[Sarah Jane]

We know our PR is coming cos our case officer rang us today and told us it was approved. Also told us it would be at least a month before we got our passports back with the necessary due to a backlog....
We've bookded our flights today....1 way with cathay pacific costing £1968 for 4 on 31 Dec...that was the cheapest we could get at this time including going through travelbag.co.uk and trailfinders.com. Last night the same flights were £1848......then believe it or not these flights went up to £5392 5 mins after I booked.

And now it's a case of getting our stuff over there. We want to send our important stuff early as we have extra things here that we are going to get rid before we leave and intend to on those for the final 3 weeks (extra beds we have and TV's that wont work in NZ) so we're now facing a whole new ball game as we don't really know what it's going to cost. We have a couple of shippers coming to estimate, mostly these are from recommedations on these forums...and we've had a couple of online quotes so we'll let you know.

As for doing without my pc for several weeks once it's shipped ....thats an enormous complication cos I do all my financial stuff online and via pc, not sure how I'll get on without it but it's a concern...like will I go overdrawn....I think we all have that prob when it happens,

As for house sale, not even started yet but it's my boss's 19 year old labourer (who just happened to be left a £300,000 house 3 months ago by his Aunt who died, and lives with his 32 year old girlfriend who has 3 kids) that wants to buy it so my future stability is in his hands.....lets hope it all goes through by March but we haven't even started the process (I'm mad I think by taking it off the market but my boss believes he's really keen)

As for the car....how do we sell it. We need it now and will do for Christmas with all the travelling about we need to do before we depart on 31 Dec. Spending Christmas in London and Northamptonshire with friends and family....got to sell the car at the same time and somehow get to Heathrow for our flights on Dec 31......and we live in Devon at the mo. Not sure how we'll get through it all but I will let you know when I'm over there in January...... in the heat of the summer.....and get my pc back and broadband too....further complications I'm sure

[sarahw]

Hi Sarah Jane

Well that's great news indeed! :cheers

You sound pretty stressed at the moment (you are not alone!!!) Although, on the bright side it won't be long and it'll all be over - and all the stress will be worth it in the end!

I can relate to your concerns about timings for selling the house, car etc.

I only just realised that we'd be without a PC last night from Mid-December until whenever we get our stuff at the other end - eek! What am I going to do??? We don't have any internet cafes nearby either (well none that I know about!) I'm sure we'll find a way!

[bbq]

Great News

I'm sure you will manage with all the hassle of the move. It'll be worth it.

best of luck

alex :P

[lindajax]

Sarah,
We go to Auck 31 DEC, there is loads to organise but you'll get through it.
I can so identify with your car and PC worries.
we are using Whites for shipping and they seem quite competitive - a little money saving tip is marine insurance does not have to come from the shipping company we got ours from broker for 1.53%.

If theres anything I can help with or if you just need to vent some frustration or stress feel free to PM me.

GODD LUCK

Love
Linda xxx

[sarahw]

Great tip about the insurance Lindajax! Whites are coming out on Tuesday to quote us - Crown were out this morning was quite impressed but will hold judgement until all the quotes arrive - just seems to be money, money, money at the mo!

[markkellaway]

Good luck all of you with the arrangements, I'm sure it will all "come out in the wash" as my dad used to say.

For the PC issue we've already decided to buy a laptop as soon as we know when we are moving. I know it's going to be up to a £1000 (depending on how much I'm allowed to spend!! ;) ) but we figure it's money well spent for the peace of mind of being able to keep in touch with everyone and everything, i.e finances. At the end of the day it will always come in useful when I have the wireless network set up in our nice new bungalow in New Zealand!! :cheers

All the best, and try to destress, you're not going to the end of the world you know!! (oh, sorry, you are! :laugh :laugh :laugh )

Mark. :P

[lynden]

I BOUGHT A LAPTOP OFF EBAY FOR £100 ITS OLD AND SLOW BUT HAS A MODEM SO IT WILL COVER FOR THE FIRST FEW WEEKS IN NZ AT LEAST UNTIL THE MAIN PC ARRIVES,,I ALSO INTEND TO SELL MY CAR ON EBAY A WEEK OR SO BEFORE WE LEAVE AND LET DON`T LET THE BUYER HAVE IT UNTIL THE DAY BEFORE
GOOD LUCK

[Loulou]

Is there anyone you can leave the car with to sell on on your behalf? Sign the log book and offer say 10% comission for the person who sells it.

Good luck :)

[Sarah Jane]

Hi all

Thanks for all your good luck messages and support.
As for an update, after 2 days of frantic discussions and telephone calls a certain amount is falling into place.

We now know our buyer is willing and should have all sorted before we go as he's got the money and wants everything sorted so he can move in by New Year Yeeeaaaaa that means no money probs left

As for car we've decided to buy an old banger to drive around for the last week till we jump on the plane and then hand over keys to a friend and let them sell it (or just get rid)...in the mean time we can sell our decent car at a decent price...I hope?

We're also hoping to rent a house thats advertised on uk2nz in Browns Bay fully furnished which is roughly the area (considering we don't know any areas and are going by books and recommedation at this time) that we think we might like to live in....all going well if we rent it (and it looks nice) then we'll have a very easy start in NZ as we know that we can't get our stuff over there very quickly. We've got 6 companys coming to estimate next week and give quotes, some local and some nationwide....I will post the differences
Still a lot of stuff we're unsure of. All day today we spent going through rooms in the house getting rid of stuff and it makes you realise how much junk you have which we've moved from house to house (hey I'm only 42 but I've collected so much.... like my 45 records from being a teenager that I bought in the 70's...even my poloroid camera which I paid a fortune for when I was 14 cos it was the new invention and I still have in the original box) and all the other things that I've collected since then including congratulation cards for all births, (5 children I might add) christmas's and birthdays.....even all the sorry letters and love you letters that you get from your kids over the years. I still have the teeth they lost that have cost me a bomb (the tooth fairy inventor should be shot!!!!! a quid a tooth these days....what happend to the sixpence I got??)...the plaster casts when they've broken their arms......only 3 of them did that and one had stitches thank god....and I've clung to them all and more crap like that through 8 moves and 2 marriages, but now I'm worrying on what is the cost going to be to move these to our paradise? As for some ornaments and vases that my mum has given me over the years I'm now thinking "well I didn't even like it in the first place so it's time to get rid"....and now I'm thinking am I callous?? I don't think I can win here can I. I keep telling myself it's MY NEW LIFE so I should do what I want to do.....