Furniture and very heavy books

Hi,

I'm planning on moving to England in a year or so for a master's program if all goes as planned but I have a bad habit of buying things for my apartment and not knowing what I will and will not be able to take is making me anxious.

There are some things like ikea bookcases in my laundry room that I don't mind leaving behind, or West Elm pieces, but some custom pieces I want to take like a desk chair, armchair, coffee table, dresser, lamp, and 18th century side table. 

Then there are my books, I have no idea how many  I have but I'm not talking about paperback novels, these are hardcover art, design, and fashion book.  Coffee table size books, some are enormous.  Some I actually bought in England, which was so stupid of me because it was so expensive to ship them back.  I didn't know about Waterstones website then.  They were expensive just to ship from Michigan to Baltimore when I moved and still don't have all my books moved yet.

I was wondering since I'm starting to plan in advance and time is on my side if there is any way to hire a crate on a boat that will ship my items together at a flat rate, or something similar?  As far as the books go I wouldn't mind if they arrived 3 months after arrived as long as they came.

I also was wondering about a crate because I don't know if I would have room in my new place to paint but I also have an easel and all the supplies that go with that.

I also have a couple paintings that I'm not sure how to move.

Anyway, I feel like I'm on pause and I can't buy anything for the next year, but if I found out there was something out there like a crate option, rather than individual boxes I would feel a little more relieved. 

Thank you to anyone who can help me.

Honestly, if you're only going to be in the UK for a masters programme, I wouldn't bother bringing any of it.

Chances are there won't be any room for it where you are living. If you are in student accommodation, it'll be fully furnished anyway and you'll probably just have a small bedroom in a shared flat or house, with barely enough room for a single bed, wardrobe and maybe a desk. I doubt you would have any space for more than a few small keepsakes.

Plus, shipping a crate is going to cost you hundreds, if not into the thousands of dollars, and if you're not making a permanent move, it'll cost you about the same to ship it all back again when your programme is finished.

Seems like a waste of money to ship it to me... I would have thought you'd be better off either putting it into storage in the US, or seeing if a friend or relative can look after it for you until you get home.

I've moved around A LOT in my life - to the US twice on student visas, plus I've worked overseas in 3 different countries, for several months at a time. Each time, I've moved with no more than 2 suitcases and a backpack, even when I was moving to the US on a 4-year visa.

Hi,

I probably should have been clearer.  I'm moving for a master's program but I plan on staying there either to work or continue with more school, since I'm studying 17th century English portraiture and costume.  I'm in my mid 20s so I'm a little older so I will be getting my own apartment, but I do expect it to be smaller than what I have now.  I've done my time in student housing.

Ah, okay - I'd still say it might be risky to move everything now... because there's no guarantee you will be able to get visas to stay after the first program.

I'm not sure it would be worth spending a load of time and money moving everything, only to find you can't stay and have to move it all back again a few months later. Might be better to wait until you're more settled and ship them then.


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I agree, store it in the US until you know what the future holds.  Permanent immigration to the UK is virtually impossible through a student route.  Very very very few students are able to remain on a work visa.  I'd truly wait to cross that bridge until you know you will be moving indefinitely.

Of course if you have a couple of thousand of £/$ to move the items each way, go for it.  In that case, I'd look into UPAKWESHIP.

The responses so far have been spot on.  Unless you are independently wealthy, you won't have room for anything once you get here.   University lecturers that I know commonly live in a "bedsit", named after the fact that there's no other place to sit than the bed. 

Leave it all with friends or relatives if you can.  If not, sell everything that won't fit in a backpack.  That's the price we pay for living where all the 17th century costumes are.

When my grandmother died, I was already living in Europe and couldn't come home for the funeral.  The rest of the family decided that all my cousins should get the beautiful wooden bookshelves, and I should get the hundreds and hundreds of old medical books.  Just what a person who lives across the ocean needs..3 tons of books!
I had no choice but to leave them where they sat, God only knows what happened to them.  And all the other important things from my childhood I left there.   That's the price we pay.

When my grandmother died, I was already living in Europe and couldn't come home for the funeral.  The rest of the family decided that all my cousins should get the beautiful wooden bookshelves, and I should get the hundreds and hundreds of old medical books.  Just what a person who lives across the ocean needs..3 tons of books!
I had no choice but to leave them where they sat, God only knows what happened to them.  And all the other important things from my childhood I left there.   That's the price we pay.

The one item my parents have that I want, is the grandfather clock.  Which conveniently was MY grandfather's clock!

I shudder what it will cost to have it shipped here.  But I will do it!  Well, if I can afford it.

I kind of want my grandfather's foo dogs too (outside protecting the front door).  But I can probably pick up my own ones for a reasonable price around here. 

What the heck is a foo dog?  Please don't tell me it's a "faux" dog.

What the heck is a foo dog?  Please don't tell me it's a "faux" dog.

Chinese guard dogs (garden statues).  They remind me of my grandfather, who was just an incredible man. 

https://www.google.com/search?q=chinese+foo+dogs&safe=active&rls=com.microsoft:en-GB&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiihO7f2-zSAhUI6GMKHVRgCVcQ_AUICSgC&biw=1324&bih=643#spf=1

Learn something new every day!

What was it about your grandfather that was so incredible?

Mine was a pharmacist in the state prison.  I've never figured out if he truly cared about the dregs of society or he couldn't get another job. 

What was it about your grandfather that was so incredible?

Oh man, where to start.

He was a Colonel in the Marines and flew bomber planes off of aircraft carriers.  One of his aircraft carriers was sunk in Guadalcanal and he survived by clinging onto a barrel of gun powder for 48 hours until he was rescued.  He did something with his retirement which meant he retired at his current rank instead of two higher or else he would have retired as a General - but he didn't have an ego and didn't care.

He was a 3rd degree mason with the Shriners, held two purple hearts, and numerous awards.

But first and foremost he was a family man and a man of God.  I cannot even tell you how many people at his funeral were shocked to learn that he was in the military - let alone the senior ranking officer in the Southeast of the USA at the time of his death.  He was kind and gentle.  He made me look like I don't even like cats (my love of cats is definitely directly from him - my dad has the cat bug too).  For his 80th birthday he decided to buy his final car and go out with a bang - so he bought a brand new fully loaded Mustang... which he finished off with his disabled badge.      For my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary we had a family reunion and he wept, as he just was overwhelmed that his entire family was together.  He truly was just the kindest man.

When he talked about marrying my grandmother, it was during the war.  She had been waiting in California for him to get back into port and he was delayed by months.  When he arrived back, they refused to wait the required waiting period in California so immediately got on a train to Arizona.  They got off at a train station, used the phone book to find a Presbyterian minister.  Called him in the middle of the night.  He came to the train station and collected them and brought them back to his house.  His wife was their witness in her bathrobe and rollers in her hair.  The minister dropped them back to the train station to return to California.  My grandfather said the train attendant took one look at them and said, "I'll just make up one bunk."     40 weeks later my aunt was born.  Stories like that are just gold!

And I'm off in the weeds again - sorry OP! 

Well worth it, what a great story.

I'm always struck by how the toughest military guys are always the nicest, most mellow people. 

Well worth it, what a great story.

I'm always struck by how the toughest military guys are always the nicest, most mellow people.

 I agree, combat vets are the most grounded people I've ever met/known. They've had the opportunity to re-evaluate their priorities in a way/via circumstances that the average civilian typically never has.

KFdancer, those stories reminded me so much of MY grandfather!  He left me all of his family history memorabilia (which he inherited from his grandfather).  Goodness, I miss him so much.

To OP, I would definitely suggest that you see if you can turn a Master's program into something permanent before bringing all of your books and furniture over here.  IKEA stuff can be easily replaced here.  I moved twice with whatever could be packed in two checked and two carry-ons.  I bring a bit more over every time I go back home.  Many of my books here are ex-library editions which I can 'return' when we move back.  I still have loads at my parents', nevermind the family furniture that still resides with them.  If you can find a permanent solution then perhaps it will be worth it in the future, but it's an awful lot of money to spend for only a year.