Sell our stuff or move it?

We are moving to the UK from Tulsa, OK in Feb. Right now we have a 2300 sf house full of stuff. Does anyone have any suggestions re: moving? We are selling most if not all of the furniture, as it is too big for UK homes.

How much is a good estimate for, say... a 20 ft container?

I'm having trouble with the logistics... the fact that we need our furniture until we move, but can't bring it with us.  I don't just want to give it away. I guess we just have to sell as much as possible, and sit on beanbags and sleep on air mattresses. I want to take some of our stuff... not a huge amount; maybe 2000 lbs. I've contacted many shipping companies but not gotten a valid quote. Does anyone have any resources?

I'm sorry, I'm having trouble articulating what I'm having trouble with, because it seems like too many things to think about and everything is conflicting... I guess I just need advice on how to sell some of my furniture, move some and give away the rest.

Is it more cost effective to sell your stuff and buy more, or to move it?

Thanks
Penny

p.s. Sorry for being all over the place. These logistical thingies really screw me up.

I just went through the same decisions.  I moved a 2300 sq ft house.  I moved some furniture and gave some away.  I didn't really try to sell too much/any of it, because the stuff I was getting rid of had reached the end of it useful life.  Also I didn't want the hassle and stress of trying to get rid of it.

Getting rid of most/all of your electronics is generally a good idea.  Sell the TV's, the blenders, the microwave ovens, whatever you might have that plugs into an outlet.  In most cases you can move your computer(s) though.

The cost differential between moving X and X + 10% is not a big deal, so a lot of stuff "on the fringes" got moved.  A lot of the decision depends on your situation.  You probably have spent a number of years buy this and that and the other thing to populate your house.  That really adds up when you think about it.  Even if you sell it all, your are probably going to spend more on replacing in then what you could sell it for.  Also a lot of the little things will add up, like pots and pans, other kitchen stuff as well as book cases, etc.

A 20ft container would be about 2/3 of a 2300 sq ft house, from my guess.  That is what I what I ended up with though I only ended up moving about 6000 lbs (I think a 20ft normally holds about 8000 lbs of household goods).  With insurance you should be paying between $1.00-$1.50 a pound for the move.  So I guess that is what you should consider.  If you can sell it for more then you can move it, sell it.  You don't have to run around your house with a scale, but that might be an easy way to figure it out.

Are you moving into a mortgaged house right away, or are you getting a flat for a while?  If you are getting a flat, a lot of them in the UK are furnished.  So you could pack up and move right before you go over there.

Also, maybe a corporate apartment in the US before you go, which is the route I chose to take, might be the best way.  I got rid of the house about 8 weeks prior to me leaving and everything is moving its way over now, so I will have all my stuff by the time I get there.

kitsonk, I keep meaning to ask....when are you going over to the UK for good? (sorry for the brief hijack!)

Yes, for good.  I am counting down the days, after six years of being in a relationship overseas, I am finally taking the opportunity to start a life with my partner.  I am wrapping up work and then I am taking a 30 day sabbatical at a residential weight loss clinic before heading over and registering, finding a new job and starting my new life.

(Also sorry for the hijack)

I think things are becoming a little clearer. I posted a similar thread under this about our car, which plays into the situation. Our ETA for the UK is February 2007 (ish). If is is $1.25 per pound, we will not be moving much stuff. We can probably spend $1000 moving stuff, so that is probably 10 boxes or so.

So... what I will do is, as soon as I get my visa processed (3 weeks or so, waiting for papers from MIL), I will start listing stuff on Craigslist such as our freezer, formal dining set, guest bed, surround sound system, etc... stuff we don't use daily.  I'll try to thin out the house as much as possible over a month or two... Then hold a massive garage sale. Whatever doesn't move at the garage sale gets donated. Then, vacate the house, head to my parents' house in San Antonio (400 miles away), try and sell the car there; then if we don't sell right away, give my parents power of attorney and let them sell it. Depart for the UK a week or 2 later.

OK... I think that is a plan.

This is way more complicated than it was when I moved to the UK 6 years ago- as a single person in a roommate situation! Now I am a mommy with a man, 2 kiddos and a house full of stuff!

I think things are becoming a little clearer. I posted a similar thread under this about our car, which plays into the situation. Our ETA for the UK is February 2007 (ish). If is is $1.25 per pound, we will not be moving much stuff. We can probably spend $1000 moving stuff, so that is probably 10 boxes or so.

When you do something like that, the price per pound is going to leap up.  There was another recent thread, where it would be cost prohibative to use a normal mover and your cost per pound can rise to $2.00-$3.00 a pound in the volumes you are talking about.  A lot of people have recommended UPakWeShip (www.UPakWeShip.com).  That might be a better solution for you, though there have been people recently getting nailed with "unexpected costs" at the receiving end.

This is way more complicated than it was when I moved to the UK 6 years ago- as a single person in a roommate situation! Now I am a mommy with a man, 2 kiddos and a house full of stuff!

Yeah, getting older sucks!    I remember the days when I lived out of two suitcases just happily.