going back for a trip and can carry precious things at a later date

Beedubya

I started out as being loath to get rid of all of my "possessions" but found it easier as time went on and the departure date grew nearer.

I had a MASSIVE sort out of clothes,shoes, bags, etc., anything not worn in the last 12 months no matter how "good" it was went.............I gave all the very good stuff to a womens domestic violence refuge.

I sold what I could and donated everything else to family and friends.

I have ended up with 6 boxes filled with ornaments, good pans, cutlery, some mugs and fave kitchen stuff, a few books, all my beading equipment, CD's, DVD's and I can't now remember what else, plus 1 TV (bought in the UK, didn't work properly in Australia so couldn't sell it, so back it comes with me ) and one flat pack with some wall pictures in, so a total of 8 boxes which I will send for when I have settled down somewhere properly, not bad for 30 years!!

My stuff is coming by airfreight (at cost price ) so I had to be extremely mindful of weight.

I sent one suitcase at 26kgs ahead to my sister's 2 weeks before I left and was allowed on the plane one suitcase at 23kgs, one piece of hand luggage at 7kgs, my laptop and I carried my big heavy coat and quickly put it on at Manchester.

bandrui

Now that's impressive! 8 boxes! I think mine will be more like 60 boxes and a few odd-shaped items.
I forgot about all my outside stuff... garden tools, weedwacker, chainsaw. I would like to bring them. The latter 2 are almost new and if I live rurally I can use them.

What I really wonder about is what is going to happen to my stuff when it arrives if I haven't got a place yet .

dunroving

I left my gas-powered weedwhacker multi-tool (weed-whacker, hedge-trimmer and lawn edger attachments) behind ("I'll never need that" in a UK garden). I sold it for next to nothing, even though it cost me about $200 new.

Big mistake, and I ended up buying a replacement one about 2 years after I got back.

At least I sold it to a friend, so I don't feel too bad.

Re: Storage of your stuff, you could ask your shipping company if they will hold onto/store your stuff after arrival. Some companies have a fixed period during which they will hold it free of charge (usually a period of just a few weeks, I think). After this, they may continue to store it for a charge. This may be cheaper than having it delivered to a storage location, and then having the inconvenience of paying again to have it moved from the storage location to your new home.

DDL

We sold virtually everything we owned and, similar to Barb, shipped back about 7 or 8 boxes of stuff: winter coats, a few sets of draperies (I had some gorgeous chintz draperies that could easily be altered); only the most favourite of favourite books and CDs/DVDs; a very small amount of kitchen items and special decorative items; a few sentimental teacups (I was a teacup collector); and my Christmas ornaments.

All family photographs we scanned in to our computers (can be easily printed out and framed in the future should we wish to) and I gave the originals to the kids.

We were very selective of what to bring back. All total, cost us about $1,000.

Sent no furniture over whatsoever. Didn't want to have to house-hunt with any choice being determined by whether or not the bed (or whatever) would fit.

We had about 4 large yard sales over a period of months. Two of my best friends ended up buying a good part of our furniture (we had some pretty nice stuff). As belongings started to "whittle down", we gave things to Goodwill and at the very end, listed what was left on Freecycle.

All family pieces (inherited items, etc.) went to my 3 children.

I also had a really wonderful time sending surprise boxes to family/friends. Got rid of most of my teacup collection that way. And, for example, there was a girl I used to work with at the law firm who loved William Morris (as I do). I sent her a small box filled with several of my William Morris books, some WM stationery, etc. She loved it. I had a large tea chest from India that a tea importer friend sent me years ago. I loaded it up in my car one afternoon, drove to Charleston, and put it on the porch of an acquaintance who grew up in the tea hills of India. It made her day!

It gave me so much pleasure to part with my things in such a fashion. I will admit, it created quite a bit more work (and we were working under a deadline), but it helped soften the blow of losing so many of the things that I felt defined me.

We sailed over on the QM2 and each brought 2 suitcases of clothing with us.

Hope this helps.

Rebster

When we came here 5 years ago, we shipped over approximately 80 boxes of items plus a couple of pieces of furniture.

When we pack up to head back, I plan on taking about half that amount of boxes and no furniture. Hubby has some computing equipment that I know he won't part with, otherwise it would be even less.

We brought so much junk that we didn't need! We actually still have a couple of boxes sitting in our garage right now. I plan to get rid of most of our books. And I like DDL's idea of scanning photos so you don't pack framed photos!

Clothes will definitely be purged and I'm learning not to hold onto knick-knacks just because they were a gift.

Plus as GoldCoastMag pointed out, when you have it shipped it takes weeks to arrive. If you can live without it for that long, how important is it to have?

Beedubya

Yes DDL I got sooo much pleasure of giving to people who would appreciate it.

For instance I had a LOT of books about Liverpool from when I did the family history thing plus lots of Family Tree type books, I gave my Liverpool friend at least 50 books, she was SO thrilled it gave me a feel good factor to give it. I had about 6 hardback books about Coronation Street and about 10 Corrie videos, after I had given her the Liverpool books I remembered I had the Corrie stuff in a bag so my daughter dropped them off to her just this week.

Lots of kitchen stuff went to my kids, bedding, pillows, towels, dishes, photo's, etc. The stuff like this is so cheap over here compared to Australia I will take great pleasure in buying new.

Like they say to receive from The Universe you have to give............

Beedubya

Exactly!! These "so ïmportant possessions" of mine had been sitting in a storage unit for a whole year when I spent my gap/mid life crisis year in the UK previously.........

bandrui

Yes, most of my clothes will go. I'm fed up with them anyway. And plan to have several garage sales over the summer. Lots of stuff to the Thrift Shop and my son is looking for a place so it will be good to give him dishes, bedding, etc. but I have a lot of treaures... a large collection of non-fiction books that I have not had time to read. I shall seriously cull them but take lots. Ironically, I have my grandmother's dining table and china cabinet that I paid a lot to have shipped from England and don't think I have the heart to get rid of it. We'll see. Needs must as they say.

bandrui

Thanks Dunroving. that's exactly the type of hint I was hoping for. I intend to have a fairly large garden and I know I shall use my weedwacker.

I feel for David, not having his stuff from Vancouver delivered for at least 2 months, but was very encouraged to hear it. Maybe that will give me time to find a place. With a bit of luck it will be fall or winter when I come and perhaps I can negotiate a good rate for seasonal accomodation while I look around.

bandrui

I am really looking forward to giving stuff away and I know what you mean by that feeling. To tell you the truth I am really looking forward to getting rid of ALOT of stuff and simplifying my life. But first I have to decide what I am going to keep. There are 3 Queen size beds in my house and I have already sold one and a couch from downstairs. I used to have a condo in Vancouver and then moved to this large 3BR house with a suite and large 2-room studio downstairs. You know how stuff seems to fill up available space!

curleytops

I'm living inland in a remote area which has rendered any sort of excess shipping pretty much cost prohibitive. I've got 2 new suitcases & will be going with little more than the clothes on my back and my laptop & cameras, jewelry etc. Photos will be scanned to a portable external hard drive if time permits between now and the 31st of March. I have a lot of my music on there already so not really worried about my CD collection. Fortunately I can leave a lot of stuff with my dad so if at some point we stumble across an affordable means of shipping, I might be able to have more of my things (ie desktop pc, Royal Doulton china etc.) sent to me at a later date. My Dad's coming to UK for visit at the end of May so he'll bring what he can with him also. At the end of the day I guess it's all just stuff anyway and your own long term happiness is what really counts in the long run.