Shipping costs? is it worth it? England to sydney

Hi all,

I've been posting quite a few threads recently in the excitement of us being granted our visa which states we have to step foot into oz before may 25th.

The original plan was to go over just after christmas and then come back and carry on sorting out the dog stuff to ship him over and putting our house up for rent etc however i think going over for couple weeks then coming back to sort stuff is a waste of money that could be going towards the move itself and also alot for a 1 year old and 3 year old to do (one return trip then a one way trip few months later)

Moving is a whole new thing to me as the only move iv ever done is from the south of england to the north as a wreckless youngen with no responsibilities carrying nothing but a bag of clothes... with having responsibilities of our children and the husband it isnt as easy and i think its fair to say this move will be much bigger

My question is... Do we ship EVERYTHING household wise... beds, cupboards, drawers wardrobes kitchen appliances (dishwasher, coffee machine) sofas tvs and all the smaller things to box.... toys etc... or do we sell everything for barely anything as second hand things sell for pennys and start again? and how much would it cost to ship EVERYTHING.

I personally think with having our young boys... toys and there belongings like there beds would be a must as i want them to not get to confused about the move and still have their belongings and their beloved dog! so either way we are going to have to get some things shipped. wether that be a large cube thing iv seen mentioned on this site and also.. being a bit childish.. but i really dont want to give up my coffee machine! lol

I'm trying to write a list to work out what money we need and what we need to do but i feel completely confused with where to start! luckily we have family to stay with when we arrive however intend to get our own place once my husband has got a job.

Any advice and approx prices and experiences would be brilliant.

thanks all

x

i did a quick search and I think it depends on how much you are moving- 1/3 of a shipping containers is about £1000. think a bed house costs like £3000 so I guess worth thinking about how much your stuff is worth to take i.e could you buy it all again for 3k?

although ive heard furniture is expensive in oz even ikea, plus remember all flats come unfurnished so you need to buy washing machines etc.

ids having their own stuff around them tend to feel more at home so it should help them sette if you bring their stuff.

As for the rest of the household - try adding up what it would cost to replace it all from scratch. Now just the furntiure but down to the last teaspoon.......

Hi, I am shipping a 3 bedroom house worth of stuff in a 20ft sole container. Cost range from 3400 to 3600GBP, add on Oz quarantine cost etc, your averaging about 4000. The best quotes we got were with John Mason and PSS. Defiantly worth it as the total of our estimated shipping items is 36000. So it's best to get some insurance at 3% currently. We only insuring part of our shipment - the expensive items to replace to keep cost down!

Hope this helps!

Hi, I am shipping a 3 bedroom house worth of stuff in a 20ft sole container. Cost range from 3400 to 3600GBP, add on Oz quarantine cost etc, your averaging about 4000. The best quotes we got were with John Mason and PSS. Defiantly worth it as the total of our estimated shipping items is 36000. So it's best to get some insurance at 3% currently. We only insuring part of our shipment - the expensive items to replace to keep cost down!

 

Hope this helps!

PS! I'm shipping everything lol! X

PS! I'm shipping everything lol! X

forgot to mention also we are shipping two little dogs! Total value with pet air U.K. Plus the Melbourne quarantine and other fees are 5000 for both of them! Really expensive I know but worth it! We were going to rent initially but sold our house as cost for relocating just were so expensive! So we have took a leap of faith!

Good luck!

forgot to mention also we are shipping two little dogs! Total value with pet air U.K. Plus the Melbourne quarantine and other fees are 5000 for both of them! Really expensive I know but worth it! We were going to rent initially but sold our house as cost for relocating just were so expensive! So we have took a leap of faith!

 

Good luck!

Me again! Get your dogs rabies vaccination done asap! As only after blood result can they then fly (about 6 months later - if I remember rightly)

Wow you are taking a huge leap I wish we could do that! How big are your dogS? We are shipping oscar our miniature yorkie and I'm so worried ... he's 1.9 kilos. I'm dreading it

Do NOT bring wardrobes and drawers unless you really want them as 90% of Australian homes have built in robes.

S

Wow you are taking a huge leap I wish we could do that! How big are your dogS? We are shipping oscar our miniature yorkie and I'm so worried ... he's 1.9 kilos. I'm dreading it

small- Millie is 5 kilos Bonnie a little bigger at 7! Your dog will be fine - more room in his crate for him/her. With air pets if your happy to do some of the paperwork yourself you can get the silver package which was quoted at 17pp for both of mine, so I would imagine far less for one small fur baby!

small- Millie is 5 kilos Bonnie a little bigger at 7! Your dog will be fine - more room in his crate for him/her. With air pets if your happy to do some of the paperwork yourself you can get the silver package which was quoted at 17pp for both of mine, so I would imagine far less for one small fur baby!

oops! Sorry it was quoted at 1700

We shipped a 4 bedroom house worth of household belongings and so glad we did ,we filled a 40 ft container to the brim the only thing we didn't use that we brought over was our cooker and wished we'd of sold that in the Uk . Also wIshed we'd have brought more bedding and our winter clothes

Iv read the horror stories about flying an animal over was big mistake... I worry with him being so tiny and to be honest our oscar is a bit of of a pampered pooch we made the mistake of treating him like a baby before our kids arrived how he will cope with the food and no 4 star accodation I don't know lol Millie is a brilliant name by the way (that's me!)

We shipped a 4 bedroom house worth of household belongings and so glad we did ,we filled a 40 ft container to the brim the only thing we didn't use that we brought over was our cooker and wished we'd of sold that in the Uk . Also wIshed we'd have brought more bedding and our winter clothes

How much did the 40ft container cost if you don't mind me asking Joji? We have a 2 bedroom house so I don't know if we would need a 40ft container I don't know what size we would need

We have recently shipped our stuff with Pickfords. 2 bed house, 2 children. We shipped a double bed and mattress, bed setee, table and chairs, kitchen stuff but not appliances, mirrors, TV's, tents and a few tools etc, aside from this the bulk of it was chldrens toys. We didn't ship the cot or bed as they would have been without them for approx. 6 weeks or so either at home or when we got to Australia due to the average shipping time taking 10 weeks so we choose to keep them at home until we left. I actually wished we hadn't sent so many of the kids toys as they got very used to playing outdoors with a ball and a few beach toys and 2 months on they only play with a select few! Pickfords over quoted for our things and on the day the removal guys told us that we had lots of space left so we threw in a few extras, Pickfords then refunded us some money back as we hadn't used the space. I think it cost about £1800. I personally wouldn't bother shipping wardrobes or white goods, just bring what is in good condition and things you really like. Obviously everything can be bought here but the cost really adds up so I think shipping a decent amount of stuff is a good idea.

How much did the 40ft container cost if you don't mind me asking Joji? We have a 2 bedroom house so I don't know if we would need a 40ft container I don't know what size we would need

It was 4 years ago with Anglo Pacific and think it was in the region of £4000, but we figured to replace our belongings it was a good price to pay , we brought 4 beds , 2 lounge suites ,American fridge , washer , 2 large TVs , cooker ( which we never used) , dining suite , outdoor furniture , 4 bikes , kitchen equipment , pictures , mirrors , bedroom furniture , toys , treadmill, multi gym , tools , all electrical equipment , games consoles , tv stands , and many other little bits . We could never have afforded to replace our items when we came over as our funds were very tight , we had enough funds to get us by for 3 months whilst we found work so not having to buy any household goods was a huge relief to our finances .

We have recently shipped our stuff with Pickfords. 2 bed house, 2 children. We shipped a double bed and mattress, bed setee, table and chairs, kitchen stuff but not appliances, mirrors, TV's, tents and a few tools etc, aside from this the bulk of it was chldrens toys. We didn't ship the cot or bed as they would have been without them for approx. 6 weeks or so either at home or when we got to Australia due to the average shipping time taking 10 weeks so we choose to keep them at home until we left. I actually wished we hadn't sent so many of the kids toys as they got very used to playing outdoors with a ball and a few beach toys and 2 months on they only play with a select few! Pickfords over quoted for our things and on the day the removal guys told us that we had lots of space left so we threw in a few extras, Pickfords then refunded us some money back as we hadn't used the space. I think it cost about £1800. I personally wouldn't bother shipping wardrobes or white goods, just bring what is in good condition and things you really like. Obviously everything can be bought here but the cost really adds up so I think shipping a decent amount of stuff is a good idea.

Hi can I ask was it 1800 after the refund or before the refund? And how bigger container was that for? Yes I'd like to send the boys beds buts if taken apart I can't imagine them actually taking much space up with them being cotbeds also was it just the one settee? The things I'd definately like to take is the two settees, tv, one king size bed and 2 cotbeds. And then my husband would want to take some of his workshop bits tools etc.

Hi can I ask was it 1800 after the refund or before the refund? And how bigger container was that for? Yes I'd like to send the boys beds buts if taken apart I can't imagine them actually taking much space up with them being cotbeds also was it just the one settee? The things I'd definately like to take is the two settees, tv, one king size bed and 2 cotbeds. And then my husband would want to take some of his workshop bits tools etc.

£1800 was the price for roughly 450sq ft I think, so before the refund. It's worth getting someone round to quote.

We've just shipped (yesterday!) and I would say unless your stuff is tatty and needs replacement anyway, then ship it but be critical about what you take i.e. if you haven't used it for 2 years in the UK then you aren't likely to in Australia. We have a large house but got it down to a 20ft container of essentials, which included beds, dining table and chairs, kitchen table, shelving units, lounge furniture - sofas, chairs, coffee tables etc, as well as clothes and personal items. When we totted it up for insurance the replacement value in Australia was >£35K. Good luck!

We've just shipped (yesterday!) and I would say unless your stuff is tatty and needs replacement anyway, then ship it but be critical about what you take i.e. if you haven't used it for 2 years in the UK then you aren't likely to in Australia. We have a large house but got it down to a 20ft container of essentials, which included beds, dining table and chairs, kitchen table, shelving units, lounge furniture - sofas, chairs, coffee tables etc, as well as clothes and personal items. When we totted it up for insurance the replacement value in Australia was >£35K. Good luck!

Please can I ask who you used to ship your belongings and how much it cost? Did you self pack?

Can I make a suggestion?

Make a list of your stuff. Go into each room and write down everything you are likely to keep. Start with furniture and appliances and include everything inside them. In other words a complete inventory. Don't forget the garage, storage and garden.

Then sit at a computer and value it all on its replacement value IN AUSTRALIA. Look at the state you are going to and say Ikea, Harvey Norman, Peter Jones etc.

Then get shippers in to quote.

you can then compare the costs for you personally not others.

the excercise takes time BUT the info is useful for insurance purposes later anyway.

I was surprised just how much it would cost to replace stuff it was certainly cheaper to ship for us, but not the case for everyone. My kitchen stuff alone really added up as I cook a lot and like nice crockery etc. And would have cost a lot both in time and cash to replace.

Of course you need to work out what to do whilst stuff is being shipped, shared containers nearly always take longer as they wait for it to be full before shipping.

People do this in many ways and we have done it differently on the two occasions we migrated. Again everyone's circumstances are different.

@Mmirfin - you say you're able to stay with friends at first. If that's the case, then I would definitely ship everything!

The main reason the decision to ship is difficult is timing: if you ship everything, and then have to move into a house before it arrives, how do you manage? But if you're able to stay somewhere until it arrives, the problem goes away and the decision is easy, IMO.

I agree with @rammygirl's suggestion of doing an inventory then working out how much it will cost to replace it in Australia. I can guarantee that shipping will be cheaper, and doing the inventory will show you how much cheaper! But it's not just the cost of replacing that's the issue - it's the time.

When we moved to the UK last year, we didn't ship anything as my furniture was pretty old and I thought, great opportunity to replace it. What I hadn't considered was time. I had visions of replacing my tatty old sofa with something really nice - BUT when you need to buy everything, you don't have time to trudge round all the furniture shops until you find the perfect sofa! You've got to go out and make quick decisions, and buy stuff that's in stock. And you don't even know which are the best shops and where they are.

I left behind furniture, pots and pans, linen etc which had been carefully chosen and collected over years and years - it may have been a bit worn but it was stuff I really liked. Whereas I had to buy all the stuff for our new life in a big rush, and while it was nice that it was all new, none of it was exactly what I wanted. For months afterwards I was seeing things in shops and thinking, I'd have preferred that!