Shipping

[Guest Allie Bloss]

Hi all,

Happy new year, hope you all have a fantastic 2009.

A few questions on shipping....

firstly can any body recomend or warn us against good / bad shipping companies?

We will be looking to organise quotes in the next few months, how many companies should we get quotes from?

Also what goods to ship / leave....

We will be emigrating with 3 young boys so will want to settle asap and not wait 12-16 weeks for our container to arrive also the cost of renting fully furnished for 16weeks is a little expensive for us. It would be challenging to live in the UK for any number of weeks without furniture / toys etc but if needs be we could do this.

Our other option is to leave most of our furniture behind (sell) and just to replace when we arrive and find somewhere to rent, however I have reservations about this also as people have warned me that you cant help but spend when you arrive, cars, bills etc things you can not plan for.

I am greatful for any advice / views - especially those with young children, (mine will be 3years, 2years & 8months when we hope to make the move)

Allie.

[Scousemouse]

Hi Ally Wes and co;

gosh, you're a busy girly, aren't you?

Right our stuff left the UK 13/11; and we are told the container will arrive yesterday! our removal firm told us we would be contacted as it arrives, they contacted us last week for our details, so im hoping the container is here.

 

A resourceful mum, you will be "camping" for a week or 3, but honestly, its not too bad. We got the essential stuff, tv, fridge, sofa, beds and bedding. A bbq is almost a must, cooking indoors can be a hot experience, and the man of the house will do the bulk of the cooking; quick girly tip there!!

If you can, airfreight the stuff you cant live without; games, books, consol, desktop etc..........please note, no girly stuff in there, no make-up, shoes , hairdryer, how selfless our we?

 

Anyway, good luck with the move!!

Jane

[Guest Martin and Val]

Hi Allie & co,

Happy new year and welcome to PIA.

We don't have any children with us as they are all grown up and we left them back in England without telling them our new address. (only Joking, they do know where we are)

You will have to except that you will be without certain things for a while either back n the UK before you leave or over here once you arrive. There is no way around that.

We really didn't think it was that bad and once our container arrived wondered why we had brought some of it! We bought a cheap set of saucepans, cutlery, a dinner service and a sofa bed, kettle and a toaster and an old TV to get us through.

We didn't ship our Fridge, freezer or washing machine and bought new when we arrived.

We used Dorree Boner in the UK and Grace over here. We have had a few damaged items but to be honest it wasn't to bad.

Hope this helps

Martin

[Guest Django]

This is a hard one as we generally only do this the once so we have nothing to compare our experience to. That said we had no breakages and the movers both ends, we thought, were brilliant. If we were in the UK and were making the move again I'm sure we would use PSS again.

 

 

We also moved with a young family of 7, 5, 2 and 14 months. Its all a matter of attitude really. Going a few months without stuff makes you realise how much stuff you have but don't need. We looked at it as an adventure. A bit of fun camping out indoors if you like.The kids loved it. We were actually a bit sad in the end when our stuff arrived. The house was easy to keep clean up to that point. Also there are a lot of lovely people on here that will lend you stuff if you shout.

 

Pete

[Guest covfan71]

Hi Ally Wes and co;

gosh, you're a busy girly, aren't you?

Right our stuff left the UK 13/11; and we are told the container will arrive yesterday! our removal firm told us we would be contacted as it arrives, they contacted us last week for our details, so im hoping the container is here.

 

A resourceful mum, you will be "camping" for a week or 3, but honestly, its not too bad. We got the essential stuff, tv, fridge, sofa, beds and bedding. A bbq is almost a must, cooking indoors can be a hot experience, and the man of the house will do the bulk of the cooking; quick girly tip there!!

If you can, airfreight the stuff you cant live without; games, books, consol, desktop etc..........please note, no girly stuff in there, no make-up, shoes , hairdryer, how selfless our we?

 

Anyway, good luck with the move!!

Jane

 

Can i ask what sort of prices you actually paid and for what size container. I am just putting together a rough figures guide for my move. Hopefully though i will be leaving all of my furniture behind and just bringing the kids toys and a few other bits and bobs. Is it worth airfreighting it

[Guest redfoxy]

My advice is bring everything !! We wish we had brought more and not given things away as the houses are hard to fill and its not just the cost of buying again but the time looking and shopping etc. Also it is so nice to have your familiar things around you. DOnt use broen packing tape and it leaves a sticky mess on everything !!! bring duvets winter and summer ones as they are expensive here. We had about half a container and its surprising what you can get in that, it cost us about 1500 pounds. Good Luck !!

[Guest covfan71]

My advice is bring everything !! We wish we had brought more and not given things away as the houses are hard to fill and its not just the cost of buying again but the time looking and shopping etc. Also it is so nice to have your familiar things around you. DOnt use broen packing tape and it leaves a sticky mess on everything !!! bring duvets winter and summer ones as they are expensive here. We had about half a container and its surprising what you can get in that, it cost us about 1500 pounds. Good Luck !!

Hi, thanks for replying. when you say half a container, how big are the containers? did you bring furniture etc? We just plan on kids toys, a few ornaments, pictures, kitchen bits and bobs.

[jo_marnes]

Hiya.

 

We are moving with 3 small boys too (ours are 5, 2 and 10mths). We have shipping companies coming this week. I am planning on taking the washing machine and tumble dryer (and borrow in the meantime!), a wardrobe, cot bed, toys, dishwasher, clothes, tv unit, sideboard and a few misc boxes. We all need new beds so thats what we'll get out there. Am going to ask the removals people their opinion on the sofas and fridge etc.

 

Jo xx

[Guest covfan71]

Hiya.

 

We are moving with 3 small boys too (ours are 5, 2 and 10mths). We have shipping companies coming this week. I am planning on taking the washing machine and tumble dryer (and borrow in the meantime!), a wardrobe, cot bed, toys, dishwasher, clothes, tv unit, sideboard and a few misc boxes. We all need new beds so thats what we'll get out there. Am going to ask the removals people their opinion on the sofas and fridge etc.

 

Jo xx

So what size container have you had to get for that lot and at what cost? Would be grateful if you could let me know. Thanks

Mark

[Guest Lulujim]

HI - Welcome to PIA! We've just got our visa and are in the process of sorting out the container.

They are 20ft containers - but you can share a container. They work it out on your cu/ft and quote you on that.

We are planning on taking everything, except f/freezer which most people have told us don't cope very well with the heat in Oz.

We've had a quote from PSS - £3600 for a full container. We have asked for one from John Masons - and they said £3300... went back to PSS and they matched this so worth haggling around a bit too.

We have 2 young girls, 2yrs and 7 months - and I guess it's a question of which end suits you better to go without as the container takes about 8+ weeks to get to you. We are in a retal at the mo which has w/machine, f/freezer, d/washer and built in wardrobes. So we're going to cope on an air-bed, buy some new things out there (toaster/kettle etc) and borrow from family and friends here.

I think our girls will cope better here without their toys as they go to nursery 3 mornings a week, then swimming and dance etc.. when we're in Oz we think we'll be too poor to do any of this so will need all the home entertainment we need!

Good luck and let us know how you get on!

Alexis

[Guest Lulujim]

Hi Ally Wes and co;

gosh, you're a busy girly, aren't you?

Right our stuff left the UK 13/11; and we are told the container will arrive yesterday! our removal firm told us we would be contacted as it arrives, they contacted us last week for our details, so im hoping the container is here.

 

Jane

 

Hi Jane - does this mean your stuff's ready to come to your house - or it has to go through Customs? Trying to figure out how many weeks ahead of us to send the stuff. Want to send it as late as poss, but don't want to be waiting for it in Oz - tricky

Thanks, Alexis

[jo_marnes]

So what size container have you had to get for that lot and at what cost? Would be grateful if you could let me know. Thanks

Mark

 

I don't know yet! They are coming this week to quote!!

[Guest cornish Busdriver]

G.day Allie.

Were using Pickfords as they got there own quantine center here in adelaide.

It cost about £3000 and they have been very good and sorted everything. Our funiture left the UK second week of december and should be here in 10 weeks from them all going well.

Were bringing everything apart from washing machine, fridges and frezzers and cooker. There all cheap enough to replace here.

 

Matt

Christies beach

[Guest Allie Bloss]

Hi Guys & Girls,

Thank-you all so much for all your feed back, its so kind and helpful of you all,

no doubt I'll be on here lots over the coming months asking many questions.

We have a few shipping companies coming over the next 6-8 weeks so will let you know how we go, think it will prob be easier to live with out things here (UK) than when trying to settle over there.

Thanks again, really appreiciated.

Allie.:v_SPIN: