mcc22

Hi,

My name is Tracy, my family and I are moving to New York at the end of May, my husband is being relocated by his work. We are looking to buy a property in new jersey and are currently considering a new build in Chesterfield. I have a 3yr old daughter and a 2nd baby due in the next couple of weeks.

Obviously it would be great to hear from anyone who knows the area but on a more specific point we are trying to decide which items we are going to take with us and what we are going to sell. I have a laptop which I am assuming I will be able to obtain another power cable for (pls correct me if I am being thick). However, whilst we are not intending to bring any of our large kitchen appliances I was thinking that I can bring the vacuum cleaner, which is nearly new and run it through an adaptor however someone has mentioned to me that this would use substantially more electricity?

Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated it is getting quite close now and although I am excited i am starting to get a little nervous.

Thanks
Tracy

Jerseygirl

Hello there and welcome to BE.

I live in Morris County...where are you hoping to live and when are you coming over?

Apart from the laptop it's probably not worth bringing any electronics to the US...unless it's a company move and they are paying for shipping. The voltage is only 120V here and electronics are generally much cheaper to buy than in the UK. You would need to by a heavy duty transformer...they can be expensive and are quite bulky. They can get very hot...so it's best to unplug them when not in use or when your not home.

Months before we moved in '96 I bought a Dyson cleaner...I gave it to my MIL.

Tracym

H from another Tracy

Most laptops run on both UK and US power - you would just need a plug adapter (few dollars) if you don't want or can't buy a whole new cord. Of course, check the manual for your particular laptop.

Otherwise, you'd need a power donverter.

Deedee13

HEHEHE u just made me smile!!! Your moving over here in a couple of months, having another baby in a couple of weeks and UR WORRIED ABOUT BRINGING THE VACUUM CLEANER OVER. On a serious note I have a garage full of electrical appliances in the garage that I cannot use!! Bring over essentials that will take away the home sickness, chocolate buscuits, baked beans, bisto and oxo cubes. Have fun packing, and I dont envy u getting on that plane with 2 kids. : )

Patrick Hasler

YEAH ! ............. And some crunchies or else

MrScotland

Really not worth bringing any appliances, running a transformer isn't a practical option and you can pick up pretty cheap vacuum's over here.

All laptops and most desktop computers can travel without issue. You probably just need a new power cord for your laptop which you can get at any computer shop for a couple of $'s and it will avoid the need for socket adaptor. You won't need to change anything else on the laptop.

If you have desktop PC's there is normally a switch on the back to switch from 240V to 120V. Normally a little red slider close to where the power cord attaches. Just make sure you switch it before connecting in the US. Some cheaper PC's might not have the switchable power.

When I came over I did manage to convert a couple of decent table lamps to 120V which can be done quite easily with a kit from a DIY store, normally intended to convert a bottle into a lamp.

If you have any electronics which use an external power supply (one of those black boxes between the device and the socket) you should be able to obtain a replacement power supply for them in the US which would allow them to run on 120V. You just have to be careful that you get one that has the same output voltage and plug setup. RadioShack is a good place to find them.

DollyLlama

and some maltesers!
Good luck with the move

Bob

Welcome to BE



Laptop will be fine with a plug adaptor...the rest, ditch them, the vac won't really work, and power adaptor would be a mare to move around all the time...things that might be worth bringing would be quality sound equipment, something that won't move around much...

Englishmum

I have an expat Aussie friend here in New Jersey (Maplewood, New York metro area) who is moving back to Canberra during the Summer. I'm sure she will have appliances for sale & other household items as it's too expensive to ship everything back to Oz (they're having to pay for everything themselves).

I've never heard of Chesterfield in New Jersey - do you mean Chester? It's close to where Jerseygirl lives and I live about 25 mins east of Chester (a very twee/pretty town with lots of gift shops and the Sally Lunns teashop). It's a bit of a commute into NYC from Chester.

Send me a PM if you would like to know what kind of things my friend is likely to be selling.

unicorndreams

Hi and Welcome

Good luck with the New Baby and the move.

fatbrit

Er...don't rent an expensive SUV for 3 months and then expect the company to cough up for the bill.

Jerseygirl

Now whose being naughty?

Jerseygirl

It's in Burlington Township...south east of Trenton.

Psst...I had to Google it 'cos I'd never heard of it either.

Texas Mom

Hi, welcome to BE.
Good luck with the baby and the move.

MancMan

Laptop keyboard wil be slightly different. You could probably get an american USB keyboard that will make typing in American english easier.