How long between shipping your goods and leaving UK

We're getting things moving to leave the UK at end March/beginning of April and I was wondering how long people left between getting their stuff shipped and actually flying. Trying to convince my other half we'd be better off being without stuff in the UK for 3-4 weeks and beg/borrow stuff and getting it a bit sooner in Aus. Appreciate it's "horses for courses" but just curious.

Cheers

Sarah

Hi Sarah,

We're due to fly out on January 28th but all our boxes are being picked up to be shipped on the last weekend of this month. It should hopefully arrive at my cousins house in time for us getting there on February 29th. It means that for the whole entirety of December and January the flat will be a gigantic shell with just the bed, clothes we're not planning on shipping or taking on the holiday & some furniture we'll be trying to sell on Gumtree, and a really old TV. Kind of exactly what you are describing above.

We talked it out quite extensively and would rather the stuff gets shipped sooner, even if it potentially leaves us with a scenario whereby we've sold absolutely everything else and we end up moving in with one of the in-laws for a few days before we fly to the states.

Our goods were packed last week and the container was loaded on Friday heading from London to Brisbane. We fly out end of December. As properties are let mostly unfurnished in Australia we decided to ship now and have our stuff ready for when we arrive. In the meantime we have borrowed beds, table and chairs, mini sofa, plates and bowls (and even a piano as my daughter has s piano exam at the end of the month) from friends. Kept the TV and white goods as they are ancient and not worth shipping. Much easier to borrow on this end where we know lots of people. And you'll be amazed how much extra stuff everyone has. So we are camping in our house and managing fine.

My stuff went 7 weeks before me and the kids. We stayed with my mum once the container had left. My Oh went over about 3 weeks before us and stayed with his mum in Adelaide. When I flew over with the kids we had two weeks in my mother in laws house (she kindly went and stayed with my sister in law) and then moved in to long term accommodation, along with our stuff. If you have people you can stay with, or who can lend you stuff to use before you go then I would say it would be far easier to manage without stuff in the UK than Australia. Unless you know someone you can stay with here instead.

Definatley best to do without in the UK. We still spent about 4 weeks without anything and that was too long, still ended up having to buy a load of stuff cos we had rented out an unfurnished property, and had allready moved in.

good luck with the move x

We did things slightly different. As it happened our container sailed on the same day as we flew out but we were in a position to do some travelling first so by the time we sorted out a home to move into our stuff had been here a month already. Bear in mind that if it arrives before you are ready you will be charged to transfer your stuff to storage and then a daily rate. Worth checking with the shippers what those costs might be so you are prepared for them.

Best get persuading the other half to get it shipped before we go...might do the children some good to go without material possessions for a while:laugh:.

Our stuff got shipped 23rd oct and we fly out on 12th Jan. I would rather be without stuff this end and have our home comforts there for when we arrive. With it being Xmas too, we were told it needed to go then to arrive a few days before Xmas as it will take longer to clear customs due to less staff working.

We are managing fine without things really. We have have borrowed a few things here and there. It's surprising how many people offer to lend you things actually :-)

I remember getting all our stuff packed in Oct for shipping. We lived on the bare minimum for months before flying out in early Jan 2007. Just before Christmas I rang the shipping agency to be told they still had our stuff and were shipping in the New Year.... Happy days..... luckily for us we moved to a semi-furnished place!

We flew out the same week as our container was packed and shipped

Part Container went at start of august, we camped out with the stuff that wasnt being shipped plus the PIL garden and camping kitchen ware and a variety of boxes and borrowed sitting

The cot and other baby stuff that wasnt being shipped went onto ebay with a week to go and it was picked up the day before we left on 17th August.

easy enough

Stayed with my parents this end for two weeks and rented an unfurnished unit.

At this end we purchased our own outdoor setting and used it inside until the other stuff arrived, all my own kitchen stuff from years before. Most of it was chucked as soon as the 'good' stuff appeared. Purchased a tv and a mattress new and brought a bed frame off ebay. It took six years until we finally replaced it with a new setting earlier this year :laugh:

Borrowed a couch from my sister for a month and my grandfathers car.

Stuff turned up three weeks into the unit lease and any borrowed stuff went back.

We did it a few days before we flew. We had a few things we needed to buy in Brisbane anyway - like a double bed, outdoor setting, fridge etc and I also packed a few essentials like some duvet covers, a set of cutlery, some small plates etc and some plastic cups and anything else we could fit in.

The only thing we rented until our stuff arrived was a washing machine. We were also lucky that some neighbours and new friends lent us some bits and pieces.