# Moving from USA to Melbourne



## expatforum25 (Sep 14, 2009)

well finally its time to re-locate to Melbourne. Got a great job in melbourne.

But when we (me 'n my spouse) started comparing cost of TV/microwave etc in US vs Melbourne we were blown away. Things are waay to expensive in Melbourne compared to what i am used to.
HDTV in US is 1000 USD will cost 2100 AUD(exact same model)...now with current exchange rate of USD/AUD=1.1 it just does not add up.

I am planning to buy most of the stuff in USA and ship it to Melbourne. Here is my list

TV - 52" HDTV (will buy a used TV so that customs does not charge duties)
Microwave
iRobot
Toaster
basic household stuff
steam mop
steam iron
chordless phone DECT 6.0

*Does any one else has experience shipping stuff from USA, tax/duties that will be levied...what else should I add to my list.*
Furniture ?
Fridge ?

any other big ticket items that are waay too expensive in Melbourne compared to US.

My company is paying for part of the shipping cost.

appreciate any inputs..


----------



## almost gone (May 22, 2010)

expatforum25 said:


> well finally its time to re-locate to Melbourne. Got a great job in melbourne.
> 
> But when we (me 'n my spouse) started comparing cost of TV/microwave etc in US vs Melbourne we were blown away. Things are waay to expensive in Melbourne compared to what i am used to.
> HDTV in US is 1000 USD will cost 2100 AUD(exact same model)...now with current exchange rate of USD/AUD=1.1 it just does not add up.
> ...


Please don't forget that the electrical output in Australia is different from the US and would will have to run all that electrical equipment off a step down transformer. As far as I know the these step down transformer are big and bulky and expensive.
I hope you find a good solution.


----------



## Weebie (Sep 16, 2009)

You can buy m,any of those things for a lot cheaper at second hand markets or classifieds. If that is still a problem then well your coming to the wrong country.


----------



## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Hi

a friend picked a lot of stuff at one go and got unbelievable prices. she picked a 42 inches HDTV for 12k A$. If you calculate the cost of the same product in US plus Shipping plus stabilizer plus tax that you pay for new product (less than a yr old), it comes out much cheaper in Australia.

she mentioned they picked everything at one go, the prices differ for those who buy one something and those who do bulk buying..


----------



## ardie514 (Aug 12, 2009)

Hi there, we are from the U.S. and just moved to Perth in May. My husband's employer paid for a 20 ft container so we stuffed it full. My thoughts, yes things are very expensive here, though we lived in a pretty expensive town in the U.S. and I expected things to be expensive here so I haven't had complete sticker shock. We did not move with too many electrical appliances because of the converter/wattage issues. If you do go that route buy your step up/down converters in the states because those are really pricey here. We brought a few small kitchen appliances, lamps (which you don't need to convert if the wiring can handle the voltage-just needs an Aussie bulb and plug adapter!), computers and stuff which mostly only needs plug adapters not actual wattage converters. You can buy used stuff and find deals here. I put a lot of effort into it, but I think we've done pretty well. We are renting a house so needed to provide our own fridge, washer/dryer, microwave, etc. I found them all used through Gumtree (like Craigslist), Ebay Australia, or local shops. There's a chain of shops (pretty sure it's nationwide) called Cash Converters that's basically a pawn shop but without being sketchy  They have tons of used electronics, appliances, etc. at pretty decent prices. They also have Ikea here which is still more expensive than Ikea in U.S. but not too ridiculous and I know they have Costco on the east coast, not sure where so check out their website for locations. We just bought a TV last week, I finally broke down and couldn't live without one anymore, and I worked hard looking for a good deal. We're not terribly picky about our TV's and stuff like that, but found a 32" HD ready LCD TV at Big W (it's the equivalent of Wal Mart) for $386. That may sound crazy for U.S. prices but my friends here are all very impressed with the deal I found. Another chain that's pretty reasonable for new stuff is called The Good Guys. I think it really won't be worth it to bring big stuff like a TV. I don't know what the wattage is but if you need a massive transformer, plus cost of shipping, I just don't think things are that expensive here. A lot of stores also don't post prices online, commercial websites and online shopping are not the same as in the U.S. so you may well find that same TV for a much better price. I just saw a 50" LG Full HD Plasma on the Good Guys web site for $997. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't think things are all THAT expensive. If your employer will pay for some moving costs than use that, but we also are in a much smaller house than we had in the U.S and feel like we shipped way too much stuff. If you have a good BBQ bring it, I can't for the life of me figure out why we didn't take ours. If you're a reader and like to own books than bring books, those are ridiculously expensive here. I'm told good quality clothing is expensive, but I haven't done too much clothes shopping since I've been here. We stocked up before we moved and had that all shipped. Cars are crazy expensive here, but there's nothing you can do about that. I have no idea what the weather is like in Melbourne, or where in the U.S. you live, but we came from Park City, UT, used to very long, cold, snowy winters and brought way too much cold weather clothing and accessories. While the Aussies keep complaining about how cold the winter has been here in Perth we have found it really pleasant, highs in the 60's, overnight lows in the 30's/40's. After what we're used to that's not cold and we now have closets filled with down coats, fleece jackets, hats, gloves, etc that we will probably never need here. Does that help at all? If you have more questions let me know, but that's my two cents. If we had to pay for any of the shipping costs ourselves we would definitely have brought less stuff. I'd use the money on buying stuff here rather than bringing it with you. You'll be amazed at how much stuff you really can live without. Good luck!!!


----------



## cbsquirrel (Apr 3, 2010)

Also, an American t.v. and DVD player will not work because of regional settings, so you really need to buy them over here. Not sure about the phones, etc.


----------



## ozthedream (Dec 31, 2010)

*great info*

[
thanks for the detailed info - very useful for new expats. 

hope now you are well settled in . 

cheers


----------



## Wombat11 (Jul 23, 2011)

*Electronics*



expatforum25 said:


> well finally its time to re-locate to Melbourne. Got a great job in melbourne.
> 
> But when we (me 'n my spouse) started comparing cost of TV/microwave etc in US vs Melbourne we were blown away. Things are waay to expensive in Melbourne compared to what i am used to.
> HDTV in US is 1000 USD will cost 2100 AUD(exact same model)...now with current exchange rate of USD/AUD=1.1 it just does not add up.
> ...


We're moving from the US back to Australia later this year, and couple of things; yes the price of electronics in Australia is far more than it is in the US, look at where it is, and the manufacturers proximity, there's your answer why. 

OK so voltage we're at 110 here and they are at 240 there, yes 240! That will give you a good shock. So 240 is the voltage at what most of our dryers run at here in the US and they are wired that way specifically. The problem you will have in Australia is the outlets are different and the voltage is different so you're looking at lots of converters, which run about $30 a piece, also keep in mind that some products that require large voltage, dryers etc simply will not run on a converter, or you take the chance of damage to your electronics. 

We're taking with us our 63 inch flat screen, can't get that in Australia for less than 10k also various gaming systems etc. Not bothering with the microwave etc. Truly when you add in higher wages it about evens out, ish.

Furniture is comparitive to what you have here, they produce plenty there, you have your IKEA etc and your big department stores, its very close. We're taking our couches simply because I don't want to furnish an entire house when we get there, and our furniture is perfectly fine.

Also word of caution if your product is less than 6 months old when you import it you will be charged import dues on it. Over that its considered personal property. Lacking a reciept though... who knows. 

On the freight front we're using a company called liberty relocations on the West coast, its 5k for a 20ft container. They come out package everything and load the truck/container, ship it all forms etc. However at the Australian end you're responsible for fumigation, they will fumigate for just about any reason, they are really strict on wood products etc. Anywho that runs about $400 payable by you at that end. When you collect your stuff make sure you are in frequent communication with your entry port as to when they are done with your belongings because they charge through the behind for storage per day. Of course at the other end you're also responsible for transfers. 

Melbourne eh? The Seattle of Australia.... enjoy


----------



## ash1901 (Mar 1, 2012)

Can you help me understand convertors? Where to buy? What kind to buy? etc...

I just want my 2, 55 inch LCD/Plasma to work when i get there.


----------



## enrico (Jun 7, 2009)

Isnt most electronic goods have built-in "converters"?

Almost all that i see have voltage input of 110-240 v. Which means you dont need to buy any converters. Have a check on your stuffs...


----------



## stormgal (Sep 30, 2009)

that's so true, I was thinking the same thing - I went to a major electronics store and saw many of the huge flat screen TV's for like 200 bucks, I couldn't believe it. Electronics are dirt cheap nowadays.

I really do think it would be best to buy the electronics here and have them shipped. 

As for the converter, go to the local Radio Shack - they have all that stuff in there for cheap as well (about ten bucks each). You can also search for the converters on Amazon.com.


----------

