If you could only bring 2 suitcases...

If you and your spouse could relocate only bringing two normal sized suitcases each, what would you bring? Unfinished apartment.

Sheets, deodorant, ranch dressing, Old Navy jeans, NyQuil, taco mix. 

I moved to the US in 2008 with only 2 suitcases... And I've spent a good portion (12 months) of the last  2 years living out of just two suitcases, so I've got used to living that way (all my furniture and belongings were left in storage in the UK) - I would take clothes, shoes, toiletries and medicines (especially ones you can't easily get in the UK), a small jewellery box, a few food items that I love and can't easily get abroad, my laptop and other electronic devices and chargers (phone, iPod, kindle, external hard drives). That's probably about it.


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we have a three bedroom house and a small toddler. It's so hard to figure out what to bring! We received two quotes on shipping one bed and crib, plus 20 boxes of household items. $2,000-3500. I just wonder if that is worth it or if we should just do the suit case thing and start over.

Favorite clothing items for each season, bearing in mind extremes of temperature are unlikely here. (Wear as much as you can on the plane!)  2 sets of towels. Favorite coffee mug (well wrapped).  Family photos.  Any especially meaningful knick-knacks (irreplaceable) 

I wouldn't go crazy on the food stuff -- once it's gone it's gone.  Or else you "save" it for so long it goes off.

Hey there,

I moved over to the UK in February of 2015 with two checked bags and one carry on suitcase.

I packed all the clothes I loved and currently fit in for all seasons. I only brought shoes that were irreplaceable. And a few knick knacks that were breakable and I could put in my carry on. Prices compared to earnings are pretty good over here, at least where I am in Derbyshire.

I have to say, Primark has SUPER cute clothes and shoes and it's damn cheap. You can get a pair of underwear for 1 quid, and it's not crappy underwear either! I'd put it on par with VS pink.  Not to mention the super cute flats I've gotten for under 5 quid. H&M is pretty cheap too, which is nice.

Oh, realise that shopping in the UK may be a bit of a blow to your ego, it was to me. Your size over here is 2-3 sizes larger than it is in the US. I still have a hard time trying on double digits.

If you can, I would forgo the towels and buy them when you get there. Towels are REALLY bulky and would take up a lot of space in your bags.

And as BostonDiner said, temps don't vary to the extreme but I've found it to be a lot colder then I ever was back in the US. But I'm from the desert and not used to the humidity. So I have quite a few different coats.

I live with 3 coats.  A 3-in-1 North Face (zip in fleece, raincoat), a trench coat (rainproof), and a wool coat (water resistant, fine for the normal drizzle).

Sheets are expensive and lower quality.  I do bring them back with me when I visit US but I'm a sheet snob.  US queen sheets a UK king just fine.  Great towels can be found at Costco for a good price in the UK.  I would also get / renew a US Costco membership as it works in the UK.  You can only join directly in the UK if your employer is "on the list". 

I find clothes very expensive in the UK.  But Primark is a real inconvenience to get to and I usually shop online as I hate shopping.  I am shocked at how I've adapted to UK prices.  My mom still nearly faints at the prices even after visiting for years.

This is such a great topic.  We are starting over for the most part.  We might ship two boxes (we're not that far into packing as we're still months out).  We're bringing our clothes and some keepsakes.  Might bring a backup for a couple of personal items but I'm not too fussy.  Definitely plan to wear the heavy and bulky stuff onto the plane.  We were given a shipping allowance and will be using most of that on our pooch.  The clothes we are bringing are either pricier bits or staples that we know we'll wear.  It's so freeing to say "goodbye" to stuff that you've been dutifully hanging up for years but never fell in love with.  I wish my old things luck with a new owner.

as mentioned, we are trying to decide if we should ship or not...or can we replace all our 'crap' with stuff over there for less than $2,0000 shipping cost (20 boxes)? Sadly, we don't have any relocation money from the company so it is all on our own. My cousin (in Derby) said that there are loads of charity shops, so maybe this would be an inexpensive way to also set up house once we arrive (cheap dishes and pots and pans etc)?

We have a toddler as well, so I suppose he too would have a suitcase for his belongings. Maybe ship a box with toys or books?

The 2 suitcases thing is terrifying...but when we go on vacation, we are backpackers...pretty minimal...so maybe we would be OK?

Yeah, you can replace "crap" here, no problem.  But it will be rather more expensive "crap".

I'm all for charity shops.  I just bought an M&S shirt yesterday for £3 in one.  Give it a good wash and good as new.  If I get sick of it I can toss it -- no big deal.  Would probably not buy shoes or underwear there, although they sometimes have brand new things. I've bought things like picture frames and other household stuff and tons of books! 

I also try to look in TK Maxx (TJ Maxx!) from time to time and have found some good stuff there -- although not all that cheap by US standards.  I also check out the sales at the chain stores but still seems expensive to me.

I agree with KF about the 3-in-1 jacket (mine is Eddie Bauer) and a good raincoat.  I don't have a formal winter coat as I wouldn't have much use for it.  Think about what you're lifestyle will be over here.  Maybe you won't need the same kind of things?

We moved with two suitcases and a Medium sized Home Depot box last year.  Until April that was ALL we had. We brought mostly clothes for winter/fall, two pictures of our cats (they came too but aren't with us yet -some of their stuff took up space in the box), deodorant, Aveda shampoo, and a few books, suits for interviews, some sports equipment/clothing. An X-Box also came along, even after I protested a bunch. Along the way I used charity shops and Primark to get some clothes for last summer, and shopped the sales hard if I had a chance.  All of our stuff is still in my parents basement, in boxes, but we sold the bulk of it and frankly i am not sure if we even want to move it at all.

I do miss some of my kitchen stuff, but we've just made do really.  TK Maxx for baking things, Habitat sale for plates, a mug here, a knife there.  We still only own two mugs, and, until last week, only two glasses.  When we moved into our own place we just loaded up at Ikea with exactly the same stuff we had just unloaded in the US, for less than $200.  John Lewis has a pretty good cheap duvet and pillow range for bedding and some good quality towels. Primark has cheaper pillows (not sure how picky you are on that) and home things if you need it.

Also, depending on where you are living, you just may not have space for everything if you bring it over.  I would take what you need now and then see where you are at.

Eventually you will stop comparing prices in UKP and $, but it definitely takes some time!  We also didn't do some serious clothes shopping until we went back to the US for the first time in May after 18 months because the range and prices were so much better.  And I still find it extremely hard to find shoes here - between the prices and my size feet (UK 8 or 8.5)!

If you narrowed everything down to the very basics and your kitchen/bedding stuff, how much space would that take?  And what would the cost be to take it on the plane and just pay for extra luggage?  Is that cheaper than buying again?

I just noticed you said unfurnished apartment.  eBay is fairly big here in the UK - I have a friend who redid her flat with some gorgeous furniture she got second hand on eBay for dirt cheap. Just a thought.

Yes, there just seem to be many more unfurnished flats available, although if we did find one that was partially furnished we would do that in a heart beat! I think we will only take two suitcases each....the visa/health costs for my husband and son are going to be around $5,000...so shipping furniture on top of that seems to be pushing this move out of our price range.

Also, depending on when we leave in September, my son may or may not have to have his own seat. I am still thinking we purchase a seat for him anyway...then he can technically bring two suitcases and a carry on too, right?

Do you have a family member or friend in the US with whom you could leave some items or at least a suitcase of clothing?  The clothing would be available to you on visits and/or perhaps your relative would be able to send you anything you wished you had once you got here.  Every time I go back I have a list of things I wish I had.  I fly back with a nearly empty suitcase and then stuff it with the things I want.  My rule is: if I haven't actually thought of it longingly then it doesn't go.

Also, before you do pack for your move, be sure to try on everything.  I found I brought a couple of pairs of shoes that pinch my toes (does all that flying make your feet expand?  ) although they'd been fine before.

Try not to get too stuck into particular brands of things like cosmetics or foods.  It's nice to have familiar things and you can reload on them on trips back or get someone to send them to you, but eventually you are just going to have to bite the bullet and find local substitutes for some things.

I lived in Edinburgh from 2009 to 2012 and discovered during that time that I really don't like UK clothes anymore. John Lewis has beautiful clothes (and sheets and towels), but they're pricey. I don't like Primark or H&M, and Next is very hit or miss. So I tended to buy my clothes in the U.S. when I was visiting. For the UK, I think good, sturdy shoes and multi-season jackets are key. Layering is the name of the game for the changeable weather.
I would say take as many voltage-adaptable electronics as you can, because good quality electronics (smartphones, laptops, tablets) are very expensive in the UK. If you are partial to US toiletries (as I mostly am - American antiperspirants are particularly superior), then stock up on those, too. Last but not least, wrap up a few precious sentimental things. They are nice reminders of home.


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