Decluttering Before Moving to the US

[landr 126]

I've been decluttering for months now. I'll probably be bringing: clothes+accessories, important and essential paperwork, my smartphone and laptop. Hoping to send the rest or bin what I don't want to carry. I'll gift some items to family and friends and leave some items to pick up on a return visit.

For those who haven't moved yet:

- What will you bring/send/leave/sell?

- What have you done with your important but not essential paperwork?

For those who've already made the move:

- What did you bring/send/leave/sell?

- What do you wish you'd brought with you and what did you regret bringing with you?

[jptl85 25]

I'm trying to sell my car. I have binned a load of stuff I don't use including clothes already. Gifted DVDs and PS3 to a mate. Only set of DVDs I am taking are my only fools and horses collection!!

All the important paperwork will be coming with me.

I've been making regular trips to the dump and will be doing the same this weekend!!

My fiance was over recently and took a load of stuff over (clothes) already which helps!

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

I'm going to scrap my car in a few weeks - it's a 14 year old Clio that I've just about kept going and I won't miss it's French crapiness. I would give it to someone but I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy!

Similar to Jptl85 for me really, clothes. tablet. laptop, paperwork etc are coming with me most of the rest will be gifted or binned. I want to take my Smiths vinyls though and a few favourite DVD's (going to get a multi region player). Going to put some Blu rays on Ebay this weekend.

Some stuff is going to have to wait at my parents house until my wife and I next visit.

[Sirdaniel42 86]

I took clothing and personal stuff, and all my important papers.

I was able to sell my house as is with everything in it so that was a big help, everything else went to the dump, Salvation Army, friends or was sold.

I stayed with friends the last few days in the Netherlands with no other possessions then what I was taking to the US.

[rhirhi 35]

I was living with parents before I moved over so thankfully I didn't have a house full of stuff to bring over! I brought everything over on the plane in a number of suitcases. After we got engaged last May I brought bits and pieces with me every time I visited, or when he visited he took things back with him so that made it easier.

All I really brought with me was clothes, CDs, paperwork, books and I stocked up on my prescription medications before I came here as it was free in Wales. I also stashed a few foody items (Nando's sauce, British chocolate etc) that I absolutely HAD to have

I gave away a lot of clothes to charity. I left behind a lot of my folders and documents and things from my teacher training which I would have loved to have brought with me but they were so big and heavy. Thinking about it they wouldn't really have come in handy but they represent a lot of hard work so it would have been nice to have them!

The only annoying part about the whole thing was selling my car. My old car fell apart the day before I was meant to fly out here for a visit last May, so I went straight out and bought a brand new one on finance. Once I arrived here we got engaged, so fast forward a year and there I was, stuck with a year-old car with over £6000 worth of finance left on it. Nobody was interested in it privately so I ended up selling it to a garage for £5600, meaning I had to pay £550 to settle the finance. I was NOT a happy bunny!

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

My fiancé brought 23 boxes of cr@p. I told home to bring whatever would make him happy. They are still not all unloaded, but he's happy because If anybody needs any obscure part for a computer, or a cable, or any version of DOS or Windows, he can produce it. Hahaha.

He rented a furnished bungalow from his Mum after his divorce, so most of the furnishings stayed with the house.

Sold- 2 cars, big screen TV.

Gave to friends, boss, Mum, sister-

big desk, Tassimo coffee machine, new toaster, printer/copier/scanner/fax, some tools, various things that plug in.

Brought--

All his music CDs, vinyl, and favorite books

3 laptops

The insides of his desktop PC which he re-built in a US case with power supply by sundown on POE day.

Quite a few tools

A family heirloom antique wall clock

Some old coins that were his Dad's

Some childhood memorabilia that had meaning to him.

Clothes

A little paperwork

A few mobile phones.

All those computer geek things

1600 teabags

I can't think of anything he has wished he had brought, but didn't.

Suggestion: Don't give away your life. So what if it costs money? You'll earn it back. Maybe that's why he transitioned so well, because he had his familiar junk with him.

Now five years later, our household has about 10 desktops, 6 laptops, iPads, various players...I think there was breeding going on in those boxes.

[Novembro 1,763]

My husband brought more Warhammer models than he did clothes.

HMMMMMM.

Oh and Yorkshire tea. We have enough to last us through the apocalypse.

[LDN2DEN 3]

I have so far packed three 30kg boxes for air freight and four 23kg suitcases so far. They contain enough Next clothes for my daughter for the next three years (summer and winter), three dinner sets, mugs, wine glasses, champagne glasses, cutlery, tea bags, curry spices, cream crackers, CHOCOLATE and those kids organic crisp things! Still need to empty my wardrobe

[Sheri&Rich 25]

I feel the odd one out here, I am taking a 40 foot container.

[Mbrennan 15]

I'm lucky in that I live with my parents so all I have to sell is my car. I can get a reasonable deal on it but as I'm not an autostrade expert, it'll be getting sold to we buy any car or a similar place. I'm aware I'll take a hit on it financially, but I'm leaving in 12 days

I've paid for an extra bag to take my golf clubs over (& I can stuff extras in there...I've done it several times so I'm good at it) aside from that all I have is clothes and a tablet and paperwork to fit into suitcases. Should be manageable...although I'm aware I may need a third suitcase.

A question though I have a tennis bag (6 racket bag) that I was hoping to hand carry with me (I'm flying Aer Lingus) I have seen several people fly with these type of tour bags through Heathrow with BA in the past, will Aer Lingus allow this as hand luggage?

Oh yeah, and as I fly a week on Monday, my mum asked when I planned on packing 'next Saturday and Sunday' was my response, despite having a family picnic and football player of the year night on the Saturday...

Might have to rethink that

[k.dlg 300]

Hubby has been leaving his clothes here bit by bit so he has practically nothing in his closet right now. He's leaving behind all the big stuff and giving them away - TV, bed, computer desk, filing cabinets, entertainment center, etc. Only stuff he's bringing over is his computer (which he plans to flat pack instead of bringing over the case too), DVDs and blu-rays (those which he hasn't given away), books, remaining clothes, and all important documentation. That's about it.

[Clair.S 5]

We are a military family so we are in the fortunate position that the military ship our stuff.

- What will you bring/send/leave/sell?

Currently trying to get rid of my UK car, unfortunately I had a 3 year lease, so I'm going to have to pay 1200 pounds to get out of it. We will also leave behind our U.K electronics. I'm currently going through my paperwork as we speak! My husband is travelling with our dogs, so I'm trying to put a file of information together in case of any emergency involving them: micro-chip numbers, proof of vaccinations, photocopy of health travel certificate, insurance, proof of ownership etc. As for what I'm carrying in my hand luggage: husbands orders, bank information thats relevant, previous employment records, university/school transcrips, professional registrations, visa information. I'm also planning on photographing my makeup and jewellery and making an inventory as its going on the plane/ hand luggage, the value certainly adds up. I recently inventoried ad photographed our dvd/game collection as when you add it all up its worth a couple thousand dollars.

I also plan on scanning my important documents and probably the semi important ones too!

[Mbrennan 15]

When you say important documents, (aside from visa related stuff) what exactly does everyone mean?

Uni degrees, bank details, medical records etc?

[Beestonia 4]

I'll be taking a Army Burgen full of clothes and a few bits and bats of paperwork, travelling light especially compared to the person taking a 40ft container.

[landr 126]

When you say important documents, (aside from visa related stuff) what exactly does everyone mean?

Uni degrees, bank details, medical records etc?

For me, this includes (but is not limited to):

- Medical information: GP, optician's and dental

- GCSE and A Level results (yes, I still have the dot matrix printouts from years ago!), university transcripts and degree certificates

- Bank account information

- Tax and previous employment information

- Mortgage and house information

- Professional membership information

- 1 copy of last utility and council tax bills