What to bring?

[Parley]

DAB radio won't work

[NicF]

If you are paying for a full container put everything you have in it and sell anything you don't need when you get here. Not every house has built in wardrobes in every room. Even some new houses don't. So we brought two wardrobes with us. And ended up in a house with built in wardrobes in every bedroom so we sold them for a lot more than we would have got in the UK. Beds here aren't that different in size and how well sheets fit will depend on the depth of your mattress as much as anything else. Except what we call king size in the UK is queen size here.

[MovingtoTasmania]

Plenty of Heinz here!

 

Oh no, don't tell him. Keep it a secret :wink:

[MovingtoTasmania]

If you are paying for a full container put everything you have in it and sell anything you don't need when you get here. Not every house has built in wardrobes in every room. Even some new houses don't. So we brought two wardrobes with us. And ended up in a house with built in wardrobes in every bedroom so we sold them for a lot more than we would have got in the UK. Beds here aren't that different in size and how well sheets fit will depend on the depth of your mattress as much as anything else. Except what we call king size in the UK is queen size here.

 

Ah, I don't have wardrobes to bring as I have built ins in all the bedrooms. I'm not bringing the kids beds as I don't know where we will end up and they might need bunk beds, which they don't have right now.

[MovingtoTasmania]

DAB radio won't work

 

You said it might on the other thread, hence it's on the list. It's only a tiny thing. Where did you buy your new one from pls?

[NicF]

You said it might on the other thread, hence it's on the list. It's only a tiny thing. Where did you buy your new one from pls?

 

We have DAB+ here in Australia. You can buy DAB+ radios in the UK so if yours is DAB+ it will work here in Australia.

[NicF]

Ah, I don't have wardrobes to bring as I have built ins in all the bedrooms. I'm not bringing the kids beds as I don't know where we will end up and they might need bunk beds, which they don't have right now.

 

If they fit in the container I'd bring them anyway. You can always sell them when you get here if you decide to get bunk beds.

[ramot]

The advice we were given when we moved here, was bring everything that works or will fit in your container.

it's expensive enough moving, so that way you can replace things when you need to rather than rushing out and buying every thing new as soon as you arrive.

my tumble dryer at least 20 years old is still going strong.

i'm really glad we were given that advice, as we knew the shops etc. so much better as and when we replaced items.

good luck with your move, you must be so excited.

[Mae m]

how much did u pay for the whole container?

[MovingtoTasmania]

We are excited but to be honest, to me, to bring beds that might not be used as we will need beds before the container and then have the hassle of selling them just fills me with dread as I think, but I might be wrong, that we will have enough to do without that.

 

I don't have a tumble drier and to be honest, most of the stuff in the house that I'm not bringing, I would have replaced if we weren't moving such as the sofa suite. This is why I can't see the point in bringing that kind of thing. If it was valuable antiques then I would, but not just old furniture that I will need before the container comes anyway and so will replace.

 

I know what you are all saying and I do appreciate it, I really do but if it was really good then I would bring it but sleep and sit on what?

 

The container is costing me £2500 for full pack and sole use.

[dmjg]

Beds is a tough one.

 

You need them in the uk until you leave and you need them in Australia from the day you land.

 

If you ship the frames and use the mattresses in the uk, you can just sleep on the floor.

 

Then when in oz you can buy new mattresses (measure the size of the frames so you know what size mattresses to buy) again sleep on the floor and put them on the bed frames when your container arrives.

[Parley]

You said it might on the other thread, hence it's on the list. It's only a tiny thing. Where did you buy your new one from pls?

 

you can buy them at any electrical store or department store.

I bought mine from Harvey Norman.

 

I bought a Sangean top of the range model for $188 but you can get a lot cheaper and smaller ones if you want.

 

I had never heard of Sangean but did quite a lot of research and looking around. I think they only make digital radios.

 

This is the model I bought and I really like it. http://www.sangean.com.au/images/PDF/digital_flyers/DPR-45.pdf

[MovingtoTasmania]

The other point to remember is that we are shipping the things just a couple of days before completion. Or should I say that they will be packing up and taking our things a couple of days before completion. It could well be 3 or 4 months before we see them in Australia and whilst I don't mind buying a sofa bed and sleeping it on for that time, I just think it's more practical for the kids if we get them new beds when we arrive. That way, at least some of us will have beds.

 

The container might not even leave Manchester until New Year. This is having to all be done in a bit of a rush, not calmly, due to the quickness of the sale.

[ramot]

We are excited but to be honest, to me, to bring beds that might not be used as we will need beds before the container and then have the hassle of selling them just fills me with dread as I think, but I might be wrong, that we will have enough to do without that.

 

I don't have a tumble drier and to be honest, most of the stuff in the house that I'm not bringing, I would have replaced if we weren't moving such as the sofa suite. This is why I can't see the point in bringing that kind of thing. If it was valuable antiques then I would, but not just old furniture that I will need before the container comes anyway and so will replace.

 

I know what you are all saying and I do appreciate it, I really do but if it was really good then I would bring it but sleep and sit on what?

 

The container is costing me £2500 for full pack and sole use.

 

I was generalising really, I completely agree with you about your suite etc, I suppose I was also thinking about even small items like kettle, toaster etc. cutlery, crockery, as much as larger items all cost to replace.

The only thing we had problems with clearing customs were Christmas decorations, they destroyed some that had cones and straw.

it's important to declare everything in the container, we put wooden things grouped together, so easily identified, didn't have bikes or gardening things.

the container took longer to clear customs than we had anticipated, seemed to sit on Brisbane Dock for ages, hope that doesn't happen to you. We slept on the floor on a borrowed mattress for a bit, but luckily had bought some furniture from the people we bought the house from so had something to sit on!

Hope you settle in Perth, and are as happy as we are living on the Sunshine Coast.

[MovingtoTasmania]

I was generalising really, I completely agree with you about your suite etc, I suppose I was also thinking about even small items like kettle, toaster etc. cutlery, crockery, as much as larger items all cost to replace.

The only thing we had problems with clearing customs were Christmas decorations, they destroyed some that had cones and straw.

it's important to declare everything in the container, we put wooden things grouped together, so easily identified, didn't have bikes or gardening things.

the container took longer to clear customs than we had anticipated, seemed to sit on Brisbane Dock for ages, hope that doesn't happen to you. We slept on the floor on a borrowed mattress for a bit, but luckily had bought some furniture from the people we bought the house from so had something to sit on!

Hope you settle in Perth, and are as happy as we are living on the Sunshine Coast.

 

To be honest, it's the time that it's going to take to get the container over there and cleared through Customs that also puts me off bringing everything, as this might sound lazy but I don't want the hassle of trying to get rid of stuff over there, when I have people who will pay for it over here if that makes sense. If it does leave immediately before Christmas and clear customs immediately, we might get our bits by mid-March. If not, it could be later and I can't see any of us being happy with making do with no proper furniture for months on end. I've had a look at Gumtree and Super A Mart and you can buy things quite cheaply. Kettle and toaster I'm not bringing but crockery and cutlery I am although again, we need things to eat off and with before the container arrives. It's all doing my head in a bit to be honest!

[MovingtoTasmania]

you can buy them at any electrical store or department store.

I bought mine from Harvey Norman.

 

I bought a Sangean top of the range model for $188 but you can get a lot cheaper and smaller ones if you want.

 

I had never heard of Sangean but did quite a lot of research and looking around. I think they only make digital radios.

 

This is the model I bought and I really like it. http://www.sangean.com.au/images/PDF/digital_flyers/DPR-45.pdf

 

Thank you for the link Parley. I'm not fussed about named brands etc, as long as it works, it'll do me :smile:

[Chortlepuss]

I would bring quality clothes, and quality shoes - hard to get and/or expensive here - Primark style clothes freely available via stores such as Target and whilst not so cheap, similar quality. If you need business suits, get down to Next or similar.

 

when we moved, we packed for our stuff for a New Year move in about Oct.... Had this idea that our furniture would join us out there.... bloody shippers didn't send it until after we left

[Mae m]

I would bring quality clothes, and quality shoes - hard to get and/or expensive here - Primark style clothes freely available via stores such as Target and whilst not so cheap, similar quality. If you need business suits, get down to Next or similar.

 

when we moved, we packed for our stuff for a New Year move in about Oct.... Had this idea that our furniture would join us out there.... bloody shippers didn't send it until after we left

what shipping company did u use?

has any of u brought toiletries? thank you

[Que Sera Sera]

We brought 6 boxes two bikes a tool box and 1 TVs. TBH half of that I wish we hadn't bothered. Sold the lot and bought all new here starting from scratch. They sale lots of stuff here it's not a third world country :laugh:

[MARYROSE02]

When I first came to Australia, I just brought a suitcase, and that was too heavy. When I went back to England in 1996, I packed my garage with stuff, some of which is still there. I think my brother took my bed, and the rest of the stuff went to Vinnies, or the Salvos. I can't remember, but they collected it. They also put a chest of drawers, which was U/S out on the pavement, which shocked me, but within half an hour, someone had put something else next to it, and by the end of the day someone else had taken both of them away. The Councils do regular 'bulky waste' collections, and other people stop to take it.

 

When I left England again in 2008, I paid a firm to take away all the furniture, and I packed my loft with personal effects, some of which I know I should have thrown away. I'm far too sentimental, mea culpa. The tenants would like to use the loft for their stuff, and I was agreable to moving it to storage but only if the rent went up to cover the cost, so that fell through. But I will still have to do something about it sometime, when I sell the house probably, or if the tenant moves out. They have been good and there long term, and the rent is an important part of my income.

 

When I moved back into my unit here in Surry Hills, I initially 'camped', sleeping on a lilo, and buying a couple of camping chairs. I've got a mattress that I put down for people if they ever stay. There's nothing wrong with 'camping' in your home when you first arrive! My brother gave me some stuff, some I bought - bed, 'Hoover', computer, some I found in the garbage area - bookshelf, CD stacks.

 

And you can get plenty of good stuff from the charity shops, clothes to furniture. I like buying designer labels (of fake designer labels?!)

 

One thing for sure, moving anywhere is 'Top of the Pops' in the major cause of stress league!

[Tiamilo]

Hi,

Unless your bed will last you a few years and the bedding is ok for a while I wouldn't bother bringing it across as the sizes of beds and bedding over here are different so maybe leave them behind. If your sofas are in good condition definitely bring them and as for the microwave you will use it as much as you do in the UK but will have to change it's plug so it depends on how attached you are to it. You can buy dishcloths over here unless they are crocheted by your mum like mine were!!!! Don't bring TV's as easier to buy those here and you will probably need a dvd that plays regional free dvd's. Your photos will be fine as long as you have decent packers. Buy enough adaptors from ebay for all your gadgets and bring toiletries as the smell of these remind you of the home in the UK until you settle in. If yu have a dryer in decent condition bring it over and don't forget coat hangers and pegs!!! Good Luck with your move.