WhatToDo82

OK, so I've had some conflicting advice regarding furniture etc.

I am in the early stages, but need to have some idea of cost so I can add it to my budget for saving...

We have A LOT of furniture at the moment and A LOT of other bits too.

On the one hand I had looked to the move as a major opportunity to declutter and start afresh over there. Just taking clothes and a few other essentials. I had envisaged selling off most of the other bits, donating the rest to charity.

As a family, we are not adverse to second hand gear. The way we built up what we have now is starting with second hand and replacing bit by bit as the money was available. So a mix of second hand and cheap new is not an issue for me - new mattress for the bed though!!

So I have seen an alternative suggestion of shipping the whole lot with me, I have a quote of just over £3700 for a 20ft container to inculde packing.

I also have some kitchen bits: bread maker, slow cooker, washing machine, dishwasher. And there's the TVs etc to think about.

The way I see it, if I sell and buy some bits there I can declutter, save on shipping, have some extra funds towards purchases. If I ship I can have everything I need, have to wait for it to get there...

So, any thoughts or experiences of both options would be much appreciated. With/without links for where I might buy cheap(ish) new and/or second hand bits on arrival.

PS. We will be in a 3 bedroom house when we get there, I have 2 children who will be 11 and 16 when we move out there.

TIA

moving2NZ2013

Hi

iv looked into shipping its too expensive. voovit boxes are great its £50 per box.
we are bringing 6. we will have a 1 and 2 yr old going out there. we are renting fully furnished then will get furniture by degrees. i dont mind 2nd hand furniture

iv joined methven selling sites and we found the cost of things 2nd hand to be the same or cheaper than here

jmh

I did a bit of a compromise. Some of my furniture was 20 year old ikea stuff so I had no problem ditching it. I sold a couple of items on gumtree and through a work intranet I was lucky to have. Sold breadmaker and juicer which I had never used. It was great to clear out old stuff. However I shipped the good quality furniture (like a solid oak sideboard and leather bucket seat) which I knew would be expensive to buy here. Most of the stuff I shipped was a the good quality stuff. I paid about GBP1400 to Pickfords.

Bear in mind that the furniture that you have in one house may not fit in another. I remember having a really nice sofa bed which ended up getting mouldy in the garage because I couldn't get it in the door. Big mistake - I should have sold it. (this was in the UK).

It is nice to have some of your own possessions around you. Even silly things like your favourite coffee cups!

scrubbedexpat094

Personally I'd bring your furniture with you. Decent furniture is expensive in NZ and the choice isn't that great. I would tend to leave wardrobes behind as most houses have built-in ones. If you don't need a particular piece of furniture when you arrive you can stick it on Trade me. Kiwis will buy pretty much anything .

I still think it's cheaper to ship your stuff than buy new here.

bearskin

My first instinct is to say ship it all - even if ends up not fitting your new NZ home, you'll get good money online if you sell it.

However, that would leave you in limbo until it arrives, which is tricky. Maybe ship most of it but budget to buy a sofa, couple of mattresses etc when you get here. I've seen a couple of people ship their beautiful dining table, so just buy an outdoor table when they get here, and use that inside with a tablecloth over it, until the container lands...

BEVS

At that price of a container, bring the lot with you and if you have space, bring more.

Bo-Jangles

If by a LOT you mean the contents of a typical three bed semi - such as we had and fitted into 20ft container then £3700 is a small price to pay compared to what it will cost to replace it all over here. If I were you I would be selective, biff out the rubbish and replace with new where appropriate or preferred. e.g. we didn't ship fridge /freezer because ours was ancient and we got a new one when we got here; even so the price of that made our eyes water.

See Noel Leeming for some ideas on cost of replacements and another thread here with lots of links for furniture shops: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=824340

WhatToDo82

Haha still mixed views lol

By a lot I have a 5 bedroom house with 4 rooms furnished as bedrooms and one as an office. We have a similar quantity of furniture downstairs too :-/

Bo-Jangles

I wouldn't say 'mixed', with only one against it and they're not here yet and possibly did not seek advice!

ETA: Noted that Moving2NZ2013 was given the same advise to bring everything, however has decided otherwise -seems they are renting fully furnished which is most unusual to find here.

WhatToDo82

I'm aiming for a downsize to 3 bedrooms and a major declutter!

Bo-Jangles

But still you have been quoted for 20ft container? Is that what you asked for or was that on the understanding that you would cull to fit?

marooned5

Bring it all - and more! (all the clothes you anticipate needing etc). Until you are here you can't quite get your head round how little choice there is and that everything is either v expensive or cheap but v. poor quality. People live with stuff that beggars wouldn't pull out of a skip in the UK. And anything you don't need - sell it for decent prices on trademe - you my not think you need the money until you go to do your weekly shop at the supermarket - then you'll find that every little helps!!

WhatToDo82

That was what I asked for on the basis that if it doesn't fit, it doesn't go. I seriously do not want to take all my crap with me. I won't need such a large place over there for starters.

marooned5

One country's crap is another country's treasure! I still think longingly of some of the stuff we gave away or sold in the UK...

WhatToDo82

Was it you who moved from penzance? Seriously, less choice than Cornwall? Crikey. That was going to be a question for later, what should I stock up on to bring with us? That and can I get non bio washing powder over there? My eldest gets eczema with the bio stuff, sigh.