We are
wonderful accumulators of 'stuff' and when you are moving interstate or
overseas that ‘stuff’ can cost you dearly. Years ago when companies were more
generous with removals allowances there was little thought about what you would
bring with you on a corporate relocation but now when household removals are so
expensive and it is relatively easy to purchase items online or from companies
such as IKEA it is becoming less common to ship everything.
Industry
Trends which is published by AMSA noted that in 2016 shipment totals were down
by 5.2%, a decline that has been progressively noticeable since 2013. Meanwhile
the Corporate Account sector represents
a greater decline at 6.7% less annually.
It is not
only the cost of the shipment itself which is expensive but the cost of the
insurance which if your goods are valuable can be extremely expensive. Whenever
you are moving goods in a container from one place to another there is likely
to be some damage: these items were not made to withstand being hauled from
country to country squashed between other items which push against them.
Before you
decide to take your things overseas have a really good think about what you are
not likely to use ever again and either sell or donate those items. Rarely used
items will be expensive to move and limit where you are able to live at the
other end. Moving is an opportunity to take a serious look at your wardrobe,
your book shelf, unused wedding presents and duplicates of kitchen items you
brought along with you when you first shared a home! Have a quick look online
to see what new sofas and the larger furniture items would cost you and how
much you might reasonably sell these for secondhand.
Sometimes
your things can take 12 weeks to cross the seas and get cleared by customs and
in that time you are either paying for serviced accommodation or renting
furniture: by this time you would have saved a fortune to have bought new.
Certain electrical items and whitegoods are not suitable for travel and do not
work well in the new country so this is something it is not worth bringing with
you.
Starting
afresh is a liberating experience and not as difficult as it may seem these
days: it also allows you to choose furniture suitable for the place you decide
to move into rather than choosing the place you live in based on what is coming
from where you lived last!
