Where do we start?

[Janine and Richard]

Hi Guys

 

Really need your help! We have decided to make the jump and I have handed my notice in at work and booked our flights for 22nd Nov 09.

 

The only thing is I now know that time is ticking and it will go quickly but as I have never emigrated before I dont know where to start and in what order to start getting everthing ready to go. Please can someone give me a bit of an idea what to do next. Feel like this at the moment. Any help will be greatly appreciated regards Janine

[Guest Dande]

Do you have you visa sorted already?

[Janine and Richard]

Hi Dande

 

We have had the visa's since Feb 09 and activated them Easter on a reccie. We were going to send Hubby over before Feb 10 and the rest of us follow Jun after exams but the kids have said let's go and not wait. So I have booked the flights for 22nd Nov 09 and now panicking as I know the time will go really quickly but dont know what needs doing first.

 

So if you can give me some ideas where to start that would be great.

Regards Janine

[Guest nishman]

Short term accomodation for when you arrive (I see you're looking at OAA on this front), maybe car rental too?

Update CV/Resume and get references. Start contacting agencies - they will be more inclined to talk to you if you have a firm date of arrival.

Shippers ? "Important docs" and "priceless memories" could ideally go as air freight?

There's the usual change of address stuff of course (including a international re-direction from post office) when you have an address. We re-directed to mother-in-law and set up the international after we had a "permanent" address.

Start informing DSS and tax office to get any benefits (e.g. child) stopped and tax refunds back.

There's a few to think over

[Guest nishman]

Short term accomodation for when you arrive (I see you're looking at OAA on this front), maybe car rental too?

Update CV/Resume and get references. Start contacting agencies - they will be more inclined to talk to you if you have a firm date of arrival.

Shippers ? "Important docs" and "priceless memories" could ideally go as air freight?

There's the usual change of address stuff of course (including a international re-direction from post office) when you have an address. We re-directed to mother-in-law and set up the international after we had a "permanent" address.

Start informing DSS and tax office to get any benefits (e.g. child) stopped and tax refunds back.

There's a few to think over

[Janine and Richard]

Thanks Nishman I will get onto them and get it sorted. If you have anymore ideas on what else needs doing let me know. I see you are in seaford rise, we looked at seaford area when we did our reccie and we loved it. Hopefully when we get settled with a long term rental it will be there. The beers are on us.

 

Thanks again Janine

[Guest nishman]

Seaford Rise is a lovely spot, and we love it there. As you've already seen the place, you'll know most of the main things but if you have any specific questions fire 'em over

Good luck with all

 

Chris

[Guest Lisajonesey]

Janine,

There's a magainisine over in the UK that is sold is Tesco / WHSMITH, all the usuall places - think it's called "Australia" There's usually a checklist towards the back somewhere.. we used that as our checklist, but added to it.

 

It was quite helpful in reminded us what we needed to do, and when - as we moved within 2.5 months, and between the goodbye parties and packing we didn't know where to start.

 

 

Get your calendar out and start planning.

 

 

As an outline..

 

1. Sort out accomadation. Work out if you can apply for on arrival accomadation, (and decide if you want it!) or book a tempory let or something

 

2. book your shipping - decide what you're taking and get some quotes

 

3. Have a clear out and get ready to move

 

4. look into opening a bank account in SA, and start thinking about how much, and when you want to transfer the funds

 

4. Close down bank accounts

 

5. Book in time on your calendar to visit any family before you fly out

 

6.. perhaps book a hire car for when you turn up over here

 

Hope this helps as a start. I did write a massive list on here, but can't find it.. I'll have a look through my old posts.

 

and.. p.s... CONGRATULATIONS ON THE VISA! - ENJOY YOUR LAST FEW MONTHS OVER THERE!

[Guest caoimhe]

Start informing DSS and tax office to get any benefits (e.g. child) stopped and tax refunds back.

 

Make sure they listen when you tell them what date you are leaving. We have an ongoing agrument with them at the minute, they took our leaving date to be the day I rang them and not the date I gave them of our departure and now reckon we owe them about £120 as they think we left the country 3 weeks beofre we did.

Do they think I rang on the way to the airport

 

Good luck

[Guest nishman]

Make sure they listen when you tell them what date you are leaving. We have an ongoing agrument with them at the minute, they took our leaving date to be the day I rang them and not the date I gave them of our departure and now reckon we owe them about £120 as they think we left the country 3 weeks beofre we did.

Do they think I rang on the way to the airport

 

Good luck

 

Ain't that the truth! When we advised them about our move, they sent us a new form saying that as we'd moved to Canada, we may still be eligible for FTB... You really have to wonder (and no, we weren't still eligle;))

[julie-ruth]

Check out adelaidebound.com they have a check off list on it they also have lots of info on allsorts of matters to do with Adelaide, they also have a check off list in a magazine Australia and New Zealand could can find this at whsmiths (if it hasn't gone belly up like woolworths)

 

My personal faviourite get two diary's one for recording all the info phone numbers remembering where to be and when and the other record your feelings when you get a bit homesick its great to look back over it and see what inspired to make the move.

 

Good luck, its now excitement all the way.

Julie

[Guest mOZzy]

congrats on booking your flights!!

we'll be flying 31 october

 

i take it you've sold your house and are in rented?

hand in notice on your rental

 

are you ready for the shippers? will you ship your things over? have you contacted them? decided on one?

 

contact all the suppliers for your house: electricity, gas, water, council tax, phone, broadband, tv licence, home insurance,

 

sell your car and cancel car insurance; request P45 for tax credit; cancel child benefit;

any credit cards?; library; any life insurance?

 

inform school

 

travel insurance; mail redirection (we'll use mil and not bother with an oz redirection);

we'll also put mil onto our bank account so we all have access;

 

open oz bank account; sign up with a money transfer company; book short term accomodation; rental car?;

 

just off the top of my head

 

 

good luck!

[Guest WoodMartin]

Agree with all of the above, plus we also have the following on our (long, and still growing) list:

 

Pension providers

Doctors surgery/dentists

Organise huge leaving party

Tax office - form 85 (I think) to reclaim any tax overpaid in a year (you can say where you want the money paying)

Sending back all/any junk mail or unwanted catalogues etc. (We made stickers labelled 'return to sender' to make it really easy!!)

Check out all the direct debits on bank account and start cancelling if not needed any longer

 

HTH

 

Ali

[Janine and Richard]

Thanks to everyone who has answered my post. I love forum! I am frantically writing down all suggestions. Will go to W.H Smiths to get mag. No havent sold house , up for sale but looking into renting it as well carnt keep using the house as an excuse. We are all excited but I am usually the one who sorts everything out so I am panicking and the rest of the family keep saying chill your beans Mom. CHILL MY BEANS!!! Couldn't sleep last night so emailed removal companies to contact me. As for family we havent got any. There is only the five of us no extended, need a party for friends though. We have already opened a bank account and transfered money back in Feb 09 so we were lucky. Oh also emailed OAA. So I have started the ball rolling on somethings due to your help already. Keep it coming it is greatly appreciated and we cannot wait to come to a get together. Dan you appear to be the social secretary over there keep it up.

Thanks again for all the replies regards Janine x