[Red Devil]

... that is the question :roll

This is more aimed at members who have recently made a permanent move to New Zealand, however is still applicable to members who are undergoing a move either now or in the near future... we're currently looking into removal costs and the price varies considerably from company to company.

Did you decide to ship everything over, or did you just move over with the bare essentials, i.e. personal possessions (photos, etc.)

We're tempted at selling all of our furniture/goods and just ship the essentials... what did you end up doing.

Any recommended companies and experiences will be much appreciated.

Thanks
Simon

[Belmont Babes]

Hi Simon, not yet there but from being in the process for 12 months and reading everything possible, the general consensus seems to be to take almost all goods as they are pricey in NZ and/or the choice is limited. I'm sure there will be many more replies soon.

[Jacki]

Sitting in my little french cottage, I can't quite belive that my hubby has itchy feet again and this time its going as far round the world as it's possible to go... EOI has been selected and now the ITA is getting its treatment. I think my brain has finally turned to mush, and all I can think about is can I take my rock collection and wether I can ship my dogs from here cheaper than taking them back to UK first....and now the sneeky devil has skipped off back to work ( he works at sea for weeks on end, ) and I'm left holding the fort.....I have no idea what to do first, what I will be able to take and how to ship it from france - perhaps back to UK or just straight to NZ....and if so who with.... AHHHHHHHHHHH!

I think I'll just go and make some coffee and try not to think about the logistics just yet....

[Jacki]

Sitting in my little french cottage, I can't quite belive that my hubby has itchy feet again and this time, he is going as far round the world as it's possible to go... EOI has been selected and now the ITA is getting its treatment. I think my brain has finally turned to mush, and all I can think about is can I take my rock collection and wether I can ship my dogs from here cheaper than taking them back to UK first....and now the sneeky devil(hubby) has skipped off back to work ( he works at sea for weeks on end, ) and I'm left holding the fort.....
I have no idea what to do first, what I will be able to take and how to ship it from france - perhaps back to UK or just straight to NZ....and if so who with.... AHHHHHHHHHHH!

I think I'll just go and make some coffee and try not to think about the logistics just yet....

:confused:

[shakyle2906]

Hi Simon

We made the choice of coming over with just shipping 11 boxes and flying with 6 cases, buying everything else new when we got here.

Looking back, and i still do........ I wish i had packed more stuff instead of selling or getting rid of a lot of ours for peanuts.

I would say, if you can - bring it!

A lot of our furniture we could have left, but stuff like living room furniture (sideboard, tv unit) you just cant get as nice a choice out here, I wouldnt have brought our sofas as they were huge and wouldnt fit most rooms over here without taking the room up, beds/mattresses are quite pricey, plus few other household items and a lot more of hubbys tools i so wish i had brought. Household items like bedding and towels i had to leave behind, and they are just not the same quality over here i find. Hand towels for example, are tiny, more like a bigger face flannel.....

I look back on what i left and sometimes i could cry............ but then we only had about 6wks to sort everything, so we felt it was right decision at the time.

HTH

Sharon

[Gemini]

I agree with Sharon, looking back at things I sold for next to nothing and could easily have brought and have had to replace at much more expense for lesser quality is sad.

It's also good to have your own things around you, a fresh start is great but some familiarity does help (or it did me).:yes

[benandclare]

Yeah I'd agree with all of the above, we brought a full 20 footer and couldnt get our sofas in, they were old and some what "cat" scratched so not too worried but it took us ages to find replacements out here......possibly not worth bringing wardrobes as houses have built in ones.

We used John Mason's and were very happy with them however the Moving company at this end not so good, had some damaged items when our stuff was shifted from container into storage......:no

[IanW99]

The general rule of containers is if you need one then do your best to fill it, if it is half full it costs the same as if it is full, so you may as well.

For example, if you were thinking of selling some items but still have room in the container then bring them to NZ, you can still sell them later in NZ if you want.

We brought loads of little things that could just have easily ended up on the skip but it has saved us having to buy them again in NZ so saved us a fortune at a time when you really need the money.

As far as Sofas go, we brought ours with us and it fits in our house no problem.

Ian

[catt]

I read this post with interest and would like peoples opinons about shipping your car in the container with your household goods........is it worth it? and do have a lot of hassle at the other end? ie import costs, defumigating and other technical stuff? Any information that anyone can provide would be very useful.
:cheers

[IanW99]

I read this post with interest and would like peoples opinons about shipping your car in the container with your household goods........is it worth it? and do have a lot of hassle at the other end? ie import costs, defumigating and other technical stuff? Any information that anyone can provide would be very useful.
:cheers

This issue was discussed recently on another thread, so well worth reading:- How much to take a car? (http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=15478)

Ian

[buzztalks]

I really regret selling my fishing tackle (for peanuts!) at the garage sale. The fishing from the various wharfs around Wellington harbour is great fun. having to make do with a Warehouse kiddies starter kit for now... mind you, I'm still catching!

[Red Devil]

Thanks for your replies everyone... sounds like we're best trying to squeeze everything in a container. We've spent a small fortune on the Corndell furniture range, so it would be painful to sell it for next to nothing.

Jacki... where in France are you? We own a farmhouse in the Vosges Mountains, approx. 1hr SW of Strasbourg, 1 hr NW of Basel. We've had our place on the market since July last year with interest from Belgiums and Parisians, however as yet no offers :roll ... still in two minds whether to sell or not, but if the move to New Zealand is a definite goer (3 week reccy trip in April) then I guess it's inevitable... don't suppose I can interest you in a change of region ;) :laugh

Has anyone used either of the following and if so, how did they perform:

www.anglopacific.co.uk

www.excess-baggage.com

www.burkebros.co.uk

Thanks
Simon

[Gemini]

We used excess baggage, they were helpful and seemed organised UK end, but they use the moving company this end which I didn't find so good. Also when we unpacked some of the items they'd packed for us we found them to be quite poorly done and we had unneccessary breakages.

[Familyofmonkeys]

can I take my rock collection

Yes, you can bring your rock collection. I brought mine over 8 months ago. Rocks are inert mineral products....so as long as they are clean there is no problem.

[Familyofmonkeys]

Thanks for your replies everyone... sounds like we're best trying to squeeze everything in a container. We've spent a small fortune on the Corndell furniture range, so it would be painful to sell it for next to nothing.



We also have mostly Corndell furniture, and I have seen nothing of comparable quality here in NZ....bring it all, I am SOOOO glad we did!

[LesleyS]

I've said this before on here, but good cookware, pots and pans, glassware, crockery and decent bedlinen are either expensive, or in the case of the bedlinen hard to come by. I so regret not bringing EVERYTHING!

[Red Devil]

Morning all

... based on replies, I reckon we'll double up on everything and have 2 containers worth shipped over :laugh

Surprised that basic things like bedlinen and crockery are difficult to come by, you'd think there would be a demand for it... now my entrepreneur side is doing overtime :D

Simon

[Jacki]

In answer to Red Devil, I'm in the 22 region the Cote d'Armor, lovely rural setting. But the language barrier is the biggest difficulty, that and the paperwork, but it's been good training for the EOI and ITA.....

I'm much happier that I can take my rocks,I know I must sound crazy, but I have been a geology nut for years... but how clean is clean....? I must ring MAF and find out. Also have a few bits of furniture that I can't bear to part with, what must I do to get them cleared do the customs spray them or something or what ? And what is the cost of clearing customs on the other side?

All we seem to have done since hubby got his latest brain storm is pay out....EOI NZQA..Medicals...police checks... ITA....and if were accepted the levy.....what next? I have only seen NZ on the telly... Hubby went out in October for a reccy and job interview, he said it was amazing I hope it's all it's cracked up to be. It's taken me three years to get something of a life here...Though being able to hold a conversation in my native tongue and get back to working even finish my degree, if I can, would be worth all the hassel.....:confused:

[Pookeko]

We are in the process of moving too. I am looking around the room now at loads of stuff to give to charity and I have already sold a few bits & bobs on ebay...

Anyway, none of my stuff is really worth much. A few things are sentimental. We are taking the sentimental stuff and my better stuff (not much haha) plus the 2 sofas and our mattresses & beds. Not because all of these are stunning quality but because I have had a quick look on Freedom Furniture (for example) and I can see they cost LOADS of money. Not that I ever found Freedom Furniture to be particularly reasonable when I lived in NZ but I thought it would representative in price of the type of furniture I'd want to buy now.

What we do (or at least did have) in NZ is lots of secondhand furniture shops. I am counting on these to furnish me with the other things we might need, so I hope they still exist!! I don't want to pay any money at all from rubbish products such as might be available at The Warehouse (casting dispersions here), when I could get something preloved made in 19-0nackers out of proper solid wood. (end of rant ;) )

Incidentally, if anyone is in Wgtn can you tell me whether there are still second hand furniture shops? There were always loads in Chch, plus you could sometimes score bargains from the recycling centre at the dump (happy student days indeed =) ) :nice1

I just want to make do with secondhand stuff until Ikea arrives :D
I think it will be good for NZ, as long as it is 'bargain to ok' prices like it is in England and they don't start charging loads!

[IanW99]

...
I'm much happier that I can take my rocks,I know I must sound crazy, but I have been a geology nut for years... but how clean is clean....? I must ring MAF and find out. Also have a few bits of furniture that I can't bear to part with, what must I do to get them cleared do the customs spray them or something or what ? And what is the cost of clearing customs on the other side?
...


The cleaner the better they will tell you, but in reality they are really looking for things like seeds stuck in the dirt so as long as they look clean you will be fine.

Any items you bring that are considered a risk will be cleaned / fumigated at your expense.

If you are coming to NZ as a permanent resident then you shouldn't have any customs charges as you are allowed to bring your household possessions with you.

You will of course have a MAF fee if they have to inspect your goods.

Ian

[IanW99]

...
Incidentally, if anyone is in Wgtn can you tell me whether there are still second hand furniture shops? There were always loads in Chch, plus you could sometimes score bargains from the recycling centre at the dump (happy student days indeed =) ) :nice1
...


There are definitely still some second hand shops around Wellington so you shouldn't have any problems, and as you say there is always somewhere like Trash Palace.

Ian

[Björnsdotter]

Yeah I'd agree with all of the above, we brought a full 20 footer and couldnt get our sofas in, they were old and some what "cat" scratched so not too worried but it took us ages to find replacements out here......possibly not worth bringing wardrobes as houses have built in ones.

We used John Mason's and were very happy with them however the Moving company at this end not so good, had some damaged items when our stuff was shifted from container into storage......:no

the moving company:
I did call them to ask if they had any news about my container, not knowing how long time it would take for it to come here.
They said: OOOh it is sitting here but we do not know how to find you and have no contact info for you!!
we do charge a sum for when you do not pick up your container!!
WHAT THE!?
My moving company in scandinavia had all my phone numbers and my permanent address in NZ!! had same phone numbers both cellphone and landline for several years!

The moving company here did claim that this info was not in their paperwork and why didn't they e-mail or fax my shipping company to ask????

answer is they wanted me to pay for them having my container???

when we got there to pick up my car that also was in the container the moving company person did tell me that I could NOT pick up the car and that it was still INSIDE the container, they were to transport it to here and there and workshops and so on and so on and additional costs and that the car had NOT been sprayed yet!
We did meet this guy at customs and I saw a paper that said that I paid for spraying the car and that it had been done! I walked up to the customs lady and asked if I could take the car. Her reply was: yes you can, you have paid the fee and the inspection/spray of the car and nothing stops you!
before this the moving company person had asked us to sit in the customs waiting room area and he did the talking! we sat on a sofa and he did walk back and forth and do the communication and paid.
my hubbie that is a kiwi did walk up and talk with the customs person and the moving company person that was an immigrant (as I am) did say: oooops didn't know that one of you were a kiwi thought both of you did shift here!
did he try to get money out of us and stopped us from taking the car?
he described a process to hard for us to do and also not to be done by others than professionals and he had the right contacts for this work.
they would deliver my car when it was ready. I do not want someone to drive around in my car so I took it same day and did the drive around myself.

(bumpers on car were damaged, we do not know if in container or someone that did drive it out of the container did it- I never claimed it since I just wanted to get away from this company as fast as)
(I saw this horror film inside my head of someone driving car out of the container and stopping it against the wall and doing burnouts! thwey had driven my car even though this guy said it was still in the container!!)

[Pookeko]

There are definitely still some second hand shops around Wellington so you shouldn't have any problems, and as you say there is always somewhere like Trash Palace.

Ian

Thanks Ian :)