Shipping out your stuff, when to do it and how

[Guest Paula H]

Hi guys

 

Im just thinking of how I'm going to survive without my lovely bed for nearly 12 weeks and when did you guys ship your stuff out? Was it longer when you were here or over there? Did u use blow up beds? Even for the children?

[snifter]

Our plan is to ship about 4-6 weeks before we leave. We are not shipping everything so will still have a double bed here to use till much closer to when we depart. Son will be on an air bed or we may borrow a spare single mattress for him in the short term. We'll have shipped all our personal effects and so on and our bed and desk and a few other things. But the rest will be sold here or taken to the dump.

 

We'll camp out this end and sleep on air beds the last week or two. And then we plan to go on a 2 week holiday before we head to Aus. So all in all we'll only be without out our stuff for about a month to 6 weeks I'd reckon.

 

We plan to borrow from family and friends anything we will be short of this end till we leave. And can then give it back just before we head off. I'd rather have the inconvenience this end. Borrowing a duvet or two isn't so bad and kitchen stuff can be kept to the bare minimum and I can borrow some pots and pans from parents etc. We'll have our clothes, I'll keep the washing machine and fridge this end as we plan to buy new once there. We'll be sorted here and in Aus then I reckon.

[chrisfen46]

we shipped our stuff out as soon as we decided on the date we wanted to fly out we lived with famly and friends for 3 months before we arrived in adelaide on the 14 th jan this year and our stuff was ready to be delivered the week after so it was all good timing,

[keldaz]

Hi, we were told the container would take about 10-12 weeks to arrive, it was sent 2 weeks before we left (had use of sisters house, as on hol). Had holiday accom here for 6 weeks, which we extended to 8 as we couldn't find a good long term rental. We then had 2 weeks in long term rental with nothing, went to K-Mart & bought cheap camp chairs, blow up beds, cutlery, plastic plates etc. Bought stuff we knew we would use again.A good tip is not to buy a double blow up bed, buy 2 singles and push them together, that way you don't disturb each other as you move. We slept suprisingly well. Watched DVD's on laptop for entertainment. Got the phone call on the Monday from the movers, who said we could have stuff delivered weds, thurs or fri, I said hangon I'll ask the Mrs, she said you idiot ASAP Wednesday! Wednesday! . All part of lifes rich pasture, good luck.

[Guest Paula H]

Where was your short term rental?

[Guest lyn]

We shipped our furniture about a month before I left the UK (OH left 3 weeks before us) and then I couldn't stand to be in our empty soulless house any longer (we had borrowed some bedding etc) so we moved into my parents' place a week earlier than planned and then completed on the house sale a couple of weeks later. We were lucky that my parents lived locally and were happy to have us stay for a month or so.

 

Now we are here and have found our long term rental which is empty while we wait a couple more weeks for our container to arrive. We bought cheap mattresses and bedding from IKEA down the road which we will use later when family come to stay. Also some cheap cutlery, plates and a couple of saucepans in IKEA, too. We didn't ship our TV so we've bought that new and some cheap but nice patio furniture (which we didn't ship as it was old and ropey) from Bunnings Warehouse to sit on until our sofas arrive.

 

Can't wait for our stuff to arrive but now we've started our new life here, it feels manageable to be without our belongings for a while...part of the whole adventure! Whereas back in the UK, it felt quite depressing to be in our empty house waiting to leave.

 

Good luck with it all.

 

Lyn x

[Riponian]

Yep all of the above. We shipped our stuff about 10days before we left, went and stayed with the in laws and then stayed in a short term rental for about 7 or 8 weeks can't remember exactly how long but it was just right for us. Had a week over lap so did not need to buy extra stuff. You can usually borrow stuff of fellow PIA's in the area only to happy to lend camping chairs plates, DVD etc to most folk. I guess the earlier you can ship in the UK the better :-)

[jtct]

We shipped our stuff 2 days before we completed the sale of our house - risky! Slept on airbeds with sleeping bags for the 2 days then stayed with friends for a week till we flew out (living out of suitcases)

 

Stayed with our daughter for 6 weeks once we arrived then camped out in our new home for another month until the stuff arrived. We needed to purchase some basics so we managed - only had 2 nights on a mattress on the floor then in single beds we bought for when our grandchildren come to stay. Was very relieved to have my lovely kingsize orthopaedic bed in time for Christmas.