Going back to the UK... do we ship or sell???

[Guest thebaddeleys]

Hi Everyone,

 

I'd love some advice please on shipping all your stuff as opposed to selling it all and starting a fresh. We are heading home in Jan/feb next year and can't decide whether to sell everything or ship it. When we came out here we shipped EVERYTHING, and it cost nearly £3k, but now we are going back we are thinking maybe we should sell everything and just ships a few things like the kids toys, TV, playstation/xbox etc.

 

I'd love to hear from anyone who sold everything in the UK and had to buy everything when they got here, did you lose money in the end, is there anything you wish you had shipped because it cost you a fortune to replace, etc etc?

 

We are thinking with the whole recession in the UK there might be some deals to be had so trying to work out what to do.

 

Any advice from anyone please.

 

Thanks in advance everyone,

 

Kerry x

[Guest happy feet]

Hi Kerry, we sold everything in the uk and bought here, it cost a fortune and if we go back we will def ship everything back over. It is very expensive to start again, so my advic is take it all back, even if you get good deals, it soon adds up.

Good luck with your move

 

cara

[Guest BJF]

We're heading home in Feb and we're taking what will fit in a 20ft container, if it won't fit, it ain't going with us. Def leaving washing machine (it's a top loader and I doubt I'll get a kitchen it will fit in), freezer (it's way too big for a UK kitchen), freezer (hate it, it's an upright one).

 

I'm gonna get Pickfords in hopefully this week or maybe next if they're really busy, I've already spoe to them via phone and told them we will need to walk round the house several times, I have stuff thats def going back, after that it's a case of re-walking round the house and deciding what else will fit in the container. A 20 ft container will cost me A$9k, Pickfords said they need to do pack up on a Monday and uplift on a Tuesday to guarentee it being on shipping the following Tuesday (shipping to UK is Tuesdays only), shipping is guarenteed 5 - 8 weeks delivery on condition I don't go into part container. We're already sorting through stuff and throwing stuff away.

 

We moved here with bare minimum, basically just personal stuff and kids toys and it cost way too much to replace everything so this time most is going home with us.

[Guest SA Great]

Hi Guys,

Why are all you guys going back? Alwyas interested to hear the reasons why.

[Guest thebaddeleys]

We're heading home in Feb and we're taking what will fit in a 20ft container, if it won't fit, it ain't going with us. Def leaving washing machine (it's a top loader and I doubt I'll get a kitchen it will fit in), freezer (it's way too big for a UK kitchen), freezer (hate it, it's an upright one).

 

I'm gonna get Pickfords in hopefully this week or maybe next if they're really busy, I've already spoe to them via phone and told them we will need to walk round the house several times, I have stuff thats def going back, after that it's a case of re-walking round the house and deciding what else will fit in the container. A 20 ft container will cost me A$9k, Pickfords said they need to do pack up on a Monday and uplift on a Tuesday to guarentee it being on shipping the following Tuesday (shipping to UK is Tuesdays only), shipping is guarenteed 5 - 8 weeks delivery on condition I don't go into part container. We're already sorting through stuff and throwing stuff away.

 

We moved here with bare minimum, basically just personal stuff and kids toys and it cost way too much to replace everything so this time most is going home with us.

 

Gosh $9k sounds expensive, when we came over we paid £2.7k for 16ft in a shared container! I'm thinking maybe sell all the big items like settees, dining table and chairs etc so we just use half a container with the rest of our stuff as like you we have things we definitley want to take back. x x x

[Anne B]

If the $/£ exchange rate stays as it is you will find things cheaper in the UK. We recently did a comparison across the Ikea websites and Australia is much more expensive.

For example Morrum bunk bed UK £159, Adelaide $499, Arild 3 seat leather sofa UK £799, Adelaide $1999.

 

The UK seems cheap compared with the Euro zone too. However if you've only bought new recently it seems a pity to sell the stuff so soon as you won't get what you paid for it.

 

As for the recession here, I think it's effects are varied. Some people/areas have been hit hard by it, others totally unaffected. People are still losing their jobs though. You should definitely be able to get some bargains.

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

Gosh $9k sounds expensive, when we came over we paid £2.7k for 16ft in a shared container! I'm thinking maybe sell all the big items like settees, dining table and chairs etc so we just use half a container with the rest of our stuff as like you we have things we definitley want to take back. x x x

 

Hy guys, good luck with the move back.... i am sure alot of the newbs on here would snap up some of your gear...

 

HG

[Guest BJF]

Part/shared container is of course cheaper but no guarentee how long it will sit in the docks waiting for someone to use the other part of ya shared container. I def can't wait too long, not am I prepared to wait too long for our stuff to catch up with us. I believe removals and shipping is cheaper coming this way and ya can not nor should compare, right now ya earning and paying for everyting in A$ not GBP

 

Peeps here on PIA of course get first refusal of anything I'm not taking home, it will need to be collected on Sunday 7th Feb, all I'm asking is a realistic offer for anything ya want. It is all good working order and clean but obviousley not new as we've been here 5 yrs. As daft as it sounds I'll have crockery and glasses that will need a home too as I don't have the boxes for them anymore, also will have queen bed and maybe (depends on how much room is left in container) three jumbo single beds. I'll post a def list in the new year. What doesn't sell will go to charity, I'm thinking of sally army's womens refuse places.

[The Monaghans]

I think it's a great idea that what you don't sell you'll donate to charity, good for you. I've read posts on here before as to why you're going back and I know that we've had huge "wobbles" in the past couple of years ourselves. I just wanted to say fair play (or should I say "Good on yer!") for giving it a go and we wish you the very best of luck for your return to the UK and we hope it's everything you hoped it would be.

 

And no, I'm not being sarky!

 

All the best

Liz

[Guest clare]

We are hoping to come out next year some time had a really hard time selling our house and are now saving wot we lost on it, we sold everything too - wot ive just read fills me with horror!! are we doing the right thing?????????

[Guest mayjess]

Yes you are doing the right thing, as long as you are going to give 110% and more to the adjustment period & settling in period, I came back the UK & boy do I regret it, cant wait to get bk to adelaide, you never know what you`ve got till its gone!!!!

 

And we are shipping everything back again, nothing like your personal items to have around you

 

Mayjess

[Guest DianeJ]

Hi,

Our container is due back in port 8th Oct and I think it left on 1st Sep. We brought everything back with us.

 

Di

[Guest thebaddeleys]

Hi,

Our container is due back in port 8th Oct and I think it left on 1st Sep. We brought everything back with us.

 

Di

 

Wow now thats what I call a fast shipping time, how did you get it shipped in 1 month and who did you use? Thast amazing!

 

Thanks,

 

Kerry x

[Guest thebaddeleys]

Yes you are doing the right thing, as long as you are going to give 110% and more to the adjustment period & settling in period, I came back the UK & boy do I regret it, cant wait to get bk to adelaide, you never know what you`ve got till its gone!!!!

 

And we are shipping everything back again, nothing like your personal items to have around you

 

Mayjess

 

Why do you regret going back? x x

[Guest mayjess]

Why do you regret going back? x x

 

Because, Adelaide is beautiful, it had everything I needed & wanted, except I didnt allow myself to settle in,kept saying I was better off in the Uk etc etc, so got my own way a year later & we all came back, we got our jobs, house etc, but I know now why I left in the 1st place, for the space, out door life, and the gorgeous weather, my kids are now 18 & 14 and although have tons of mates they are cyber mates most of the time, they all talk by mobile/facebook etc, In Adelaide we were never in, they were with mates, actually physically with mates, doing things, beach, tennis parks, pool parties, i could go on, my eldest goes out to clubs here now & again, but I fear for her safety & dont sleep while shes out, my neice got attacked last xmas time by some random bloke who broke her jaw in 2 places and near left her for dead, yes there is crime in OZ but believe me, nowhere near the same level as here, and I dont live in a very deprived area.

 

Each to their own for reasons to stay or go, I am not judgeing anyone, I just know it is better in OZ for us as a family than here in the UK>

 

Mayjess

[Guest DianeJ]

Hi Kerry,

We used Wridgways, but I think shipping to the UK is quick whoever you use

 

Di

[Guest clare]

does anyone know if chefs are on reasonable salarys?

[Guest thebaddeleys]

Hi Kerry,

We used Wridgways, but I think shipping to the UK is quick whoever you use

 

Di

 

 

Hi,

 

Really I didn't know that, was a pleasant suprise!

 

Thanks,

 

Kerry

[Guest tess4]

u guys r so lucky....wish it was me:-(

[Guest Lauren & Alan]

We are hoping to come out next year some time had a really hard time selling our house and are now saving wot we lost on it, we sold everything too - wot ive just read fills me with horror!! are we doing the right thing?????????

 

 

we too will be selling EVERYTHING! I am not worried about it as have been told people are more willing to haggle?? even if not why start off 3K down from shipping costs when you can buy brand new, anyway what will you use while you have to wait months for your old stuff to arrive? Good luck!

[Guest thebaddeleys]

we too will be selling EVERYTHING! I am not worried about it as have been told people are more willing to haggle?? even if not why start off 3K down from shipping costs when you can buy brand new, anyway what will you use while you have to wait months for your old stuff to arrive? Good luck!

 

Hmmmm... having given this alot of thought I think it would cost us fortune to buy everything new again, our settees alone cost us nearly £2k to buy, never mind all the bedroom furniture. When I added it all up it was alot of money! xx x xx

[Guest ben&sharon]

we too will be selling EVERYTHING! I am not worried about it as have been told people are more willing to haggle?? even if not why start off 3K down from shipping costs when you can buy brand new, anyway what will you use while you have to wait months for your old stuff to arrive? Good luck!

 

 

 

Hiya,

 

I would think twice before selling everything - the stuff that you own has probably been accumulated over a number of years, and you perhaps don't have a true feel for it's monetary value.

 

We've shipped everything over on the basis that 'it'll do' until we can replace it - not that it's all knackered, but everyone likes new things...... It's due to arrive with us next week, and I can't wait. Once we'd listed everything we'd got for the marine insurance, we realised that the cost of shipping was less than one-tenth of the cost of buying it all again. Might be an exercise worth going through before you decide....

 

Since we got here, we've spent six weeks in furnished accomodation and the last two weeks in our own (mostly empty!) house, buying the minimum amount of new decent stuff that we would need in any case, and buying cheap where we know our stuff is going to replace it soon. And we've managed just fine! It's even been quite fun - and my OH is now the self-proclaimed master of sniffing out a bargain......

 

Last point - large furnishings and white goods are not noticeably cheaper than the UK in most cases, even with a bit of haggling, though you might get lucky......

 

Good luck with the move,

 

Sharon.

[Guest ben&sharon]

Hiya,

 

I would think twice before selling everything - the stuff that you own has probably been accumulated over a number of years, and you perhaps don't have a true feel for it's monetary value.

 

We've shipped everything over on the basis that 'it'll do' until we can replace it - not that it's all knackered, but everyone likes new things...... It's due to arrive with us next week, and I can't wait. Once we'd listed everything we'd got for the marine insurance, we realised that the cost of shipping was less than one-tenth of the cost of buying it all again. Might be an exercise worth going through before you decide....

 

Since we got here, we've spent six weeks in furnished accomodation and the last two weeks in our own (mostly empty!) house, buying the minimum amount of new decent stuff that we would need in any case, and buying cheap where we know our stuff is going to replace it soon. And we've managed just fine! It's even been quite fun - and my OH is now the self-proclaimed master of sniffing out a bargain......

 

Last point - large furnishings and white goods are not noticeably cheaper than the UK in most cases, even with a bit of haggling, though you might get lucky......

 

Good luck with the move,

 

Sharon.

 

 

Just realised that this has gone a bit off track from the original post about returning to the UK - my apologies.............

[Guest thebaddeleys]

Just realised that this has gone a bit off track from the original post about returning to the UK - my apologies.............

No need to apologise, its not gone off track, its been very helpful and we will definitely ship most things x x

[Guest Fulwood]

Hi Kerry,,

 

Sorry to hear you are leaving OZ, how long have you been here?

 

Just read your post and thought I recognised your surname - we arrived here sept 3rd and met your husband at the 3 offices when we signed for our mobile phones! If I remember correctly he is from Euxton?

 

Having just moved out here I can say there are things I wish I had shipped but did'nt - nothing major, and as some one has already pointed out , its all the little necessities that soon mount up and you get the '.ikea effect' . Talking of Ikea , I can confirm that the prices in the UK ikea are cheaper.

 

I'm sure whatever you decide to sell you will not have a problem in selling it.

 

I'm living in west beach so just up the road from you, so it would be great to meet for coffee if you can?

 

Hope to hear from you

 

Lynda