What to bring in our container?

[Guest vikkiann]

Hi guys and girls ....

 

We got our visa so long ago that i should know the answers already but i'm reading different people's opinions on this. I know that everyone has their own opinion but is there anything that you wouldn't bother bringing?

Our dishwasher, tumble dryer, fridge, freezer and fridge freezer are all over 7 years old. They work, not fabulously but do the job.

Is it worth me bringing them?

My idea is that we plan to rent for 6 months before buying (hopefully a new build!) so i'm thinking a property that we buy will have integrated appliances and a property that we rent may have dishwasher already.

I'm just trying to get down the shipping costs.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Vikki

[robeaves]

We didnt have any of that stuff to bring but we have just got a long term rental with built in dishwasher and last night went and bought a fridge freezer + TV + washer for $2000, cheap we think but depends how much money you have whether it's worth bringing your old ones or not. I'd get a quote for shipping them and not shipping them then make a decision.

 

Hope this helps.

[keldaz]

Hi, our advice would be to bring as much as possible. Remember shipping is charged per cubic metre, not on weight, appliances take up little space. We weren't sure what to do for the best, as our stuff was pretty old, but we brought it all, can't tell you how wise a decision that was. Appliances here cost a fortune, and you have to find where best to buy them. When your in a new city in a new country that may take a while. If your rental doesn't have all appliances, you will have to buy anyway, then they may not suit when you buy house. A little extra shipping cost = money and hassle saved this end.

[snifter]

We are not taking most of our white goods. Fridge freezer is old now and want to buy new once there. Washing machine will be left (even though its newish) I'd again rather have a new one. About the only thing I may bring is the tumble dryer as its a condenser one and still going strong. It is about 10 years old now though.

 

Earlier on I had thought we'd take more furniture but the more I think about it and remember Aus houses, the more I have come to realise that shipping it all isn't really the best option for us. I'd rather buy new to fit the house we eventually end up in and Aus style houses in general. For example we have an old fashioned dining table and while it is lovely, I just can't see it fitting in an Aus house. Unless I want to live like I am in the 50's still Our sofa is modern but it is only one sofa and it will be 5 years old when we move. Its been jumped on by our son and the springs are going in the middle section, it won't be worth sitting on in a year It will be fine while we are here, but buying a new one once there will be ok.

 

We are taking our bed, probably a couple of sets of drawers and desk and that will be it furniture wise. Then personal belongings, clothes, toys, books and all my kitchen stuff. Lots of the kitchen stuff good quality and replacing like for like over in Aus will cost me a fortune. I'd rather take it all and just make do with a few cheapy bits while we wait for our container.

[trevorpayne]

everything because believe me it expensive the first few months until you settle.

9 weeks without your gear you end up buying all sorts of bits and bats up you need to get by and they mount up.

If you have a full container then fill it you can always throw it when your here or donate it.

Until you starting getting paid in Aussie Dollars you will be converting everything back to Pounds and pence, you will be moaning about the cost of beans ,beer, coffee everything.

My advice if you have got it bring it.

[Guest vikkiann]

Thanks guys. xx

[Guest zidden]

We are not taking most of our white goods. Fridge freezer is old now and want to buy new once there. Washing machine will be left (even though its newish) I'd again rather have a new one. About the only thing I may bring is the tumble dryer as its a condenser one and still going strong. It is about 10 years old now though.

 

 

Is the weather in Oz not suitable to hang clothes out to dry.

[Guest BackToAdelaide]

Is the weather in Oz not suitable to hang clothes out to dry.

 

Absolutely! We don't even have a clothes dryer, we just hang it all on the clothes line.

[NicF]

Absolutely! We don't even have a clothes dryer, we just hang it all on the clothes line.

 

I'd agree with this, except the last time we were in Adelaide (last April) the clothes line in the place we stayed was undercover and in the shade and quite often the clothes would still be a bit damp at the end of the day so being able to tumble dry them was very helpful. And towels are always much softer if you put them in the drier for a bit first.

 

We're hoping to move to Adelaide by the end of August and will be bringing the tumble drier with us (along with pretty much everything else in the house that will fit in a 20ft container), although I'm hoping to not have to use it very often.

 

Nicola

[snifter]

Is the weather in Oz not suitable to hang clothes out to dry.

 

It's my choice to take it, I dont see it matters.

 

I use my dryer here in the UK a couple of times a month. All year round usually thanks to UK weather. Luckily we have a well insulated centrally heated house and clothes can dry inside in winter if not able to hang out. The rest of the time it's line dried.

 

I know the weather is generally better for clothes drying in Adelaide but there could be some occasions we may need to use a dryer when living there. I don't see the problem taking a dryer with us or buying one once there.

Edited April 13, 2012 by snifter

[Guest Django]

Is the weather in Oz not suitable to hang clothes out to dry.

 

Not all year round. Last winter if we didn't have a dryer we would have run short of clothes. It still rains here. Plus I prefer putting towels in the dryer so they are soft not rough and hard like when they come off the line. I'm a delicate creature.

[browny]

I would say bring most things especially a tumble dryer as in winter its a right pain getting clothes/towels dry due to not having radiators. You will hemorrhage cash in the first couple of months and buying all new stuff not in the sales is really expensive. Mattresses are slightly different too so if you are buying a new one, the sheets from the UK will not fit and it wont fit on the base. To give you an idea on costs check out Ikea, Le Cornu, Good Guys, Harris Scarfe, Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi.

 

Good luck xx

[Guest Crushfamily]

If you have room bring everything you can. Our 10yr old Samsung American fridge/freezer died shortly after arriving here - foolishly i got a local engineer to look at it who condemned it quoting $1000 to fix it. I fixed it myself with parts i ordered from the UK for £28.00. An equivalent model from Harvey Norman/Good Guys would be at least $2000 to replace it. Don't sell anything - you'll regret it!

[rachel31]

the only thing I didn't bring was my fridge freezer although it was fairly new due to the fact that it would gobble up electricity by having to work hard in a hot climate - I brought my tumble dryer too and I am very glad that i did - winter heer is cold and damp and no handy central heating!

 

we brought almost everything else as we wanted the kids to have familiar stuff round them plus the cost of replacing everything would have been horrendous - this depends on each person though

 

if you can get stuff in the sales its great and there is always layby!!

 

Rach x