To ship or not to ship, that is the question faced by anyone emigrating. It’s easy if you are living in a furnished rental or at your family home, but if you’ve got your own place full of your own furniture and other items, it can be a big decision. Some items, such as wedding dishes and silver, heirloom or antique furniture and anything you are sentimental about, really merit shipping from Dublin if you’re emigrating.
But what about things your other belongings? Can you bring some familiar, useful things you like or do you really have to start from scratch? You can consider a few key points to help you decide if shipping from Dublin is the best choice.
- Will It Be Useful There? If you are moving to a tropical climate, there is not much point in bringing your duvets. Electric goods such as washers, vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, and cooking appliances won’t work outside Ireland and the UK. The outlet shape and voltage will be different. Consider what type of housing you will live in and what exactly you will need. Will you live in student accommodation? Do rentals come furnished normally? If you don’t need something, you have no need for shipping from Dublin.
- Cost of Replacements Locally. The price of household goods can vary substantially in different countries. Have a look at furniture stores’ websites and online listings for second-hand furniture to see if replacing your things costs more or less than shipping from Dublin. Consider the quality of what you have now compared to what is in your price range for replacements. Shipping from Dublin doesn’t make sense for inexpensive flat-pack furniture, but if you’ve invested in quality furniture that should last a lifetime, and you like it, it might be worth shipping. Consider as well whether you could sell your things here and raise money for good replacements in your future home.
- Are You Going Permanently? Is this a one-way trip? Are you certain? If you’re going for a finite amount of time, for example to study or for a fixed term work contract, you need to consider the cost of shipping your belongings back to Ireland. Shipping from Dublin is one thing, but will you be in a position to pay for shipping everything back?
Every individual situation is unique, and for some, it makes no sense to pay for shipping from Dublin because the cost of replacing their belongings would be so low. But for many others, the idea of having some familiar home comforts, especially good quality items with a lot of memories attached to them, is well worth the price of shipping from Dublin.
Talk to us at Spratt Personal Shipping to learn more about your options for shipping from Dublin when you are emigrating.
