I made a quick list of what we were doing with the stuff that isn't moving with us in this post over here. Now for all the stuff that is going with us!
Category B: Things That Move With Us
Another 4 piles to sort the rest of the stuff into.
1. Household Goods (HHG)
This is the large shipment sent by ship that might take a few months to arrive. It is the bulk of our belongings. In addition to furniture, this shipment contains things that we don't necessarily need but would really like to have because they make a house a home.
- furniture
- appliances
- lamps
- bikes/motorcycles (depending on the time of year, bicycles can be a great item to send in your Unaccompanied Baggage)
- clothes: out of season
- linens
- kitchen wares
- Christmas/holiday decorations (unless you plan to run them off of a transformer, leave your lights in storage)
- large rugs
- photos/artwork
- gardening tools
- garage "stuff": tools, workbench
- books
- board games/kid toys/craft supplies
- DVDs/CDs
2: Unaccompanied Baggage
This much smaller shipment is sent by plane and will ideally show within a few weeks of our arrival.
This is going to be a "starter kit" to help you move into your house and prep for your HHG to arrive. I'll pack as much varied stuff as I can into this shipment. There are some items of furniture that will be available on loan until our large shipment arrives: Beds for everyone, table and chairs to eat at. We can also request a loaner kitchen kit. Lighter weight items in this shipment means we can send more things.
- folding table and chairs
- basic kitchen set (I take the one I have set aside for camping, plus a large pot and real knives)
- bathmats/shower curtains
- bikes if the weather will be suitable for them
- a few small lamps
- vacuum cleaner if it is dual voltage.
- simple storage: large plastic containers and drawers drawers are great to help keep organized.
- small area rugs
- inflatable mattress
- professional gear that won't be needed right away
- simple curtains
- old desktop computer/speakers
- dog beds
- laundry hamper/baskets
3: Suitcases and Carry-ons, for the plane:
If I have room in my luggage, may reallocate some things from Unaccompanied Baggage, but schlepping 2 carry-ons and 4 large pieces of luggage through an airport isn't my idea of ideal. I'd prefer to travel light even if it means mailing stuff ahead (see point #4)
- clothes and shoes
- medicines
- paperwork/important files
- passports
- pets. Don't forget to make arrangements for pets!
- small electronics: ipads, phones (unlocked), laptops, ipods and headphones
- jewelry
4: USPS
I will take advantage of our new APO address to send ahead a few care packages that will be waiting for us upon arrival. It's nice to think that Unaccompanied Baggage will arrive before HHG or possibly even before us, but this isn't always the case so I'm not counting on it.
- On our last move I packed sheets and blankets in Unaccompanied Baggage. We will get loaner beds while we are waiting for ours to arrive, but they don't come with bedding. The problem is that you can get your UB delivered when you have have found a place to live, but it might not have arrived yet. Or you may have to wait your turn for delivery. I learned this the hard way on our last overseas move. I had to run out and buy sheets. Even though I found the cheapest ones I could, its no fun spending money when the move is already costing a fortune. This time I am mailing sheets, towels and some light blankets on ahead. I will save the receipt and get reimbursed.
- It also happens that the kids get out of school after the shipments will have been sent. There will inevitably be school related stuff that I don't want to carry around for weeks. There will also be a child's birthday between the pickup and the move. Any presents that don't fit into luggage can be mailed.
- We also plan to back up our desktop computer and mail it. We could take it as excess baggage on the plane. That is another option.
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