Taylors4

We used Grace from Perth to Cheshire earlier this year. So glad we did, highly recommend them. We ended up with just short of a 20ft container load, so went shared, but didn't wait too long. We had the added complication of returning back to the UK within a year, Customs did question this and we did indeed have to prove we brought back what we shipped initially. They used a company called AGS in the Uk to do the customs clearance, they were great, excellent communications with them. Kept us well in the loop with Customs and they really were very efficient and helpful For onward delivery to Cheshire it was a contractor, but have to say the two lads from Yorkshire were brilliant, was a pleasure to have them in our house, so helpful and hardworking. I would have no hesitation recommending them or using them again (not that I'm planning on returning!). Hope this helps.

Hi just thought I would post my experience in the hopes it helps someone. We had less than a 20ft container, so went groupage. Initially I got 4 or so quotes. They varied massively. I had one guy telling me my stuff filled a 20ft and would need to send the remainder groupage - what a joke, they wanted $8,900. We knew how much of a 20ft we filled as we had only been here 10 months and originally shipped our stuff over with John Mason. We ended up going with Grace they quoted $6'700. Great service both ends. I was concerned that we were going groupage it would take a lot longer. Our stuff left Mandurah 4 March and got delivered to Cheshire on May 22. It's been a while but not too bad. Was 10 days in customs this end. They also put a few more things into the container than was agreed, thought we would get charged extra, but no. As we had not been out of the country for a year customs and excise did question our container and initially said we would have to pay VAT on the whole container. Anyway, we disputed this and had to send a letter of explanation as to why we didn't spend a year there and had to supply all our outgoing documentation and packing list. They looked at it and there was no charge. Service was very good at both ends, they used AGS this end, never heard of them, but the two lads that came were great, arrived 8am, gone by 1.30pm job done, their UK shipping/clearance people were very nice to deal with. Still for the life of me can't fathom how come it's more expensive to ship AUS - UK, than UK- AUS! But that's WA for you!

We got loads of quotes and it is more expensive from Oz to UK, I asked why and didn't really get a good explanation off any of them. Any way we chose Grace from MAndurah to Cheshire and paid $6,700 for a bit less than a 20ft. We have gone group age as it was $1,000 cheaper. It was collected on 4th March and still hasn't left. We were assured by the rep that it would be gone in a couple of weeks. We have been told it will go by the end of this month! Good luck with whatever you decide.

Yes the Seven Seas move cube is the way to go. You pack it yourself, so any room you can just utilise until it's full. Lots of very good reports on these. Certainly worth looking at.

Good luck with that one lol!

Thanks, making me feel better now!

Just a tax query really, just wanted to know from people who have actually done this. I'm panicking really, don't want to be landed with a massive tax bill. All goods were bought in the UK prior to coming here, and we are shipping back within the 12 month period. The shipping agent had told us you only pay tax on new items, i.e. things you have bought in Australia. As we haven't bought anything new whilst we have been here, they say we won't have to pay any tax or duty. Just wondering if someone who has actually done it can confirm this to be true. Some of the other agents we had round didn't seem to have a clue about this. Thanks in advance.

I've been getting quotes over the last few weeks. We have decided upon Grace, we are going groupage, just less than a 20ft, $6,720. Other quotes from Wridgeways, Kent, crown, Chess all want a lot more, most around the $8K+ mark. Seems shipping has has gone up considerably since coming here 10 months ago. I had questioned this and have been told it's always more expensive from Oz to the UK, sounds about right really haha! Good luck with it all.

Love this thread, having worked in Coles now for 6 months, I can tell you, I have seen the good, the bad and the downright ugly! Over here people shop eating fast food in the store, when the finish they just place their empties on the shelf. They eat half the stores produce on their way around the shop too. People have been seen blatantly walking out with trolley loads of shopping, the general theft is shameful, people stuffing items down their pants, putting stuff straight into their bags and walking out. People walking around barefoot with very dirty feet, which is both a health hazard and a health and safety issue. I would love it if someone ran over their toes with a trolley just to teach them a lesson. Jezza Kyle eat your heart out.

Hi Lynne this is with Grace, cheapest quote so far!!

I know, this is what's doing my head in. We are in Cheshire, so half an hour south of Manchester, so not as far as yourself in road freight. Of all the quotes so far this is the cheapest, can't believe it. Was it about 6 months ago you sent your container? Only thing I can think of is that the £ is getting stronger, so may have a bit of an impact, but they wanted $7,500 for a sole use 20ft container. Think I'm going to get more quotes in, but running out of time, only 3 weeks to go!!

We are going groupage though as we don't have enough to fill a 20ft, so ours is less than a container load, can't believe they want $6750!!!

Hi Lynne, we don't regret it either in a funny sort of way, and we will be back. I travelled the length and breadth of Australia when I was 21, so know a bit of what is here in Oz to see, it truly is an amazing country, and just wish I could of shown my kids a bit more whilst we were here, oh well. It's with a heavy heart we leave here, but knowing one day we will come back and enjoy it has a holiday. just very roughly, we are only a little short of filling a 20ft, so here goes 2 x 2 seater leather sofas 1 x 2 seater sofa 1 x 3 seater sofa nest of 3 side tables 1 buffet cabinet 1 table 10 chairs 2 large drawer sets 1 bed camping equipment 3 bikes 4 boxes of photos about 6 boxes of kids toys etc 4 tvs 2 tv cabinets 4 smaller bedroom cupboards, tall boy tools about 3 boxes very large esky couple of boxes of clothes, prob suitcase size 2 boxes of shoes iron all kitchen stuff, pots pans, glassware, pottery cake tins etc Think that's about it - gives you an idea, hope this helps!

Thanks for the reply LR, that's good to know you had a positive experience with Grace. We've been quoted more than that for less than a 20ft going groupage, but it's still the cheapest quote so far, so think we will use them anyway, no other option. No we have only been here 9 months, but situations get complicated really. We aren't as well off financially here, early days I know, but we are struggling with the money we earn and tbh the only way we are surviving here is to use money we still have in the UK. We aren't by any means flash with the cash. Also, we have an unhappy teenager too. She's found it hard making friends, she has plenty in school, but none really want to have anything to do with her out of school. To us life is too short for any of us to be unhappy. We had a great life in the UK, we came here for an adventure and a new challenge really, but for us it's not paid off. My daughter is 14 on Friday, so schooling wise we have to decide on staying here for the next 7 years until my son finishes his schooling, or quit whilst we are ahead and can afford to go back with the savings we have. She will be going into year 10 this September. I know now we haven't given it long enough, but think we realise we have made a mistake and think we should just get on with it and move back. If it was just my and my husband, it would be totally different and we would stay for a few years before we contemplated moving back, but we are putting the kids first tbh. We wish we had just kept Oz as a holiday destination, although I do love the place and really regret not seeing more of OZ, we will be back ......... Just not to live.

Hi Emma, yes just re read what I wrote, we are getting quotes for just less than a 20ft container. We asked for quotes for both groupage and sole use. The groupage is coming up in most quotes to be $1k cheaper, but then obviously it may take a bit longer few weeks max is what they have all said. Will keep you posted. Missing good old Cheshire, can't wait to get back to my old haunts .......

LR, can you remember how much they charged you and were they good? Also, what does IYKWIM mean? We too find it lonely here, although I do like it here, there are some negatives that I will never be able to live comfortably with here. We aren't sensing any kind of community feeling like you get in the UK. Although we lived in a semi rural village where everyone knows most people, or knows of them at least. I don't want to winge about Perth though as it is really beautiful, but think I just like it for holidays, living here isn't for me. Would of liked to have spent some of my retirement years here though, but that will never happen now though, as we won't even get PR let alone citizenship lol!!

I've been getting quotes in this week from Perth to Cheshire. We have just a little less than a container load, quotes have ranged between $8,000 - $7,000. Grace are coming out the best so far, we are going to pack all the small stuff ourselves and let them dismantle and wrap the big stuff, this option is coming out at $6,800' but I'm haggling at the moment to try and get a better price so will let you know. This price is groupage though, so may add a couple of weeks to the timescale, but this saves about $1000. All companies have quoted roughly and extra thousand to send it in a sole use 20 foot container.

Good idea, I had though of this as I had seen it done before and wondered if this maybe the way forward. The agent and the owner came around yesterday as they had to do a 6 month building check (as the house was new as at July). Yesterday was a bit painful as they were going over the top on what good tenants we were and how we had kept the place immaculate, they were hoping we would stay for a long time. I emailed her to tell her we were contemplating a move back to the UK and asked for a breakdown of costs for a break lease. She emailed back forgetting to give the costs as she was again going on at how the owner as impressed etc (I think she may have been his mother) lol. Lovely people, so feel really bad now ......... Is it just me, but when you tell people that you maybe going back to the UK, even though we like it here (for us it's just not financially viable, and we were better off in the UK, also OH and DD realise they prefer the cold to the heat lol), people look and take it very personally that you want to leave. I won't even go there with what our relatives have said. Not sure they will speak to us again. Tried to get across that we love OZ, but just don't want to carry on here, although we love it for holidays and will come back I the future. They all look so wounded by the words "moving back to the UK". Anyway, will post and let you know how we get on.

Just wondering if anyone has experience of breaking lease in WA, our lease isn't up until 1 August. We are going to tell the agent when she comes to do an inspection this Monday 3 Feb. This will give us 4-5 weeks to find a new tenant. Does anyone know what the associated charges are? Also, as we are leaving on Friday 7 March, how long in advance should we vacate the property in order for us to get our bond back before we leave Perth? The office that holds our bond is in perth city. I had heard that if you have your form signed by the estate agent you can go along and collect your bond from the office. This is (all being well with finding a new tenant) is what we would propose to do, so we have the money before we leave perth. Does the agent come and inspect the day you hand the keys in, if we do t get a tenant in that time, we will just give the. The keys back anyway, as we will leave the country. Also, if they know you are moving overseas are they more likely to try a bit harder to get a tenant? anyway any advice would be most appreciated.

Yes, that was our thought, as we haven't been gone that long, hopefully we will just slot back in to life pretty much as before we left, apart from job wise. Hoping the kids will just as easily get back into school, as they know so many people there, even if they will be behind, we are just going to have to look for tutoring for them. Thanks it's reassuring to know others have also come to this decision so soon in their Aussie adventure.

Thank you for that IYM, putting me on the right track, very helpful.

Glad you have made plans and are looking forward now. I do feel for your hubby, I know mine would be on suicide watch now if he'd been unemployed for any length of time, he just can't stop at times, which in a way is why we moved here, but he doesn't like working for someone else and prefers to be his own boss. So off we trundle to start up again at home and try and get the work/life balance right this time, instead of throwing the towel in. To be honest, I know we will cop a bit of flack at home, but I'm past caring what others think, it will be 10 months when we get home, at least you've done 3 years, it looks a lot less embarrassing lol. Our decision has really be made by our daughter, who isn't really very happy, but she's been putting on a brave face and just wants to get back to her pony world, school and mates (could of bought her a few of the blinkin ponies with the money we have spent) Oh well, onwards and upwards. Good luck and hope things turn out well for you.

Yes think you are quite right on that, although we really love Oz and really wish we could of seen more, we will be back, but will leave it as a holiday destination and to visit our relies instead of 'living the dream', I feel like I am in a dream sometimes here, it just doesn't seem real sometimes, don't ask me why, I just don't know .....

Hi can anyone recommend a decent shipper who they have used recently, we came with John Mason/wridgeways. Both we found really good, no problems, but am sure I've read some one who said Wridgeways were not so good at packing this end. Thanks in advance.

Thank you so much, i have just read your other post and can totally understand how you feel hun, you've been through it big time and I can only imagine what you are going through. It's a beautiful, amazing and diverse country, I do truly love Oz, but maybe should of kept it as a holiday destination. I really hope it works out for you, hugs x