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Thread: Flights booked finally!!

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by jawnbc View Post
    I know it's more money, but I would suggest biting the bullet and paying for packing inclusive service. They will isolate the things that MAFF might want to secondarily inspect, coordinate all the reporting and paperwork, pack here and unpack there. Should include insurance as well.

    If you pack it they will not insure you for damages and MAFF may hold your things for longer because of difficulties finding those hiking boots they want to inspect for dirty treads.

    I've done it both ways. Packed by them is definitely the way to go.
    I would agree that getting someone else to pack is always the way to go, if you can afford it. (even better when someone else pays...) So much less effort and they have far more experience. And export packing means everything has to be bubble wrapped etc so you have to factor in the cost of all the boxes, and paper and bubble wrap to pack things in. Once you arrive here, the packers will unpack for you. We just got them to unwrap furniture and unpacked all the books, kitchen stuff etc ourselves. If you pack yourself, you have the additional hassle of disposing of the packaging material. A lot is recyclable and packing boxes always find a home (I give small boxes from work to a photocopying shop for example) but all that plastic wrapping stuff isn't and you may find yourself paying to dispose of that as well.
    I don't think it is universally true that packers will isolate the things MAF may be interested in. The people who come to pack do just that, pack. They don't spend time thinking about putting the straw baskets in one box together, the outdoor stuff in another. They just pack whatever is there, and fits in the same box together. If you want to save money for MAF fees, make sure you put anything you suspect will need inspecting together and make sure it is packed together. What packers will do is label boxes so be careful how they label them. You can save inspection fees just by rephrasing the descriptions (without blatantly lying obviously). You just have to be organised. Perfect time to give away all the junk you have been hanging onto for ages.
    As for insurance, packing companies can do you an insurance quote too, but you don't have to take that, it is often cheaper to ask around and get quotes from independent companies for marine insurance.

  2. #12
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    Aug 2011
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    Kaipara, New Zealand
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    Quote Originally Posted by thedans View Post
    Hey Kate! That's awesome you guys are flying out in October! So, Congrats to you too! I am definitely in the process of getting a few other quotes, and we'll see what happens from there! So you guys are just taking your suitcases and replacing everything over in NZ?
    Pretty much. We've already sold most of our stuff and are on an extended road trip between now and September. We're taking a cruise from LA to Sydney and then flying to Wellington from there. So, we'll sell the car and give away anything else we don't need before we board the cruise and travel with just our suitcases.

  3. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Azkateaz View Post
    Pretty much. We've already sold most of our stuff and are on an extended road trip between now and September. We're taking a cruise from LA to Sydney and then flying to Wellington from there. So, we'll sell the car and give away anything else we don't need before we board the cruise and travel with just our suitcases.
    A fantastic plan! Have fun!

  4. #14
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    We are looking at the cruise option too, but the transatlantics seem to only go in late September and early October. Sounds like a great trip- and much better than renting a place for a month while waiting for your container to arrive.

    I'm looking at a fixed to permanent position, so we'll likely leave stuff behind and go the furnished apartment route until we know we are staying for the long haul

  5. #15
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    Mar 2011
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    [QUOTE=Lauralocks;445628]Shipping is crazy expensive isn't it!

    /QUOTE]

    Amen to that! i knew it was expensive, but so far the two quotes we have is crazy! such is life i suppose!

    Quote Originally Posted by dede View Post
    We just got a quote for $5,725 from NY to Welly, plus we will need pick-up on our side for a 40ft container, self-packed from Crowns. Looks like we will need 2 of them given my husband's hobbies.
    dede.. that's crazy, as the quote we got from crown relocations (guessing the same place, but this one is based out of NZ) was more for less as i said above. and we are going from California to Auckland.

    Quote Originally Posted by jawnbc View Post
    I know it's more money, but I would suggest biting the bullet and paying for packing inclusive service. They will isolate the things that MAFF might want to secondarily inspect, coordinate all the reporting and paperwork, pack here and unpack there. Should include insurance as well.

    If you pack it they will not insure you for damages and MAFF may hold your things for longer because of difficulties finding those hiking boots they want to inspect for dirty treads.

    I've done it both ways. Packed by them is definitely the way to go.
    Yea we may just end up shipping a few boxes at the rate it's going, but we'll see how it shakes out. Thanks for the advice!

  6. #16
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    Mar 2011
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    Quote Originally Posted by girlwithanewf View Post
    Perfect time to give away all the junk you have been hanging onto for ages.
    haha... and everything else as well.. it seems as though everyone is already calling dibs on all of our stuff we are selling, and some even what we weren't going to sell! good old family! And i never thought about getting rid of all the packing stuff, just one more thing to factor into the list...

    Quote Originally Posted by Azkateaz View Post
    Pretty much. We've already sold most of our stuff and are on an extended road trip between now and September. We're taking a cruise from LA to Sydney and then flying to Wellington from there. So, we'll sell the car and give away anything else we don't need before we board the cruise and travel with just our suitcases.
    That's pretty awesome! well if you happen to roll through Modesto on your way down to LA, feel free to swing on by and we can get you guys some dinner or whatever and talk NZ.

  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by thedans View Post
    That's pretty awesome! well if you happen to roll through Modesto on your way down to LA, feel free to swing on by and we can get you guys some dinner or whatever and talk NZ.
    We'll probably take you up on that if we make it that far south before you fly out, and there's a good chance we will since the youngest turns 3 on September 9th and we're thinking of a Disney celebration!

  8. #18
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    Nov 2011
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    Quote Originally Posted by thedans View Post
    .. it seems as though everyone is already calling dibs on all of our stuff we are selling, and some even what we weren't going to sell! good old family!
    Think yourselves, lucky you know you are going. Our children are putting dibs on our things and we haven't even put in our EOI yet!! I am being reminded that 'you promised I could have that when you go'. Kids, don't you just love them.

  9. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Azkateaz View Post
    We'll probably take you up on that if we make it that far south before you fly out, and there's a good chance we will since the youngest turns 3 on September 9th and we're thinking of a Disney celebration!
    That would be great! And september 9th is a great day for a birthday! (as that's when mine is as well!) Also don't tell my wife of any plans for a cruise or disney celebrations, or she may get some ideas!

    Quote Originally Posted by mikeandcaroline View Post
    Think yourselves, lucky you know you are going. Our children are putting dibs on our things and we haven't even put in our EOI yet!! I am being reminded that 'you promised I could have that when you go'. Kids, don't you just love them.
    hahaha... yea, it's so refreshing to know that kids/family are there to help take things off your hands! I guess one way to look at it, is they are helping reduce your shipping costs!

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