Immigrating to the UK

Priapus said:
We are considering sending a few boxes over expecting it to cost an arm and a leg. But will get quotes at some point.

Decided I am taking the PS5 over at least. Can’t be arsed selling it.
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I think the move cubes are perfect for that, check out https://www.sevenseasworldwide.com/moving/movecube/.

They quoted me R30k for a large one but depending on what you want to ship you can do the smaller ones
 
Go with the smallest option and just bring valuables and keepsakes. Trust me it's so easy to get new stuff that 5 years later I'm still kicking myself for bringing the shyte I did and paying for a medium cube
 
Can also vouch for Seven Seas.
Note though that the medium move cube ends up costing close to R30k after cusoms charges in the UK.

My cube arrived last week and I have a few boxes on the way which I see just docked yesterday.
 
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PsYTraNc3 said:
Can also vouch for Seven Seas.
Note though that the small move cube ends up costing close to R30k after cusoms charges in the UK.

My cube arrived last week and I have a few boxes on the way which I see just docked yesterday.
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Wow, prices have gone up!

Paid R22k odd in late 2019 for a medium cube.
 
PsYTraNc3 said:
Can also vouch for Seven Seas.
Note though that the medium move cube ends up costing close to R30k after cusoms charges in the UK.

My cube arrived last week and I have a few boxes on the way which I see just docked yesterday.
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We also used them, our stuff got here, but it was rambled through lots of stuff was damaged and the insurance only covers loss - and we took the Premium insurance.
My GPU in my PC case was nearly broken out of its slot - I took steps to secure it, but when they "inspected" our goods they didn't bother to put the supports in the right places.
A wooden jewelry box that we shipped along looked like it got stepped on.
My toolbox had so many tools removed that I ended up needing a new one.
Insurance says they can't know what it looked like before, so they are sorry to hear.

Basically, anything that could something else, like a box, pc case or toolbox, got wrecked and searched. The other boxes that contained only items, was all fine - including some semi-precious plates and stuff.

Yes, we shipped weird stuff, yes we would do it differently next time. If I had known how much cheaper a lot of these thing were on this side, I would've rather shipped my motorbike and bought new stuff here.
 
We sold almost everything and just bought it new.

Not knowing where you'd end up, or the sizes of rooms it's probably best to just not bring furniture. And then it's a question of how cost effective it is to ship anything else.

We carried on our laptops and then it's a list of what was sentimental to us to bring over.

We are even finding our clothes we brought over don't really fit the climate nor the culture so most of the winter stuff we packed was just a plain waste.

We bought from IKEA "cheap" furniture to start, but as we go along we are finding the 2nd hand market really good for better quality furniture. It is a waiting game to find something you like but you can find some really good quality things for dirt cheap.
 
I paid 2600 pounds to move about 14 m3 of stuff from Germany to UK.

Mostly clothes and toys
 
GhostSixFour said:
We also used them, our stuff got here, but it was rambled through lots of stuff was damaged and the insurance only covers loss - and we took the Premium insurance.
My GPU in my PC case was nearly broken out of its slot - I took steps to secure it, but when they "inspected" our goods they didn't bother to put the supports in the right places.
A wooden jewelry box that we shipped along looked like it got stepped on.
My toolbox had so many tools removed that I ended up needing a new one.
Insurance says they can't know what it looked like before, so they are sorry to hear.

Basically, anything that could something else, like a box, pc case or toolbox, got wrecked and searched. The other boxes that contained only items, was all fine - including some semi-precious plates and stuff.

Yes, we shipped weird stuff, yes we would do it differently next time. If I had known how much cheaper a lot of these thing were on this side, I would've rather shipped my motorbike and bought new stuff here.
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Ouch!

Sorry to hear.
Doesn't look like my cube was opened at all.
We jam packed everything in it like a puzzle, lots of stuff bubble wrapped, etc and clearly wasn't touched.

Probably as you said due to some of the things you had listed.

We sold up and only took sentimental and things that would have ended up costing more to replace than to shop over.
Such as nearly new TV's, custom solid wood furniture (also pretty new) and other little things that costs a lot and doesn't take up much space.
Worked it out so that my cube costs much less than the value of goods inside and even if we had to sell up and buy new, would end up costing us more.
 
We are not taking any furniture or anything like that. But there are small things we want to move over. Wife has some nice lamps she wants to take and other things are just clothes and sentimental stuff. Things that go in a box.

I’ll take the PS5 and Apple TV because they can fit in the bags that we will check in with.

Leaving in roughly 4 weeks time. Doesn’t feel real and also a long time away.
 
Priapus said:
We are not taking any furniture or anything like that. But there are small things we want to move over. Wife has some nice lamps she wants to take and other things are just clothes and sentimental stuff. Things that go in a box.

I’ll take the PS5 and Apple TV because they can fit in the bags that we will check in with.

Leaving in roughly 4 weeks time. Doesn’t feel real and also a long time away.
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You might also want one or more ZA to UK plugs BEFORE you leave: https://www.takealot.com/uk-m-to-south-african-f-power-plug-converter-pack-of-2/PLID94117295

and maybe bring something like this if you have lots of ZA plugs or USA type plugs: https://www.takealot.com/multi-plug...ction-16a-0-5m-3m-5m-cord-henrac/PLID71713226
 
Aghori said:
No, i'm serious actually.

Here in ZA we deal with the devil we know. UK is a completely different ball game.

Weather is terrible - you will get depression if you are acclimatised to a lot of sunshine.

Prices are sky high if you are spending ZAR there, but if you are earning in pounds sterling then that's fine. The crime issue there is getting worse and worse as days go by due to their unchecked immigration of muslims and fanatics.

Their culture is also a "politically corrrect" one where you have to toe the line and do as they tell you to, for example pronouns etc.
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Priapus said:
Spoken like someone who has never spent any great deal of time in the UK and just reads nonsense online.
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I mean, the UK definitely has some advantages compared to SA but let's not pretend its perfect. I don't think it is helpful to people considering emigrating from SA to the UK to pretend that the UK is all roses and sunshine.

The weather IS terrible. I've lived here 5 years, so I know what I'm talking about. It is really horrible and it drives many people - Europeans included - to depression.

Prices are sky high is true but I'd say for property only. My wife and I together make over R6 million per year and we're priced out of London. We can't afford a house big enough to raise a family in London. It's just out of the question.

Other things, like food etc, considering the difference in disposable income is the same if not cheaper. Travelling, especially to Europe, is cheap compared to SA (but then it is much cheaper for South Africans to visit the KNP).

Train tickets are incredibly expensive compared to Europe, but then at least the UK has a functioning railway system, unlike SA.

I don't find the UK to be incredibly politically correct - I think it really depends on what demographic you hang out with. Metropolitan Londoners who work in an office together will tend to be very politically correct, that's true. More so than South Africans working in Joburg (but maybe not Cape Town?).
 
Ancalagon said:
I mean, the UK definitely has some advantages compared to SA but let's not pretend its perfect. I don't think it is helpful to people considering emigrating from SA to the UK to pretend that the UK is all roses and sunshine.

The weather IS terrible. I've lived here 5 years, so I know what I'm talking about. It is really horrible and it drives many people - Europeans included - to depression.

Prices are sky high is true but I'd say for property only. My wife and I together make over R6 million per year and we're priced out of London. We can't afford a house big enough to raise a family in London. It's just out of the question.

Other things, like food etc, considering the difference in disposable income is the same if not cheaper. Travelling, especially to Europe, is cheap compared to SA (but then it is much cheaper for South Africans to visit the KNP).

Train tickets are incredibly expensive compared to Europe, but then at least the UK has a functioning railway system, unlike SA.

I don't find the UK to be incredibly politically correct - I think it really depends on what demographic you hang out with. Metropolitan Londoners who work in an office together will tend to be very politically correct, that's true. More so than South Africans working in Joburg (but maybe not Cape Town?).
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At least in the UK I can go for walks, where there re proper pedestrian pavements and not worry about getting mugged or worse. My wife can go see her friends or drive at anytime at night and not worry about getting hijacked, raped and murdered. My son can go to a decent school, take the bus to go see friends or mess about on their bikes and play football in the park. All without having me worry something will happen to them, he can also not be excluded from the economy, jobs and opportunities because if the pigment of his skin.

I’ll take the shitty weather and less disposable income, thanks.

Then again as I have also said we are not just moving because of SA. Our biggest reason is so we can be closer to family. We have literally zero family here.
 
Ancalagon said:
The weather IS terrible. I've lived here 5 years, so I know what I'm talking about. It is really horrible and it drives many people - Europeans included - to depression.
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You know what else gives people depression? Constant anxiety/looking over your shoulder and fear about being a victim of violent crime.

Yea the weather is lovely, let's for a hike in Table Mountain park and get stabbed for your cell phone lol
 
Aghori said:
No, i'm serious actually.

Here in ZA we deal with the devil we know. UK is a completely different ball game.
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In terms of what though? I have found it very agreeable. Most people do the right thing, stuff mostly works.
I am sure this depends on where you live. London is hectic for me, it is busy, there is more crime, its very expensive, people are less pleasant etc.
I stay in a "village". It is really really nice

Aghori said:
Weather is terrible - you will get depression if you are acclimatised to a lot of sunshine.
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Weather has never really been a problem for me, and i think it is only bleak just after xmas. Summer here is lovely, winter is actually quite nice too, and building up to xmas its really pretty and everyone is festive. There is a gloom period for me in January / Feb, where all the lights and stuff are taken down, everyone is broke and the weather is quite cold. But other than that, its never been an issue for me


Aghori said:
Prices are sky high if you are spending ZAR there, but if you are earning in pounds sterling then that's fine.
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Thats a given and not exclusive to UK. Some things here are crazy expensive, but on the whole I find it quite affordable to live. A big difference is that most people are able to live a decent quality of life, whereas SA most people are living sub optimally

Aghori said:
The crime issue there is getting worse and worse as days go by due to their unchecked immigration of muslims and fanatics.
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area dependent as I mentioned above. We have almost no crime and it is all petty. I have no issues walking anywhere, my daughter meeting up with friends to go to movies or a park. I have no concerns of being murdered or violent crime whatsoever.

Aghori said:
Their culture is also a "politically corrrect" one where you have to toe the line and do as they tell you to, for example pronouns etc.
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I have not experienced much of this. They do seem less direct in the speech , but this is not always a bad thing. There seems to be a good corporate culture of work life balance and general well being, which is a nice change (but probably varies depending on company)
 
Ancalagon said:
The weather IS terrible. I've lived here 5 years, so I know what I'm talking about. It is really horrible and it drives many people - Europeans included - to depression.
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For me the weather has been the hardest thing to deal with. It’s easy enough to dress warm but the real difficult part is changing your mindset to get on with things regardless of the weather.
Alternate perspectives are good though.
 
Paul Kemp said:
For me the weather has been the hardest thing to deal with. It’s easy enough to dress warm but the real difficult part is changing your mindset to get on with things regardless of the weather.
Alternate perspectives are good though.
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The dark in winter is the worst.

Summer makes up for it.

And in jan/feb it's cheap to go visit somewhere sunny to break up the winter gloom.
 
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