To ship goods or not

[Trevali]

We have received our first price today from a shipping company. It is for a 20ft container and they have quoted £3,600. There will be extras on top of this for customs and insurance etc. Is this is a reasonable price?

 

We are now having second thoughts about shipping our furniture over, as some of the items may need replacing in a few years time. How cheap is it in Oz to replace the bigger items like a suite, beds, fridge freezer, washing machine etc.

 

We are so unsure as to whether to just ship the smaller items like the kids toys, pictures, clothes etc.

 

Can anybody share their experiences on this subject.

 

Many thanks

Alison x

[Guest sandar1]

It is fairly reasonable to buy furniture here may be go into the Harvey Norman website and check out prices there (note enter postcode 5000), if it were me and I didn't absolutely adore what I was bringing I would really think hard about bringing a whole shipment, I am assuming that they have made a detailed list of what would go in the container, sit down with it and work out what it would cost to replace, don't forget how expensive things like linen can be. The auctions here can be pretty good, and as Australian's have become quite a throw away society it is amazing what prices you can pick smallgoods up for. Another great place to pick up good stuff much of it never used are the op shops, can get some great china and kitchen utensils etcetera, when I returned here from the US and awaiting shipment I needed inbetween things, salad bowls, platters, wine glasses etcetera, went in to pick up cheap get bys, but ended up with some fantastic stuff which I ended up keeping, and in fact now as part of my business I buy and sell and take others on shopping trips. Other place to look up on the web would be KMart Australia, Myer, ToysRUs just gives you an idea as I said of cost, I'm still surprised that some of you haven't tried to get together to share a container. You can get items sent in part of a container, look into this, as you say it is getting it cleared etcetera that can be a pain in the b... They do take everything out of the container and lay it on the floor of the place that is clearing it here, so you need to take that into account also.

 

Anyway good luck, and happy packing (god what a pain that is), hope you have a wonderful time in OZ

[sue2oz]

hi alison if i could go back i would'nt have shipped half the stuff we did!

all your big stuff like sofas beds tables+chairs etc i would defo wait till you got here and buy them here its really not that dear i find them cheaper here than in the uk.

what i would suggest is bring ALL your towels, bedding clothes toys all your sentimental stuff, hope this helps and good luck ok

 

sue xxx

[Guest Django]

Work out how much money it would cost you to replace everything in your home. I mean everything cutlery, beds, furniture, cds, dvds, toys, books, sports equipment, tools, clothes, etc, etc, etc. I would guess it will come to more than what you've been quoted by a long way.

Also, for the first few months when you arrive, you will find you will spend a loads of money and so you won't be able to refit an empty house.

 

Pete

[sueoc]

Hi,its cheaper here for good furniture than in the UK,and you can get stuff like sofa beds etc,to get you started,for 200 dollars,which is what we did.I would not bring furniture,unless absolutely necessary.All the best.

[Guest sarahsmartiepants]

3,600 doesnt convert into much more than $7,500 I dont think you can replace a whole house for that, try including all the item in your kitchen to start, while I will agree prices for furniture are not that bad here its the small things tha add up.

Got the Harvey norman brouchure to hand ...................

$799 for a glass and chrome black vinal seat dining set

$1499 modular lounge suite

$1899 for a 4 piece bedroom suite

$499 for front loader (after rebate)

$1499 for side by side f/freezer

$1595 for 42'' plasma

$7790 for the basics, without all the little bits

That is for a more expensive shop, but also a better quality shop there are shops which are cheaper but their stuff is not always so good quality

[Guest cornish Busdriver]

3600 + extras is quiet normal.

We are so glad we shipped everything as replacing everything would have come in around $50 - 70 K or more.

Its things you have gatherd over the years and yes there is stuff we have given to Salvo and other stuff we have now sold. Would i have done the same and got everything shipped out everything again " Defantly".

[Flutterby]

We didn't ship our stuff (have left it in storage in the UK until we are sure we are staying-jobs market etc) so have had to fit out a small unit with furniture/kitchen equipment etc.

 

So far we have bought;

Queen Size bed with mattress and one set bedding/pillows/duvet -$780

TV- $800 (you may not want to spend this much)

DVD player - $50

Coffee table - Ikea - $49

Small bookcase unit - $49

Rug - $80

Washing machine - $450

Fridge Freezer - $450

Equipped the house with towels/toaster/kettle/plates/saucepans/iron/ironing board etc etc. - $500 (Kmart)

 

We were lucky that we have fab neighbours and have been given a sofa and a dining table & chairs but if we hadn't would have been looking at a 3 seater from Ikea for $589 and a dining set around $800.

 

So all in this is $4548. Or 2250GBP.

 

Also bear in mind that this is just stuff for me and my husband and it is pretty basic stuff to be honest. Also if you are considering sending a small shipment of kids toys and clothes add that price onto the above figure. It soon starts to look more reasonable for all your possessions doesn't it?

 

We will be shipping our stuff over as soon as one of us gets full time work (I am working pt at the moment) and I can't wait!!!

 

Good luck with your decision.

[lorluc]

Ship the lot! We paid around the same as you have been quoted to ship the contents of a 4 bedroom house....We shipped everything.....except the fridge/freezer! I have 4 children, so you can imagine what they have accumlated over the years. I encouraged them to have clear out...but definitely whatever they wanted to come over...then that was okay with us.

 

There is no way we would have replaced all our stuff for the equivalent of $7500 or so.....no way...

 

We spent that alone when we arrived on stuff we needed! Fridge/Freezer....TV's (dont forget most houses have a lounge and a family room)...BBQ.....Computer (didnt have a laptop at the time, and couldnt wait for our computers to arrive!), other stuff, which i cant remember for the moment...

 

Do not underestimate the expenses you will have when you arrive.......especially if you have kids in tow....

 

lorraine

[Guest ReadyPenny]

Hi Alison

 

Ship it all, if you are shipping anything at all you may as well ship the lot!!! It's not only the cost of the replacement, it's the hassle too. Going shopping for stuff and getting it delivered can be quite a task when you are jetlagged, have bored children it tow, and you want it yesterday, because you need it!!! Our container is due to arrive first week of May, all being well, and I am glad that we shipped it all apart from the fridge freezer.

 

Mandy

 

Have you had a quote from John Mason? They are really good and you could also consider sharing a container.

[the fishers]

SHIP EVERYTHING!!! We used John mason filled a 20 foot container and cost including customs charges etc £4000. We added up everything to replace it would have probably been about £50 000, remember things like CDs, DVDs, bikes, pots and pans, Linen, towels etc all add up and before you know it the total cost of this stuff is a small fortune! We didn't bring washing machine or fridge and brought those here but everything else came!

Good Luck Heidi xx

[Trevali]

Thanks guys for all your replies. We will start by calculating everything we would like to take and compare the cost of replacing in Oz. We certainly have a lot of thinking to do!!

Alison x

[Guest Lulujim]

Hiya, We've decided to ship everything. We did think about just taking cds, photos, nik-naks - but the cost of shipping those wasn't much cheaper then shipping the whole lot.

We used John Masons too - we've got a 20ft container for £3150 + insurance.

The removal companies are looking for work att he moment, so don't be shy about haggling and playing the companies off against one another..We were originally quoted £3480 - but knocked a fair bit off that.

Also try Letton Percival for the insurance, much cheaper than the ones the shipping companies recommend

[Trevali]

Thanks Alexis for your reply. It proves that these companies can move a little with their prices. We will have to try what you suggested. We are also planning to take our very large dog and I think he will cost more than shipping our belongings. We will slowly be seeing what savings we have dwindle away. Thanks again.

Alison x

[Lea]

I would deffo say ship everything! If nothing else it is great when your stuff arrives and you have your own comfy chair/sofa etc! It is a bit like Christmas when everything arrives! Plus houses here are generally a bit larger and often have 2 living areas so you often need to buy extra sofas etc anyway, so even if your stuff is a bit old I reckon it is better to keep it than buy 2 sets of sofas etc

 

3600 isnt too bad a price but make sure you get several quotes and play the companies off against each other - we managed a reduction of 300 that way - better in your pocket.

 

Lea