[catjlin]

I seem to think I saw this mentioned once, but now can't find it. Has anyone looked at the cost of mailing goods rather than shipping them from the USA? We aren't planning to take too much with us, just books and clothes and bikes and ski gear. We're getting quotes around US$2500 and think it might be more cost effective to just mail the stuff to a cousin in Christchurch and have her store it. Any thoughts? Thank you!
Cat
ps, been watching the weather in NZ, sounds rather nice right now with all the snow falling here in CO right now.

[RoadRunner]

Cat,
Are you talking about mailing them - I might get the terms mixed up here - via air freight or surface freight? I seem to recall someone at UPS telling me that you could send boxes via ships - it takes longer but costs less. Or you can ship them via air planes - more expensive but quicker and they can be tracked... $2,500 seems awfully high just to send some books, clothes, and so on (which is why I was asking how you were shipping them).

We were planning on shipping most of the household goods via ship. But, there are a few items that are extra fragile or valuable (to us anyway) that we thought we'd ship via UPS (or equivalent). I'm sorry that we don't have any quotes yet - Its' on my to-do list but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I'll let you know when I get some quotes. Meanwhile, keep me posted.

When are you leaving? Soon, it sounds like!!

RoadRunner

[catjlin]

We're hoping to get everything on its way to NZ by the first week of April; we're getting married the 2nd week and then heading to Italy for a month. Once we return we're grabbing the dogs from the inlaws and flying the NZ the 2nd week of June. Still have lots of time, but with the wedding plans and getting the house/cars sold it's going by very quickly!
Cat

[RoadRunner]

Wow! Congrats on the wedding! What a great way to start married life together - Italy followed by NZ.

Best wishes! :cheers

[tigerlily]

What about sending the books, book rate USPS? It's excellent rate, and I think they can do it internationally.

Also the airline can take your bikes for a smallish fee, not regular excess baggage. Maybe you can squeek by with just taking it all with you?

It sounds wonderful to just leave all the household stuff behind and start fresh. But I keep reading from others on this site that having the familiar around you helps with the settling in, and I know I would miss all my art!

Congrats on the wedding and honeymoon too! Do Orvieto if you can.

[jan]

Cat, How busy must you be. :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

Wedding to plan,trip to europe and move to NZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How on earth are you coping?? :eek :eek

Seriously have a great wedding and keep us posted.

Jan xx :nice1

[catjlin]

I think your suggestions of mailing the books is probably spot on. I know we'll probably regret not taking some of our things but, part of our move to NZ is an effort to simplify. And I'm hoping to store artwork and such at a relatives until we are settled enough to send for it.

So far so good with all the planning, a glass (or two) each evening seems to help :yes
Cat

[MB]

Bringing this useful thread to the top to see if anyone in or from the US has any new advice to add.

We are selling and giving away a lot, planning only to take eight big suitcases (2 of them during my May trip... 2 pieces only, right?) AND send two or three surface-mail parcels when we have a NZ address. (We have also allowed ourselves one 31 gallon Rubbermiad tub each for stuff we don't need in NZ for a long while (photos, prints, old school reports :uhoh :laugh , etc.) which we hope to store here in the US with family.)

We did of course look into using container, but thousands of dollars to send the kind of furniture anf things we have just doesn't seem worth it.
I am still trying to resarch the possibilities of sending much smaller, 'tea-chest'-size boxes from the US to NZ. Anyone have any advice? When I came to US from UK, this seemed easy to arrange for relatively little money.

Cheers,
Matt.

[mechidna]

Well, I'm just getting quotes right now. The latest was about $10,000, way too much. The last I checked it cost about $80 to send 50 pounds in a box by USPS.

A large garage sale is definately in planning around here...

Good luck!