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It's the thousands of US$$$ question Of all the things people ask me, and the debates around emigrating I've had, this is one question everyone asks. With the rand being real weak against the US dollar - the currency of worldwide shipping - it's something we all have to consider VERY carefully. What's YOUR opinion? Drop us a mail! My opinion My own view is that having one's own things and pets around one in a new country is a huge psychological advantage. When we left SA to live in the UK while waiting for our Canadian visas, we put our household (17 cubic metres' worth) in storage, ready for shipping to Vancouver. We ended up living in a new country in rented, furnished accommodation for over a year... and it has not been easy, or pleasant. We missed things, like our own beds, and our books... I even missed my favourite knife in the kitchen! And replacing items can be costly, when you have probably had to give everything away for almost nothing (or nothing) in SA if you've decided to sell everything and start afresh. We sold our white goods, of course, our lounge suite, which was old and not worth keeping, and would have take up a lot of space in the container. I also had a good clear-out, which was probably years overdue. Although it was very sad getting rid of the souvenirs of all my birthdays, Christmases and life experiences - and I think getting rid of Lee's baby clothes and some of his toddler art was the worst part - it was quite liberating in a way. And the memories of those times are etched in my brain, so in truth, I still have them with me. We kept certain "memories", including ALL our photographs, heirlooms, favourite ornaments, pictures etc. We also kept all our oregon pine furniture. We tucked a few "treats" into the boxes for when we finally get to unpack on the other side. What would have been GREAT when we got to the UK is a "Survival Box". Now, I have moved many times in SA, and each time I packed a box with a few basics just for us: 3 plates, 3 sets of eating utensils, 3 mugs, an all-purpose pan/pot with lid, my favourite kitchen knife, the kettle etc - whatever we would need on our first night in our new home. This time I only brought a small box of medicines in case we fell prey to local bugs (we did, so it was a huge help), which many new immigrants find is the case, according to our UK doctor. Had we taken a survival box, we wouldn't have had to buy basics in a foreign currency on rands. As it happens, in desperation we asked my mom to send over some bedding and odd things as unaccompanied luggage a couple of weeks after we got to the UK, so expensive was it to replace things in rands! However, you need to weigh up the cost of unaccompanied luggage or freight if you decide to do this. And of course, if you have tons of cash, please ignore this advice! My friend who arrived in Toronto in May 00 was so ecstatic to receive her container in October 00 (by then she'd already been in her own house since June), she was reduced to tears, even though she says it felt like Christmas. My son and I missed our cats hugely, and they would have made a big difference to our settling in as well, as my Toronto friend, who took her kitties with her, confirms. [HOW WE TRANSPORTED OUR PETS] As a final word in support of taking a container or part thereof, I think it's especially important for kids to have familiar things and pets around them. But do the sums - decide which items you want to take (if your furniture is really old and worn out, leave it behind!) and then get three removal firms in to come and give you some quotes. If they don't actually come to your home, and ask for a faxed inventory, don't deal with them. This part of their service is free, but it is really helpful to have a figure to help you make the decision as to what to take. [TOP] Other opinions (extracts from e-mails) I'd love to hear from those who have already emigrated as to what they took and why and what they should've taken and why! Pse e-mail me using "What to take" in the subject line with your advice so that we can share the info here. FROM JANINE IN TORONTO "it's a bit chaotic at the moment, and I know I'm not really going to get to anything sizeable till the weekend. It was blissful coming home this evening to familiar things though, and not an almost empty house, with stuff in that still doesn't really feel like ours! "I must admit my feelings were very mixed when I saw those Elliott boxes emerging - I had a little cry, when no-one was looking, and felt mixed-up happy and sad - sooo good to have our things again, and it felt like Christmas, unpacking everything. But it was also the realisation, this is IT! We're not just visiting, we're HERE TO STAY - because our things are now here. " [TOP] Container costs to consider This info was e-mailed from Safmarine to a friend in PE who was considering handling a container himself. It dates from Nov 99, so some things may have changed. He eventually decided it was too much to handle himself and has used the same removal company we did (Pickfords). . Toronto You essentially have two options - our Safbank service direct PLZ and CPT to New York with oncarriage by road to Toronto or a triangulation service via Europe. The latter may be slightly cheaper, but as rates either via our service or the triangulations are not subject to a Conference rating structure, there may be some room to negotiate. Nearer the time drop me a line and I will see what I can do. The advantage of our service is it's direct. The transit is shorter and you have one constant party both here in SA.and arrival in Canada. Costs you need to bear in mind, and these cover pack for any area in the world: 1. A container will have to be delivered to the point of pack. This varies on the distance from depot and then the port. At the end of the day it is a small cost, but bear in mind if Portnet transport is used you have limited time to pack (3 hours per 20'; 4 hours per 40'). Would suggest if you do it yourself, talk nicely to Renfreight or our people, and a container can be placed up on Friday night for uplift Monday morning. 2. You can pack your household contents yourself, but it is hard work. However, if you have the time, the skill level is limited and you can save a fortune. Beware of insurance costs. Insure for replacement in the country of destination and try your own contacts rather than working through an established removal company. Whilst the latter is easier, they do levy a premium for their services. 3. Consider storage. It is cheaper in SA than in the country of destination. It may take time to establish accommodation and you don't want the added expense of storage in your hew home area! 4. Re actual costs the following are generally standard, irrespective of the line you choose: 4.1. Zone haul (from point of pack - as applicable) 4.2. Carrier haulage service fee 4.3. Terminal Handling charge 4.4. Ad Valorem Wharfage - levied by port and based on the FOB value of the goods at 0.9% of value - use your current cost - not replacement (the latter for insurance). 4.5. An agent doing your export documentation will levy a fee - again you have contacts and account is relatively small. 4.6. Packing costs - depends on options i.e. professional or you "do it yourself". This is obviously the single biggest SA landside cost. 4.7. Insurance (as above). 4.8. Sea Freight: This covers costs from FOB SA Port to arrival Toronto. Delivery to a specific address may add some cost. You have limited time to clear and organise unpack. We can work a plan, but bear in mind anything in excess of 4-5 days can start costing large amounts. 4.9. Clearing charges in Canada - these would normally be handled by your local contacts. The bulk should be prepaid in South Africa. Vancouver Here you have the same shipping options as above for Toronto, but in addition you may be able to secure a better deal by an operation going via the Far East (try the local Maersk Office by way of comparison). All costs 1 to 4.7 as above apply here, but the sea freight is different. We move via the New York option with oncarriage by rail/road to Vancouver. There are no direct services S.A. - Vancouver. [TOP] |
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It's the thousands of US$$$ question Of all the things people ask me, and the debates around emigrating I've had, this is one question everyone asks. With the rand being real weak against the US dollar - the currency of worldwide shipping - it's something we all have to consider VERY carefully. What's YOUR opinion? Drop us a mail! My opinion My own view is that having one's own things and pets around one in a new country is a huge psychological advantage. When we left SA to live in the UK while waiting for our Canadian visas, we put our household (17 cubic metres' worth) in storage, ready for shipping to Vancouver. We ended up living in a new country in rented, furnished accommodation for over a year... and it has not been easy, or pleasant. We missed things, like our own beds, and our books... I even missed my favourite knife in the kitchen! And replacing items can be costly, when you have probably had to give everything away for almost nothing (or nothing) in SA if you've decided to sell everything and start afresh. We sold our white goods, of course, our lounge suite, which was old and not worth keeping, and would have take up a lot of space in the container. I also had a good clear-out, which was probably years overdue. Although it was very sad getting rid of the souvenirs of all my birthdays, Christmases and life experiences - and I think getting rid of Lee's baby clothes and some of his toddler art was the worst part - it was quite liberating in a way. And the memories of those times are etched in my brain, so in truth, I still have them with me. We kept certain "memories", including ALL our photographs, heirlooms, favourite ornaments, pictures etc. We also kept all our oregon pine furniture. We tucked a few "treats" into the boxes for when we finally get to unpack on the other side. What would have been GREAT when we got to the UK is a "Survival Box". Now, I have moved many times in SA, and each time I packed a box with a few basics just for us: 3 plates, 3 sets of eating utensils, 3 mugs, an all-purpose pan/pot with lid, my favourite kitchen knife, the kettle etc - whatever we would need on our first night in our new home. This time I only brought a small box of medicines in case we fell prey to local bugs (we did, so it was a huge help), which many new immigrants find is the case, according to our UK doctor. Had we taken a survival box, we wouldn't have had to buy basics in a foreign currency on rands. As it happens, in desperation we asked my mom to send over some bedding and odd things as unaccompanied luggage a couple of weeks after we got to the UK, so expensive was it to replace things in rands! However, you need to weigh up the cost of unaccompanied luggage or freight if you decide to do this. And of course, if you have tons of cash, please ignore this advice! My friend who arrived in Toronto in May 00 was so ecstatic to receive her container in October 00 (by then she'd already been in her own house since June), she was reduced to tears, even though she says it felt like Christmas. My son and I missed our cats hugely, and they would have made a big difference to our settling in as well, as my Toronto friend, who took her kitties with her, confirms. [HOW WE TRANSPORTED OUR PETS] As a final word in support of taking a container or part thereof, I think it's especially important for kids to have familiar things and pets around them. But do the sums - decide which items you want to take (if your furniture is really old and worn out, leave it behind!) and then get three removal firms in to come and give you some quotes. If they don't actually come to your home, and ask for a faxed inventory, don't deal with them. This part of their service is free, but it is really helpful to have a figure to help you make the decision as to what to take. [TOP] Other opinions (extracts from e-mails) I'd love to hear from those who have already emigrated as to what they took and why and what they should've taken and why! Pse e-mail me using "What to take" in the subject line with your advice so that we can share the info here. FROM JANINE IN TORONTO "it's a bit chaotic at the moment, and I know I'm not really going to get to anything sizeable till the weekend. It was blissful coming home this evening to familiar things though, and not an almost empty house, with stuff in that still doesn't really feel like ours! "I must admit my feelings were very mixed when I saw those Elliott boxes emerging - I had a little cry, when no-one was looking, and felt mixed-up happy and sad - sooo good to have our things again, and it felt like Christmas, unpacking everything. But it was also the realisation, this is IT! We're not just visiting, we're HERE TO STAY - because our things are now here. " [TOP] Container costs to consider This info was e-mailed from Safmarine to a friend in PE who was considering handling a container himself. It dates from Nov 99, so some things may have changed. He eventually decided it was too much to handle himself and has used the same removal company we did (Pickfords). . Toronto You essentially have two options - our Safbank service direct PLZ and CPT to New York with oncarriage by road to Toronto or a triangulation service via Europe. The latter may be slightly cheaper, but as rates either via our service or the triangulations are not subject to a Conference rating structure, there may be some room to negotiate. Nearer the time drop me a line and I will see what I can do. The advantage of our service is it's direct. The transit is shorter and you have one constant party both here in SA.and arrival in Canada. Costs you need to bear in mind, and these cover pack for any area in the world: 1. A container will have to be delivered to the point of pack. This varies on the distance from depot and then the port. At the end of the day it is a small cost, but bear in mind if Portnet transport is used you have limited time to pack (3 hours per 20'; 4 hours per 40'). Would suggest if you do it yourself, talk nicely to Renfreight or our people, and a container can be placed up on Friday night for uplift Monday morning. 2. You can pack your household contents yourself, but it is hard work. However, if you have the time, the skill level is limited and you can save a fortune. Beware of insurance costs. Insure for replacement in the country of destination and try your own contacts rather than working through an established removal company. Whilst the latter is easier, they do levy a premium for their services. 3. Consider storage. It is cheaper in SA than in the country of destination. It may take time to establish accommodation and you don't want the added expense of storage in your hew home area! 4. Re actual costs the following are generally standard, irrespective of the line you choose: 4.1. Zone haul (from point of pack - as applicable) 4.2. Carrier haulage service fee 4.3. Terminal Handling charge 4.4. Ad Valorem Wharfage - levied by port and based on the FOB value of the goods at 0.9% of value - use your current cost - not replacement (the latter for insurance). 4.5. An agent doing your export documentation will levy a fee - again you have contacts and account is relatively small. 4.6. Packing costs - depends on options i.e. professional or you "do it yourself". This is obviously the single biggest SA landside cost. 4.7. Insurance (as above). 4.8. Sea Freight: This covers costs from FOB SA Port to arrival Toronto. Delivery to a specific address may add some cost. You have limited time to clear and organise unpack. We can work a plan, but bear in mind anything in excess of 4-5 days can start costing large amounts. 4.9. Clearing charges in Canada - these would normally be handled by your local contacts. The bulk should be prepaid in South Africa. Vancouver Here you have the same shipping options as above for Toronto, but in addition you may be able to secure a better deal by an operation going via the Far East (try the local Maersk Office by way of comparison). All costs 1 to 4.7 as above apply here, but the sea freight is different. We move via the New York option with oncarriage by rail/road to Vancouver. There are no direct services S.A. - Vancouver. [TOP] |
Page last updated: 23 June, 2002
What to Take |
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