ozindublin Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 Hi guys, in 7 days I have my shippers coming! yay! I'm quite worried about it, I guess my biggest worry is stuff being left behind which I wanted to to take. After paying such a lot to ship our gear, I would be less than impressed if we had to pay any more towards getting our stuff over. I'm a very organised person, and am loosing sleep over this next step. To help me sleep at night I've put labels on the room doors stating the gear I want shipped from each room. I've put all my kitchen stuff in particular cupboards, so they don't get left behind. I really want to know how the day goes. So.. how did your packing day go? and do you have any handy tips for us? Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delaneym Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 I am going alone so taking 6 shipping boxes and like you ( in a small way) wondering what i need to ship and what can I fit in the 30kg baggage allowance... I am wondering how much i can wear on a flight in one go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missus B Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 Leave lots of biscuits, tea, coffee out for the packers. You can't take your booze collection. Give it to the packers. If you go round the house with them, room by room, they will pack your stuff one room at a time. hey will ask you to go round the house at the end to make sure they have gotten everything. Most packing companies provide a quote but this goes up and down, depending on what you add or take away. They quoted my for 90 cubic feet. It worked out to be a little bit more than that but haven't been charged. I am also sharing a container. Be prepared for it to be delayed, if you are sharing. They haven't filled the rest of my container yet so it's been delayed by 2-3 weeks. You need to keep in contact with them and stay on the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoandJon Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 Pack your suitcase before they come so you know how much you can fit in - then take out a few kg to allow for gifts etc. Everything else can go with the shippers! Make sure you've got any paperwork you'll need (including passports etc) separately so they don't get packed by mistake. We tried to have everything that wasn't going in one room, and let them go open slather on the rest (and did labels in the kitchen). If you're shipping everything they'll literally pack everything that sits still for 2 minutes, so make sure you have anything you don't want separated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1977 Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 Book a return flight from the uk to oz. so if oz isn't for you you're have a ticket home, rather than being ripped off to the tune of 2500 for a ticket back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozindublin Posted August 28, 2012 Author Share Posted August 28, 2012 Thanks so much for the tips. So I packed a suitcase today with all my own gear, hairdryer, makeup, shoes & clothes, it came to 22.9kg... there are four of us with 20kg limit each. I reckon the kids won't use much, and the hubby won't either, though he will have a suit & jeans etc... I'm so much more relaxed after doing that today. Thank you. I packed all the kids toys today too... they all fit, except a few minor bits... delighted. Two boxes of toys, done & dusted! I think I'm getting there. The packers are going to do all my kitchen etc. I just wanted to get the stuff I needed to shrink packed. Happy days, Thanks again. Stacy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rammygirl Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 The main issue is stopping them from packing things you DON"T want to ship! WE thought we had put everything to stay in one room, but I nipped out for some milk and when I returned they had packed my slippers! When we unpacked the other end we found the "remote receiver" for our UK doorbell. I could just imagine the new owners wondering why the bell didn't work! They are like locusts, they moved so fast and packed everything they could see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joob joobs Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 My tip would be plenty of tea and biscuits! Complete opposite to the guys who unpacked at this end. Had to convince them to stop for a cool drink in the January heat! We only had a few things turn up here that shouldn't have been packed. I had intended to throw out my old hair dryer and just use my travel one until I got a new one in Aus... but I'm still using the rotten old thing... since it was packed I'm using it til it kicks the bucket! Lol. They also packed a wicker basket with all the dogs old toys that were going to be donated to woof's pals before we left.... customs opened that box and removed 2 packets of dog treats and let the wicker basket through, which I thought was a big no-no... if only I'd known, my mum went home with a car full of wicker when she left my house for the last time as I didn't think you could bring them... oh well, no big deal... you can get the exact same ones here in IKEA too so no real loss! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicF Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 The main issue is stopping them from packing things you DON"T want to ship! WE thought we had put everything to stay in one room, but I nipped out for some milk and when I returned they had packed my slippers! When we unpacked the other end we found the "remote receiver" for our UK doorbell. I could just imagine the new owners wondering why the bell didn't work! They are like locusts, they moved so fast and packed everything they could see. I'd second this. We had already moved out of the house and in to my mums so had taken everything for the journey with us, but there were a few bits of furniture that we were going to leave behind. They all got packed, complete with the post-it notes with the word 'stay' on them that my husband had used to identify what we were not taking with us. Fortunately we had chucked that many things out that everything still fit in the container. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AKA63029 Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Hi OZ. Good advice from everyone so far, but as a former 'Removal Operative', :laugh: who moved loads of peeps overseas this is where I come from: 1. NEVER EVER pack the kettle.:laugh: 2. Most removal fellas like the occasional Custard Cream, Digestives just don't cut it.:no: 3. If you have any small pets that haven't yet been shipped, HIDE them. Some removalists can be that quick that the said pet may be packed in a box along with your books.:biglaugh: 4. NEVER follow them about, they can get a bit twitchy if they see you as their shadow. 5. If you live on a fairly residential area make sure the lorry can park within a reasonable distance of you front/back door. Rocked up several times at places only to find couldn't park anywhere near the house. All well and good until the owner comes out and says, 'You can park down the road, if you go past the post office, and then turn right there is a parking space there;. All well and good until you discover there are three grand pianos to hump, and it is a half mile walk to the lorry, just doesn't boad well for the move.:arghh: (Note. NO AMOUNT of Custard Creams will make up for this.) 6. Most removalists will start of by calling you 'Sir/Madam'. If you want them to call you by your Christian name tell them what it is. Used to work with a young fella by the name of Vince and the fella said to us 'Please Don't Call Me Sir'. Vince took this as open season and the rest of the day he called the gentleman 'Helmet Head'.:shocked: Fortunately gentleman concerned found this extremely funny and even gave us a big tip. 7. IF they have done a good job (most do) hand out any 'tip' to them whilst they are ALL there. I used to work with a foreman who pockets ALL the tips for himself and we wondered why he holidayed in the Bahamas every year.:realmad: 8. A laugh and a joke goes down very well, as long as they are doing there job. Makes for a far more pleasant day and less stressful for all concerned. 9. MAKE SURE you show them ALL your gardening equipment, though any good outfit will ask anyway. But there is nothing worse than 'packing' a lorry to the hilt only to be told 'You have forgotten my ride on mower and statues of the Venus De Milo.:laugh: 10. My final tip matey. Try to chill, take note of what others have said, and I'm sure all will be OK. Cheers Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lambfamily Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 Love this post! Looks like I'd best stock up on custard creams then! :wink: I'm having nightmares about how it all works when packers descend on the house and trying to get a handle on a) the house looking like a storage facility for 3 days and b) having chuff all left when they've gone. At this particular time, it's the mass de-clutter that's grieving me...I can't seem to get started and I know I must. Pains me to think of the stuff that will get discarded and how wasteful. We have sole use 40ft container planned so space is not an issue..it's just I know there's stuff we have kept for nostalgia/sentiment that seems daft to pack up and ship. I suppose I'm just going to have to be brave....:yes: Hi OZ. Good advice from everyone so far, but as a former 'Removal Operative', :laugh: who moved loads of peeps overseas this is where I come from: 1. NEVER EVER pack the kettle.:laugh: 2. Most removal fellas like the occasional Custard Cream, Digestives just don't cut it.:no: 3. If you have any small pets that haven't yet been shipped, HIDE them. Some removalists can be that quick that the said pet may be packed in a box along with your books.:biglaugh: 4. NEVER follow them about, they can get a bit twitchy if they see you as their shadow. 5. If you live on a fairly residential area make sure the lorry can park within a reasonable distance of you front/back door. Rocked up several times at places only to find couldn't park anywhere near the house. All well and good until the owner comes out and says, 'You can park down the road, if you go past the post office, and then turn right there is a parking space there;. All well and good until you discover there are three grand pianos to hump, and it is a half mile walk to the lorry, just doesn't boad well for the move.:arghh: (Note. NO AMOUNT of Custard Creams will make up for this.) 6. Most removalists will start of by calling you 'Sir/Madam'. If you want them to call you by your Christian name tell them what it is. Used to work with a young fella by the name of Vince and the fella said to us 'Please Don't Call Me Sir'. Vince took this as open season and the rest of the day he called the gentleman 'Helmet Head'.:shocked: Fortunately gentleman concerned found this extremely funny and even gave us a big tip. 7. IF they have done a good job (most do) hand out any 'tip' to them whilst they are ALL there. I used to work with a foreman who pockets ALL the tips for himself and we wondered why he holidayed in the Bahamas every year.:realmad: 8. A laugh and a joke goes down very well, as long as they are doing there job. Makes for a far more pleasant day and less stressful for all concerned. 9. MAKE SURE you show them ALL your gardening equipment, though any good outfit will ask anyway. But there is nothing worse than 'packing' a lorry to the hilt only to be told 'You have forgotten my ride on mower and statues of the Venus De Milo.:laugh: 10. My final tip matey. Try to chill, take note of what others have said, and I'm sure all will be OK. Cheers Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jin77 Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 I really feel your pain Lambfamily. I have all my birthday cards from people who still mean a lot to mean. My husband has probably a thousand DVDs in his loft. Will see if he will part with any of them .:chatterbox: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 All I can say is that it will be fine. I can say this with conviction. I am the organised person in our household and I came down with an awful sickness bug the weekend before they were due to come and couldn't get things sorted. I, very naievly, gave DH instructions about what to do and assumed that it would happen. Well I came down on the morning the shippers came and it was ABSOLUTE chaos. Stuff that was going on the plane was everywhere - cameras, phones, kids' stuff, important documents! Stuff all over the floor and sides! I went mental. And what had DH been doing whilst I had been so ill - sterilizing every single of the kids' bouncy balls (about 30) and toy golf clubs etc from the garden! All the "if we have time" stuff that wasn't urgent. So, still ill, I am running around trying to grab everything. Anyway upshot of the story is that 2 bags did get packed that shouldn't have so we had to open every box that first night to find them, but we did. Everything else went ok. Although we did keep seeing things that were supposed to go afterwards that we just didn't notice - clock from the wall, fruit bowl etc but nothing urgent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozindublin Posted September 2, 2012 Author Share Posted September 2, 2012 Big day tomorrow, thank you for all the tips, they're invaluable! I'll be shopping ASAP for the bickies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozindublin Posted September 3, 2012 Author Share Posted September 3, 2012 Woohoo... sitting watching a really small 21" telly now, the kids gave the big one a hug this morning before school. Most of our beloved stuff has gone, we're left with the gear we don't much care for, and it feels wonderful. It went so smoothly. Nothing packed (that I'm aware of) that shouldn't have been, and everything taken that was listed on my door labels. I now have to get the house into a respectable state for photos for advertising our house for rent. Then enjoy the next 4.5 weeks. loads of drinks out, and dinners & fun. Good luck everyone, and if I can help with advise let me know! Stacy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louwexford Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Hi all my shippers are here on the 26th september, but like lambfamily, i am having serious problems in letting go off stuff, we have sole use of a 20ft container, and will fill it to the brim, going to take the advice given earlier about packing my suitcase before they come, great idea. Clothes is the biggest issue, will i wont i ever wear it again, going to have to be ruthless. best of luck to you all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Scarlett10 Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 I remember opening one of our boxes in Melbourne (after 12 weeks on the open seas) to find a large, black bin bag full of rotting rubbish! I thought the hubby had taken it out, he thought I had and the removal guys had actually packed it. Most expensive bag of rubbish ever!! The other thing that got packed was 20 kids library books that I had left out to return to the local library - I didn't even see them go into a box!! What is absolutely lovely though - is the fact that when you get to your destination - your house is completely clutter free. I totally loved that sense of freedom from all the useless items that we collect and feel we cannot get rid of (until you put a removal price onto them...much easier to say goodbye to them then!). Sadly - you accumulate very easily! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGrahams Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Our packers are coming on tuesday :shocked:. Kinda feeling on top of the cleaning though, we only have a small amount going so we are putting it all in one room, but I am starting to get the panicky sense that something important will be left behind! Must remember to stock up on biccy's tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE DUNSCOMBE FAMILY Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Don't stand still you may get packed yourself , move stuff you DO NOT WANT PACKED ...............................PASSPORTS WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA , i took mine round to my mums so glad i did , like already mentioned i got stuff i didnt want packing .Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lambfamily Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Hi all my shippers are here on the 26th september, but like lambfamily, i am having serious problems in letting go off stuff, we have sole use of a 20ft container, and will fill it to the brim, going to take the advice given earlier about packing my suitcase before they come, great idea. Clothes is the biggest issue, will i wont i ever wear it again, going to have to be ruthless. best of luck to you all How's it going so far with the de clutter? Our packers come 2nd October and I STILL feel like I've not even scratched the surface. I'm having sleepless nights about it all. Trying to decide what to keep and what to offload. We have sole use of a 40ft container so space is not an issue but hubby said last night while we were wading through the loft full of kids toys, books, old school work..."this is a huge amount of stuff! Where on earth are we going to put it at the other end?" Our thoughts had been to ship it and sell it there rather than try flog it here (at least we'd have Aussie dollars rather than £ and a rubbish conversion rate) but we're not sure how Aussies are with the garage sale type of activity. So, the dilemma continues and I have just over a week to get my act together and sort it out. We know the space is not an issue...we'd never have got our ordinary stuff in a 20ft anyway so were always looking at 40ft so we figured just ship the lot. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's felt like this and I certainly won't be the last but it's SO DAMN HARD to be ruthless... I mustn't forget the biscuits tho and I'll be on the lookout for bin bags of rubbish Scarlett10! Eeewww..that must have been a ripe old smell! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiajoe Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Hi guys great post, we are nearly at the quotation stage , could anyone please advise the cost between a 20 & 40 ft container ( roughly) . we have a 4 bed , not taking wardrobes and beds . What would be advised ???? Can you share a 40 ft if required ?? Thank you Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lambfamily Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Hi guys great post,we are nearly at the quotation stage , could anyone please advise the cost between a 20 & 40 ft container ( roughly) . we have a 4 bed , not taking wardrobes and beds . What would be advised ???? Can you share a 40 ft if required ?? Thank you Ian Ian Just based on the mountains of research I did for shipping, avg cost for sole use 20ft seemed to be around the £4200 mark and the sole use of our 40ft container came in at £6350 - this is without insurance and Aquis fees. Sharing containers can be a little cheaper but you have to wait till it gets filled so that delays your delivery time. We're expecting ours within 10 wks of leaving here (5th Oct). One tip though is when getting your quotes, check the volume they're quoting for as they vary enormously and if you're quoted for one amount and it turns out to be more than that when they pack, they'll charge extra. It was interesting to see the headline price didn't actually work out the best price as they were in relation to a volume and so when you compare volumes to price, what orginally looks like expensive, is actually more cost effective. Just my experience and once my removals descend next week, I'll be in a better place to tell you how it went! There are some good threads on here where folks have posted their quotes from some of the major players in shipping so see what they say. For me personally, price wasn't the only factor in choosing our removal company so hopefully they'll deliver what I'm hoping for. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Scarlett10 Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 How's it going so far with the de clutter? Our packers come 2nd October and I STILL feel like I've not even scratched the surface. I'm having sleepless nights about it all. Trying to decide what to keep and what to offload. We have sole use of a 40ft container so space is not an issue but hubby said last night while we were wading through the loft full of kids toys, books, old school work..."this is a huge amount of stuff! Where on earth are we going to put it at the other end?" Our thoughts had been to ship it and sell it there rather than try flog it here (at least we'd have Aussie dollars rather than £ and a rubbish conversion rate) but we're not sure how Aussies are with the garage sale type of activity. So, the dilemma continues and I have just over a week to get my act together and sort it out. We know the space is not an issue...we'd never have got our ordinary stuff in a 20ft anyway so were always looking at 40ft so we figured just ship the lot. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's felt like this and I certainly won't be the last but it's SO DAMN HARD to be ruthless... I mustn't forget the biscuits tho and I'll be on the lookout for bin bags of rubbish Scarlett10! Eeewww..that must have been a ripe old smell! The worst thing was...I was so excited to finally have some toys for my 1,2 and 3 year old that I gleefully ripped open bags and boxes....to discover the one bag containing its own ecosystem!! I was actually amazed it had made it through customs and quarantine! Garage sales are really popular. We were in Melbourne for 10 years and you could not travel the roads at the weekend without hand made signs advertising garage sales. Often, the local guide/scout/charity groups would hold a car boot sale. You just booked in for $10-$20 and then turned up with your goods. I also sold masses on ebay. Melbourne is pretty portable and I would have people from all over the suburbs coming to my house (I could never be bothered to post) to collect things. Schools also are big on the 'trash and treasure' - some let you sell, others you just donate your goods. Oh - and if you are really stuck, once per year, there is the hard wasted collection (we had this in Vic - not sure about the other states). For 3 days of so, you load up your nature strip with whatever you do not want (fridge freezers, beds, tables, TVs, bikes, old paint - most things) and then the council come and remove it for free. They recycle it all. We actually moved to Melbourne in hard waste week and I thought I had moved to the slums!!! Debris and rubbish in front of every house...then over night it mysteriously disappeared...! Good luck with the packing (it will work out - it always does!) and watch out for your rubbish! :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoandJon Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Hi guys great post,we are nearly at the quotation stage , could anyone please advise the cost between a 20 & 40 ft container ( roughly) . we have a 4 bed , not taking wardrobes and beds . What would be advised ???? Can you share a 40 ft if required ?? Thank you Ian Prices will REALLY vary depending on your situation at both ends - other people's prices might be for an easy access bungalow with it's own driveway to park on, while you might have a 4 story mid terrace with no parking within coo-ee... We paid less than GBP4k for sole use 20ft container in a tiny village in Kent to Melbourne with our own driveway. But - they had to transit the boxes etc out of the village to the container because our lovely twee village lanes couldn't take the big lorry. Oh and that included custom wooden crates for some guitars, original artwork and an antique clock... And did I mention that I haggled? Had to get back into the habit before coming downunder Hmmm the funniest things that were shipped because they stood still for too long = - an old broken paper shredder..... - an empty softdrink bottle......... - a half-full pack of dishwashing liquid...... Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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