Joshlin

right then you lovely advice givers - knowledge holders of all things immigration.

we are at the practicalities stage :scared: (getting a bit of cold feet syndrome but coping!!)

any advice regarding shipping - recommendations of who to use, questions to ask, things to consider etc etc. Also any guidance as to costs - we've got a four bed house to move!

Pinkie Pie

My friend has just emigrated to OZ on friday and used Crown Relocations - very impressed with the service and the price and recommended them to me - I think there is a link to them in the "Really Useful Thread" - think they paid £3300 for a full container....good luck and get some warm socks for those "cold feet"!!

Edit: here's the link for you www.crownrelo.com

bookemjano

Any advice on what electricals to take? All our white goods are in pretty good nick, but will they work over there with adapters?

Joshlin

Many thanks Pinkie- had the Crown rep in today. Told us we had loads of stuff!! Should have their quote by the weekend :scared
Was impressed with the rep though, hope we can say the same when the quote hits the mat.

Joshlin

The advice we've gathered - it's expensive to buy white goods (import issues etc etc) so as long as they take 230/240v and 50hz (which most UK stuff does) then it will be OK to just change the plugs when you get there. mixed messages re: price of plugs. Other advice was to take UK extension gangs and just change the plug on the extension gang - but this might generate an insurance issue if (heaven forbid) you need to make a claim.

Pinkie Pie

Fingers crossed for you then Will you let me know what they quote you as we will be moving the contents of a four bed house too so would be good to compare!! My mate was well impressed with the Crown Rep and the guys on the day were excellent.....

Joshlin

Will do - we've got John Mason coming in tomorrow and then waiting on visits from Pickfords International and PSS

bookemjano

We originally thought we'd just take the 'keepsake' stuff, and then books, CDs, good bedding etc and then buy new when we got there, but have started to realise that a lot of our stuff is pretty good so don't want to lose it. However, we've certainly not got enough for a 20ft container, we won't be taking bedroom furniture other than one double bed (wooden, could flat pack), and may leave the white goods in with the house sale. Is there an in-between shipping from a few cubic metres to a 20ft container or is it generally one or the other?

jjennings

We sold or gave away all our beds, white goods, etc. but now wish we had brought it with us, even if it added a grand to shipping cost. White goods are very expensive here (relative to salaries) and even after 8 months, using a top-loading washing machine (very few front-loaders around) feels like going back to the dark ages.

It's just a case of changing the plugs. Bring some socket strips over for things like little black power adaptors that seem to come with everything these days (phone chargers etc.). Also bring any phones with you as NZ uses standard BT sockets.

Still love it here though.

Cheers

John

sunshine_and_rain

I love my toploader. Bought our front loader with us and ditched it for an 8kg toploader - they are actually a much much quicker cycle than a front loader and save water if used properly. Mine's even got a mini electronic screen with a smiley face that says 'Hello' to me!! You can also buy the adaptors (black boxy things) to suit NZ sockets in Dick Smiths and Harvey Norman to fit most things like phones and Gameboys etc. Hope this helps?? Whiteware is fairly expensive but not horrendous?? Nearly all electrical goods work with the plug changed or an adaptor plug. TV's only work with SKY run through them though and Video recorders won't record from NZ TV - but will play videos just fine. I'd say bring what you can with you - saves re-buying and you can always sell it on - NZ hasa great 2nd hand market thing going on everywhere - the famous 'Garage Sale' at weekends, so you cna always sell stuff on again - and it will be something different than canbe found in the shops here

sunshine_and_rain

We used Crown - they were absolutley top class - not the cheapest quote, but excellent service and no problems whatsoever. Can't recommend them highly enough. When we came over here for a year we used another firm (Atlantis I think they were called?? - but don't quote me as may well be wrong) as they were the cheapest - and they were a nightmare, so thats why we took recommendations and went with CRown - they were FAB!!

burmonk1

We went the 'get a quote from everyone' route. Pickfords, etc, but settled on Caswell freight forwarding. A small company but very professional and knowledgeable. Again not the cheapest but we wanted someone who we did not have to keep checking up on. they ship to most countries. [email protected]. tel-01594 543399

good luck with the move

kiwijetpilot

Plugs are $1.95 in the Warehouse (bought a few last week). Can be as much as $8.00 in the more expensive shops.

See:

For UK plug adapters -

http://www.dse.co.nz/cgi-bin/dse.fil...ogs/CTG0000029

For a range of plugs - cheapest $5.93 (about 2 pounds which has to be cheap):

http://www.dse.co.nz/cgi-bin/dse.fil...ogs/CTG0000536

If you bring your white goods, bear in mind that you probably won't be able to buy parts here - vacuum bags/belts/motors/compressors/seals etc.

Whitewear isn't expensive if you shop around, and most of it is technically superior to UK stuff. I mean that mainly from the servicing angle. For example, in the UK I had to service a couple of our washing machines (due to abject poverty at the time). The machines are complex, and all have gearboxes and lots of electronic bits. It took me two days to replace the drum seal in our Hoover washer. My NZ F&P washer has no gearbox, just one annular motor, one pump and a circuit board. It took me half an hour to strip it to a floor full of components, an hour to put it all back together again. There is a door on the front that allows you access to the pump, should you forget to empty your pockets and end up with a blocked pump inlet. Machine performance is comparable to Euro stuff, parts are cheap and workshop manuals are on the net (if you like to fix it yourself, as I do).

I posted somewhere about moving companies et al, if I can find it I'll do a cut'n'paste here.

Cheers!

SW

Roger

Servicing costs are much lower because the technicians hourly rate is much lower - as yours will be too.

We used Whites from Hampshire to Hawkes Bay and were very happy. About $3K including insurance. Just a broken glass lampshade.

Roger

JoannaD

Can I take my breadmaker? I've become very attached to it.
Waiting for the medicals, just had the x-rays. Hope I'm not too blobby for them

Joanna D