Sigma.501

Hi All,

Having been offered a position in the RNZN my wife and I are doing the sums. The RNZN has offered to pay for a 20ft container to transport our belongings and although 20ft is a lot we are considering what to take.

Our 9 year old Honda CRV car will probably stay here along with all of our garden maintenance equipment, we will bring our beds, wardrobes, 3 piece suite, Dining Room Table and Chairs along with my wife's favourite welsh dresser.

We are unsure on whether our electrical appliances (TV, washing machine, tumble dryer, fridge freezer etc) will work in the UK or if we need to buy them on arrival. My view is that we already own the appliances and have 20ft to fill so use it.

Any advice very gratefully received.

Gary

MrsFychan

bring whatever you can as you have less choice here and more expensive in most cases. but bear in mind that you will probably arrive before the container does so you may have a month or so of getting by on camping stuff and you may need to go and buy fridge/freezer etc.

Snap Shot

Yeah, bring everything.

We had a twenty foot container which we filled with the contents of our three bed house minus our car when we came in 2011. Only because there was not enough value in the car to justify bringing it.

We brought our widescreen t.v and our portable t.v.'s too. Our portable t.v.'s did not work. I think they got sound but no picture. They've switched off the analogue signal here in NZ now anyway. So, I binned or recycled the portable t.v.'s. There's an electrical waste area at our municipal dump, er I mean recycling centre.

We brought our fridge freezer and it worked fine. We don't have a tumble drier. We rent our washing machine just like we rent one now.

Get lots of plug adaptors for your electrical appliances. Just count up how many things plug into the socket and that's as many as you will need. You can have a socket set and just have one NZ adaptor. That is useful for things that are grouped such as the t.v., sky and dvd player. Same with a computer which has a monitor, printer etc.

Some people are keen to replace the UK plugs for NZ plugs soon after arrival. I didn't. To this day, the hairdryer, toaster and Christmas decorations still have UK plugs and I use adaptors. So does my husband's drill and the pressure washer ! I can't be bothered with the faff of changing. Albeit I did ask an electrician to put an NZ plug on the vacuum cleaner cable as he was here at the house doing other jobs. I bought a dishwasher from a fellow expat, her husband very kindly put an NZ plug on the power cable for that which I was grateful for. Also, your head will be spinning on arrival, NZ plugs will probably not be at the fore front of your mind !

Look up the cost of replacement electrical goods on the website of Harvey Norman.co.nz and Noel Leeming.co.nz and do some comparison shopping. That might change your mind about what furniture and electrical goods you're bringing i.e. the cost of buying them here in NZ will make you go

You are used to your tools and utensils etc. Even if you don't think much of them at least you know their, 'quirks'. These familiar things will act as a comfort blanket initially after arrival.

As had been stated, you might be 'camping' whilst you wait for your container to arrive. 'The Warehouse' is like all the non food departments of Tesco if you need some bits and pieces to get by whilst waiting for your container to arrive.

Briscoes is a good shop for kitchen things and bed linen. They usually have a sale on, if they haven't, just wait a couple of weeks. Their sales are good and roll round every three weeks or so.

Our container left Britain six weeks before we did, so plus adding in the three weeks we were in Auckland on arrival, it was there in port at our destination city when we turned up.

Good luck with the move.

P.S. look up MrRental.co.nz. You can rent just about anything from a washing machine, like we do. To a whole house full of furniture and electrical goods. Just to get you by.

BEVS

Bring everything you can and more.

barnsleymat

Get down the shops especially places like Ikea and fill that container up until it's bulging at the seams. You might not use everything you bring but once you sell the stuff you don't use you'll be a very happy bunny.

Furniture, bedding, carpet, wallpaper, medical supplies, tools, appliances, sporting equipment, furnishings etc etc........ FILL THAT SUCKER UP

nikkijane88

Navy are paying for it... Take the lot! We had to pay our own way with the Air Force, so definitely make the most of it! It will save you a lot of money in the long run not having to replace anything

scrubbedexpat094

Well I can only re-iterate what others have said. Bring everything and more. Shop until you drop at Ikea, Marks, John Lewis, Boots etc., etc.

If you can't fill it up yourselves, I'll happily do an M&S order for rugs, curtains etc. that you can bring for me

MrsFychan

if you do buy new make sure it looks like it has been used, more than 12mths old or you may get hit with import tax

Gill and Rob

REPLACE YOUR PLUGS TO NZ PLUGS !!!
Wasn't there a post on here not long ago stating you may invalidate your house insurance if you use adapters etc?

Gill

scrubbedexpat094

I think Lardyl used to mention that from time to time. I believe that if you use adapters and a fire emanates from there then your insurance will then be invalidated.

Snap Shot

No more toast for me . I'll have wet hair as well The Christmas tree won't have twinkling lights this year....

Guess I'll be off to Briscoes to get a toaster and a hairdryer tut suite. I'd better get some Christmas tree lights when the shops start stocking them later this year too.

My husband's drill and the pressure washer. Um, no criticism but both get used so infrequently it's hardly worth it !

Then there's the plug for the hard drive that's still a British plug

nikkijane88

We are planning changing our plugs over... Only as its a pain having to hunt for where the 2 adapters were used last!

Pom_Chch

We've re-wired most of our appliances, it's so much easier than:

Me "where's the adapter dear?"
Him - "Don't know - laptop?"
Me - "No"
Him - "hairdryer"
Me - "No"
Him - "Kettle"
Me - "No"
Him - "CD player"
Me - "No"

Rinse and repeat for next half an hour until I find it hiding in the draw plugged in to absolutely nothing

nikkijane88

Ha ha... Glad it's not just us 😂

desmondo84

bring everything. Most houses have built in wadrobes so maybe not such a priority. TVs are fairly cheap out here but buy like hell. Especially furniture, clothes, books etc. Folk will buy anything out here 2nd hand so even if you don't use it you can sell it!!!

Tools and stuff just clean spotless. Pharmaceuticals = stock up. Get a Dr cover letter - even stuff like paracetamol.