Wish I'd Packed..???

[Guest Lulujim]

We're hoping to get our container packed up in a few weeks time and am now going in to a frenzy about what I should buy from the UK before we go...

 

I've heard duvets are much cheaper here... so will be taking a trip to Dunelm soon..

Also I know kids clothes from Next have been mentioned

 

I'm also going to buy the dining table that matched other furniture - even though a big expense now - I know we won't be able to get it shipped over at a later date without getting a 2nd mortgage!

 

SO .... is there anything that you wish you'd put in your container before you went?

 

Thanks!!!

 

P.s - Pete & Tracey - I'll be asking for your container requests soon so get thinking!!

[Guest Martin and Val]

Hi Alexis,

This won't help much but if you can fit it in bring it!

Honestly when you arrive you have to be prepared to spend out the money you would rather keep but that can't be helped.

At least by bringing everything you can have a garage sale at a later date and recoup some of the money spent out.

We are still going through our boxes and so far we have re-boxed 5 loads of stuff that we have no use for at the moment! But we probably will fit it in once we have our own home.

We left things back in the UK in our shed some of which we wish we brought us, like the jet washer.

Don't bother with kettle, toaster, iron etc as you need to buy these when you arrive.

We bought a new Sofa bed, a dinner service, kettle, toaster, iron, cutlery, fridge, freezer and washing machine when we got here. We also bought a garden table and chairs which we used in doors until our container arrived. It's a little like camping and you will realise how little you can live on!

Good luck, when are you coming and where are going to live?

Martin

[Guest Lulujim]

Hey Martin,

 

Thanks for your reply.. we're hoping to ship a container in about a month's time, and then move out in May.. that'll be 11 weeks after, the plan is that everything will be there when we arrive (don't laugh )

At the mo we're in a part-furnished rental, and have friends and family that'll lend us everything until we go..

 

Will take your advice and pack everything then!

 

We're hoping to rent in flagstaff hill area (I still want to buy the house we saw in O'Halloran Hill but I know that's a bit mad after not living in SA yet!) and move beginning of May time.

 

Will keep you posted, looking forward to meeting up with you in the summer - or winter as it will be in Oz!

[Guest wemadeit]

Hi

We have been here for 8 weeks now and are still waiting for our container. We are currently in a furnished rental which has helped as all we have are the suitcases we brought with us. As Martin says, you can live off such a small amount. With buying new stuff, just check with your removal company as you have to declare items that are less than 12 months old separately. All our stuff was older than that, but it was asked, so just make sure before you go buying. Put as much in your container as you can. We sent out things that we couldn't get in by air freight because we didn't want to get stung by excess baggage charges. Which are approx 52 pounds per kilo. We are on a temporary visa and so were not allowed double baggage allowance, if you are on a permanent visa check with your airline. Hope this helps. Tom & Catherine

[Guest Libby1971]

I wish I had brought the pots and pans I left in the UK and the crockery too. I also wish I had brought some familiar furniture but all of ours was cr*p as we broke most of the time.

 

Other than that, nothing. Oh, bedding, sorry I just remembered. Here it is dear and not the same quality as the UK. Pants, pants and more pants - bulk buy now! Think about the ages of your children in 6 years and buy the pants now, and socks.

 

And bras for yourself...imagine every bust size you think you might go through and cater for it now.

 

PS the house in OHalloran is a goodie...want me to do a drive by and check area? I realise you won't be here for a while but you would have an idea of the area was ok and could live in it?

[Guest redfoxy]

Yes buy Duvets, bedding, towels and a good supply of clothes. We wish we had bought one of those old ER post boxes !! bring extension adapters with 6 plugs in, so you only have to change the one plug for the time being and plug all your stuff in !! just bring everything dont give thingsd away like we did. good luck

[foxychick]

bring extension adapters with 6 plugs in, so you only have to change the one plug for the time being and plug all your stuff in !!

 

thats a great one, saves heaps of time to start with.

 

Bedding, yes also I wish I had bought some extra Le Creuset caserole dishes as they are SOOO expensive here. Also I find nice outdoor tableware if you would call it that surpisingly expensive here. Asda, Tesco etc, get some plates, bowls, glasses etc as they are about $4.50 each item here in target, woolies etc. Other than that, if you have room in your container - bring it! you can get everything you need here, but at the start when you need it, knowing where to get it from can seem hard.

[Guest thebaddeleys]

I wish I had stocked up on perfume before we came, anything remotely classed as a luxury is very expensive. That includes make-up too.

 

Definitely get millions of clothes from NEXT, the clothes are rubbish out here!

 

Sun cream!!!

 

Toys... buy loads!!!!! Kids Books!

 

Bedding I agree with you and the others, get some before you come!

 

Can't think of anything else x

[stomky]

Oh dear,

I'm rather worried bout the clothes bit now I've read all these messages, I've been saving all my pennies to come over so my wardrobe is seriously empty! Need to go shopping-right now!!!

[Guest Guzzler&Sas]

Hi there

Things NOT to put in your container which you need as soon as you get here are

 

CV

House references - rented, or refs from people who have visited your house and will vouch for how you keep the gardens and home (teachers, real estator, police),

Refs for work

Drivers licence

Birth certificates

Passports

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS

 

 

If you have room in your container - condenser clothes drivers, much cheaper in UK than here and we thought we would not need ours here!

 

Wallpaper if you fancy doing a feature wall in your new home - it is the next big thing here and wallpaper is very expensive here at the moment.

 

Clothes - I don't agree with this but then many do .....

 

Gordon Ramsey ... Justin Lee Collins - celebrities you may miss!

 

Hahaha - good luck with it!

 

Cheers

Sas

xxx

[Diane]

Reclinable Argos sun loungers - and can you bring me a couple too please? Took me ages to find anything even halfway as good here, and still use the two my in-laws brought out in their container for me, even though I've had to recover them as the material doesn't stand up to the sun here!!

 

The kids always ask visitors to bring Quavers, Minstrels and Caramacs with them, and I always request a acket of polos or two! You can buy them here in special "English Lolly Shops" but they are vastly expensive imho!!

 

D

 

Oh, one more thing to make sure you have in your hand luggage if you're going for job interviews before your container arrives: shoe cleaning kit!

[Guest sarahsmartiepants]

 

I always request a acket of polos or two! You can buy them here in special "English Lolly Shops" but they are vastly expensive imho!!

 

quote]You can get them in Cheap as Chips Diane, in the 5 roll packs.

sarah

[Guest smit]

everything in my garage!

 

my golf swing!

[Diane]

Ooh thanks Sarah - mind you, everything I've ever bought from Cheap as Chips has broken or collapsed almost before I've got it out of the car - hate to think of that happening to my treasured polos!

[Guest lastboyscout]

A box of KVE scratchings , a case of Carling and some kebab meat

[Denise]

Don't bother with kettle, toaster, iron etc as you need to buy these when you arrive.

 

Hi Martin

 

Why do we not bother with the above? I havent heard that before. We are also sending our stuff in about 6 weeks so need all these questions answering.

[Denise]

Gordon Ramsey ..

 

He will be coming with me!

[Guest Rachel & Jeff]

Our shippers are coming next Wednesday and we are taking everything as long as it fits in.

 

Going by some of your replies though I might need to do some last minute shopping at the weekend. Haven't bought any new bedding for ages and looks like I should have gone to the Next sale after all!

 

For those who have a few more weeks you might want to start scanning a selection of your old hard copy photos just in case the ship sinks. They are one thing that insurance cannot replace.

 

 

Rachel

[sue2oz]

hi alexis well whatever anyone tells you are gonna bring it anyway! just like me!! i dred getting our container nextweek coz we have managed so far with what weve got/givin to us or got second hand and we have managed so far with 3 pots to cook in BUT we have.

we never packed sofas, beds, coffee tables etc you can get them here cheap enough, infact if you shopabout its so cheap theres nothing you carnt get here belive me:notworthy:

my hubby is dreading our stuff coming (60) boxes coz its just gonna clutter up the house its amazing what u can cope without with if you have too!

what i would bring lots of is bedding covers/quilts/pillows etc, also towels bring lots of them coz u will need them on the beach showers swimming etc also i bought lots of suncream b4 i come over and DO bring aftersun too there is everything else over here honest!

good luck with the packing, been there done that, nearly got planted!!

 

 

goodluck hun x

 

suexxx

[Guest covfan71]

Bedding seems to be the main thing to pack. Not sure the missus will be happy buying new bed sheets etc without even seeing the house.

Do many people bother to ship their Fridges, Freezers etc?

[Guest lastboyscout]

We were informed by our shippers not to bother taking the fridge freezer as it wouldn`t last long over here as the motor will burn out pretty quickly:wacko:

 

I`m glad really, it gave me the chance to buy my dream two door big thing

 

 

And it was pretty cheap anyway

[Guest Django]

We were informed by our shippers not to bother taking the fridge freezer as it wouldn`t last long over here as the motor will burn out pretty quickly:wacko:

 

Urban myth Lee I'm afraid. I know people that brought their fridges and freezers over years ago and they are still going strong. I reckon the shippers wanted an lighter load

 

Pete

[julie-ruth]

My advice would be count up how many electical things you have in your suitcase and and pick up adapters for them at the airport A REAL MUST we only bought 3 and we are forever changing them round we brought over ds's, alarm clock, hairdryers, laptop etc etc it will make your life so much easier to pick them up on the way and they are cheaper at the airport we got ours from Singapore Airport for $3, much cheaper than anything we have found Australia hope this helps...

 

 

Julie

[Guest Martin and Val]

Don't bother with kettle, toaster, iron etc as you need to buy these when you arrive.

 

Hi Martin

 

Why do we not bother with the above? I havent heard that before. We are also sending our stuff in about 6 weeks so need all these questions answering.

 

Hi Denise.

Sorry if I misled you. If you want to bring the above do, what I mean is you need those things as soon as you get here so will have to go out and buy them anyway. OK if it's in your container then you will have extra when it arrives. (You don't need the toaster I know but I do like my toast)

Martin

[stomky]

Hi can anyone tell me if my lap top will work? (apart from puyying a travel plug on it!) not had it long and it has lots of stuff on it.

 

Also if I take it on the plane will it be classed as an extra peice of hand luggage, it allways seems to me that people take cases on nearly the same size as my suitcase!!!!!

 

Sarah