Hi,
I am new to this forum and looking for practical advice from Americans who have moved from the US to Australia. We are an American couple who will be relocating from Washington DC to Melbourne in December 2012. While we've traveled abroad before, we've never lived outside the U.S., so we have some very practical questions. We would appreciate advice from those who have done this move!
We are in the process of collecting quotes from international moving companies (the cost of which will be reimbursed by my husband's new employer in Melbourne). Can anyone recommend (or not recommend) the company you used to move from the US to Australia? Any advice on handling this big move? Things to watch out for, or that you wished you'd done differently in retrospect?
This one may be a stupid question, but is it worth bringing any of our more expensive electrical appliances with us? Such as a flat screen tv and computers? Is it practical to use them daily with a converter? While we will be reimbursed for shipping, we obviously won't be reimbursed for buying new appliances when we arrive!
Has anyone moved from the US to Australia with a pet? We are undergoing the arduous process of import paperwork now for our cat. Did you use a pet relocation company? What airline did you fly your pet on? Any thing you recommend doing/not doing? How are the quarantine facilities in Melbourne?
I'm sure we'll have more questions soon. But if anyone has advice on any of the above that will get us started here!
Many thanks!
Angela
Need practical advice from Americans who have moved to Australia
Hello Angela.
Welcome to Expat.com! 
You can consult our moving partner for a free quote : https://www.expat.com/en/movers/oceania … melbourne/
Thank you,
Aurélie
I didn't use a moving company and just shipped a few boxes of personal belongings via USPS. I didn't it find it worthwhile to ship furniture, but since you're being reimbursed, it's probably a good idea to ship your common household items rather than buy everything all over again. Using adapters for laptops and other small gadgets is fine, but I couldn't recommend it for larger electronics like a TV. I do suggest shipping special equipment such as instruments, bicycles, sporting gear, or exercise equipment. That stuff can be pretty expensive here.
As for pets, that's a tough one and you'll hear a lot of expats go back and forth over whether they made the right decision in bringing a pet or leaving it behind. I left my 10-year-old cat behind with my mom. The big expense aside, I felt the journey would have been too stressful for her and I just hated the idea of leaving her in quarantine for at least a month. The decision to bring a pet or leave it behind is probably one of the most difficult ones for an American moving to Oz.
I think my blog will answer a lot of your questions (keysdownunder.blogspot.com). You can use the search function on the side; I have posts that address almost every question you mention. Feel free to contact me about anything else you'd like to know!
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