However excited you are about starting a new life, it will be tinged with sadness saying goodbye to all your family and friends. It is difficult deciding when to actually tell them what you intend to do. There is a fine line between allowing everyone enough time to get used to the idea, and dragging out farewells for months on end.
If you have been talking about emigrating for years, then it might not come as such a surprise to people. In our case, in an attempt not to upset family unnecessarily should our application be turned down, we allowed three months between making our announcement and getting on the plane. This time frame worked well for us, but might not suit everyone.
Packing up your home is a mammoth task. Personal mementos will become particularly important to you, as many of your memories may be tied up in your family home, which you may choose to sell. (Although, depending on funds, some people prefer to rent out their homes at first). Avoid throwing out all your memories in the big ‘clear out’.
Deciding what to take and what to leave behind can be tricky. The first thing to do is to get some idea of prices from shipping companies. Use only a reputable shipping company and check that any quotes include port handling charges and door to door delivery. Make sure you take out insurance on the contents. Most companies will quote you for different size crates which they deliver and build in your garage and then pick up two days later, once you have packed them Also get a quote for a container, into which you can pack your entire contents.
Then it is just a case of simple mathematics! How much will it cost to replace your home contents and how much is it going to cost to ship it out? Prices are similar, or possibly cheaper, than England, but you will not get quite the range of choice you are used to. When working out how much it will cost to replace your home contents, do not just calculate the cost of the large items. Crockery, cutlery, laundry baskets, occasional chairs, memo boards and all the other paraphernalia that make up a home do add up.
If a lot of your furniture or appliances have ’seen better days’, then you may wish to save the money it would cost to ship them out and put that towards buying anew once you arrive in New Zealand. Selling your house fully furnished, might just tip the balance, when trying to sell during times of a depressed market.
If you possess stylish or particularly unusual furniture, for which you have a great fondness, then their worth to you cannot only be counted in monetary terms. You may regret leaving them behind just because it was not economically viable to ship them.
All small electrical appliances are certainly worth taking if they are in good condition. If they need replacing anyway, it is just as cheap to buy new ones in New Zealand. TVs run mainly on VHF so there is little point in taking the TV set. You can use your video machine to play tapes you hire or buy, but your video will need a small sound adjustment costing in the region of $50.00. You will not be able to record off the TV unless your video is fully converted, by replacing the tuner, which is expensive.