Sanity check: Shipping our Household to Israel

amother

Gray

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 6:39 am

We are about to spend about $13,000 shipping the contents of our house to Israel. It's a little hard to be objective about whether this makes sense or not, since a lot of the furniture has sentimental value. (And also we think the kids are attached to their bedroom furniture as well.)

We are moving to a 7 BR cottage, so it's not so much a question of whether it is too much for the space (although of course, less is always better). It is more of a question of whether it would be better to just spend that money in Israel outfitting the house. Given the typical costs of furniture, kitchenware, appliances, would be likely to be able to replace everything for significantly less than shipping? In other words, are we doing something crazy by spending so much money on shipping?

FranticFrummie

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 6:55 am

I'm making that decision right now.

Solid wood furniture is hard to find in Israel, and very expensive. If you have quality things, then it is worth it to bring them.

IMHO, don't bother with appliances. You'll have to spend a lot of money on heavy duty converters, and even then there's a chance that the current conversion won't work.

Bring things that are sentimental. You will be very out of your element and homesick for the first year or so, and seeing familiar things can be extremely comforting, especially for the kids. Even a familiar pattern on your every day dish ware can make someone feel more at home.

My rule is to ask myself "Does this make me happy when I look at it?" If the answer is yes, then it is going with me. If I think "Meh, it's just stuff", then I ask myself what are the odds that I'll actually NEED it some day.

I have a bit of a hoarding problem, so getting ready to move has been very cathartic, panic inducing, and a major reality check.

Hatzlochah!

hila

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 7:41 am

I have not made aliyah in the last 35 years. Things have changed since then Smile

But Israel is no longer a deprived country. Everything is available here. It may or may not be the same quality. But you can get just about anything. And you can order everything else online.

So bring the best quality stuff that you cant do without. Bring some familiar brands of toiletries. Do not bother with an oven or fridge or freezer.
If you are bringing beds - bring 2 sets of sheets for each bed - at least.
If you have spaces bring winter clothes for your kids. Shoes and coats can be expensive.
Bring towels.

You can get all this here - but your wont have to run around shopping for the first few months.

Bring work tools - but not electric ones. (saws, good screwdrivers, etc)

You do not need - old papers, worn clothes, worn linens, old junk,

Bring the photo albums. Leave the fancy tea service. Leave the silver teapots.

Leave the out-sized furniture (double desk, enormous wardrobes etc. They may not fit in your rooms.

Bring some flat packed book cases.

5mom

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 7:54 am

Bring furniture, if it fits, books and toys. If you have American mattresses, you will need American sheets because the mattresses are deeper than the ones they sell here.

Leave behind all small appliances. You can get good ones here, and you will have a warranty.
Whether to bring large appliances depends on how much space you have in your lift. Appliances cost more here, but figure in shipping costs and it's about the same. I brought ovens, fridge, washer and dryer on the lift, bought dishwashers here. I had room for large American appliances. If not, you can get good European ones here, though they tend to be much smaller. Also be aware that European washing machines take much longer to run a cycle than American ones. (Think 2 1/2 hours vs 1 hour.)

Bring sunscreen and your favorite over the counter meds, printer cartridges and US stamps.

But remember, it's a civilized country. You can get just about anything.

We'll look forward to welcoming you!

mandksima

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 7:54 am

I agree that aything quality or sentimental, bring. I enjoyed having an American sized washer/dryer but after it broke (8 years in), I actually enjoy my smaller but better washer now. My dryer still works fine but having a smaller one won't be terrible either. Remember parts are expensive and unavailable sometimes so appliances aren't always worth the headache.

I like antiques and so brought the ones I had. Brought light fixtures I had (only the bulbs need to be bought here.) I liked my big deep comfortable sofas so I brought them. Haven't seen anything like that here. You can buy most things here but for more money. Since I love a bargain and buy everything on sale or clearance, it is hard for me to justify paying retail plus 50-100% more so I brought with me. Ikea has the same products but they cost a bit more. It depends on what quality you want. I actually find that a local carpenter is cheaper than Ikea and custom so you can really use the space well.

I filled empty spaces of cabinets and drawers with anything heavy, especially house building materials as I find them more expensive here. Things like crown molding are hard to find here and I wish I would have brought some. Even good quality paint is found in Home Depot cheaper than here. The paint I have bought here is not as strong. Health food items I buy there. A mop and angled broom that I like I brought - haven't seen them here at all.

Going furniture shopping here is very expensive. I like real wood furniture and antique style and it is hard to find in a standard store. Specialty stores are more expensive. Remember rooms don't usually come with closets so buying wardrobes to fit is an expense that will come up as soon as you come. I brought two mirrored closets that I had bought from Macy's years ago and they are still in great shape, at least 12 years later. Other ones I had to buy here. American sized and quality mattresses were important to me so I brought them.

Sanguine

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 9:13 am

amother wrote:

13,000 is for everything. You'll probably need a lift anyway so you're not talking $13,000 vs $0.

Did you buy the house you're moving into? Do you know the actual sizes of the rooms? 7 BR doesn't say anything. People cut 1 large bedroom into two rooms if that fits their family's needs. American BR furniture is usually all wrong here. Rooms don't have built in closets so most people use one big tall aron (not walk in) which holds the hanging as well as many shelves for clothing/shoes/other junk (drawers too). If you bought the house and you know the room sizes are the same as you have now you can bring your BR furniture. If not, you may not be happy that you paid to bring it here. Rooms are much smaller. I also think most kids don't have 39 inch beds (I bet I'm outdated thinking that 39 inch is big).

LR/DR furniture are probably much better quality so bring it unless it's much too big for here.

Bring all your kitchenware - dishes, pots, knives, measuring cups/spoons...

Bring new 220 large appliances just make sure they'll fit in your house especially if you're renting.

Don't bring school supplies. Even looseleaf paper is only 2 holes here. We kvetch about the cost of school supplies here but you really won't find it expensive and you have to fit into the school style here.

Mommy82

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 10:15 am

Am I missing s/t here? I've bought almost all my furniture here- even a solid wood bunkbed that's really top quality. (in a regular furn. store) I'm sure I paid more than it would cost in the US, but after shipping, I can't imagine u'd come out ahead. As far as kids being attatched to their stuff, y don't u ask them if their bedroom furn. is in that category?

I didn't bring appliances, but I know ppl. who did and later regretted it when they needed a repair and they couldn't get a replacement part (or the part cost a fortune) 2 ppl. I know bought Israeli/European washers after their American ones broke after 2 years and said they couldn't believe that their new machines worked even better here. Also, the age in which Israeli machines take over an hour is gone. You can now get washers that have a quick cycle (mine has 1/2 hour and a friend of mine even has one w/ a 15 min. cycle!)

amother

Slategray

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 10:24 am

We gave a way a lot of stuff or sold things (like our lawn mower tractor, passover kitchenaid) brought our solid wood hand made cherry dining room set, bookshelves, dishes, pots, pans and american appliances - we figure we will use them with a transformer until they die and then buy new.

We bought well made bunk beds for the kids here. We had ikea cabinets/drawers in the bedrooms already - so we bought more that matched and put the flat packs in the lift an put them together when they arrived.

They have Ikea in israel, but it is a bit more expensive.

I also broght the bins with my older kids clothes for my younger kids to wear. We also brought bikes for all the kids.

I am very happy with everything we brought.

Sanguine

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 11:08 am

amother wrote:

The one school supply I would bring is an electric pencil sharpener.

In 220? (curious). I remember once wanting one but it was a problem. Maybe batteries wasn't strong enough or 110 with a transformer wasn't - Don't remember exactly the problem. I bought a pencil sharpener here and it's excellent (not this brand) - recommended to anyone

The pencil is grabbed by the holder. As you turn the handle the flat piece in front moves in putting pressure on the pencil (like you would do with your hand)

amother

Apricot

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 1:18 pm

If you have the plans of your new house, measure everything and see what will realistically fit, and then be prepared that when you get there some of it may not actually work. Like we knew our bedroom set wouldn't fit because it was so large so we didn't take it, but some pieces we thought would fit couldn't for one reason or another (For example, we wanted two pieces in our mamad which is on the main level and serves as a den/office but the doorway is much narrower and lower than a standard doorway and there was no way already built furniture was going to fit. It's now furnished by Ikea Wink

)

But other than that the biggest comfort I had in my first year of aliyah was being surrounded by familiar and comfortable things. I honestly feel like I may have been miserable without it. Whatever happened, my home was my haven and I didn't have to adjust to EVERYTHING new. But everyone does aliyah at their own speed

Sanguine

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 1:50 pm

amother wrote:

But other than that the biggest comfort I had in my first year of aliyah was being surrounded by familiar and comfortable things. I honestly feel like I may have been miserable without it. Whatever happened, my home was my haven and I didn't have to adjust to EVERYTHING new. But everyone does aliyah at their own speed

OT, but this is something that I never realized. When we got married we knew we were making Aliya very soon (came in 3 years) so beds was the only furniture we bought. The first year we lived off some borrowed extra furniture from our parents (a kitchen table, 1 dresser and a desk) and things like beach chairs, folding chairs. The other 2 years we rented a furnished apartment.

That was our plan. Saving our money for Aliya. So we shopped for aliya. We came with a brand new couch, DR table and chairs, "Sforim Shrunk" (Hey, we bought it at Frankel's in Boro Park so my wall unit became a Sforim Shrunk Smile

). We didn't have to start furniture shopping right away when we came cause we had the basics but it had nothing to do with familiar.

Now I realized why I never understood why people wanted to bring the old familiar

shabbatiscoming

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 2:14 pm

amother wrote:

The one school supply I would bring is an electric pencil sharpener.

You really can buy everything in Israel- Osher Ad has may Costco products. But everything is more expensive.

It hurts a little to pay $12 for crayola markers when you can get them for $4 in Target.

Or you can just buy 12 SHEKEL markers instead Smile

A child in school definitely does not have to have crayola. I dont think Ive bought crayola the entire 12 plus years I have lived in Israel.
And an electric pecnil sharpener? Would it be the correct voltage? And I am sure they sell those in this country too.

Sanguine

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 3:16 pm

Quote:

It hurts a little to pay $12 for crayola markers when you can get them for $4 in Target.

You can bring a little of these great priced items but by next year, you'll have to buy here. Same thing with food items, clothes, diapers (?)... everything! Things run out. So it kills you when you know what it costs in target but there's nothing you can do. That's the hardest thing to get used to here - the amount of your salary that goes just to food. Some things you have no choice, and some things you learn to adjust to israeli cheaper brands or doing without.

shabbatiscoming

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 3:19 pm

Sanguine wrote:

Quote:

It hurts a little to pay $12 for crayola markers when you can get them for $4 in Target.

I love that I made aliyah before there was even target in the town where I lived. I never experienced target (or costco for that matter) until years after I made aliyah Smile

Sanguine

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 3:40 pm

shabbatiscoming wrote:

I love that I made aliyah before there was even target in the town where I lived. I never experienced target (or costco for that matter) until years after I made aliyah Smile

The less you're used to, the easier it is to move here. That's why I always laugh at those zip-loc bag threads (on LII, this isn't LII). They're right. They are a great thing. But I left America before they were invented (or at least popular) so I'm not used to having them so I don't miss them - I bought a box here, but they're not so cheap so I'm very stingy about using them so I don't get the full Zip-loc experience.

m in Israel

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 3:44 pm

shabbatiscoming wrote:

Or you can just buy 12 SHEKEL markers instead Smile

I agree with you about the markers. But actually, an electric pencil sharpener was one of the things I bought in the U.S. when we went back for a Chasuna one year after our Aliyah Very Happy

We go through a lot of pencils here, and the plug in electric sharpeners are the only ones that really work well for us. I have a converter box that I keep on the counter in my kitchen anyway with a U.S. power strip plugged in because I had many small kitchen appliances that I brought with us, so it's no big deal to plug in the pencil sharpener there when we use it.

mandksima

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 3:53 pm

It really comes down to how attached you are to your things. If you have been married a while and acquired things over the years, some which you adore and get great pleasure out of looking at and using, you will feel better having those things with you. If you are either married only a short while or never really cared about any of your household goods, then sell and buy here. You will get pennies on the dollar and have to pay more than you are used to here. It still is a lot of money to spend here and what happens if you run out of available cash for that? What is the difference between a small and large lift and what is the price difference of the items here? Appliances and furniture here have a delivery fee plus an installation fee sometimes. The final lift price includes everything but a tip (which could be a lot as well.)

I just remember visiting as a twenty something and most of the apartments I saw were with super simple furniture and never painted anything but white. Once I saw nicer houses here, I too wanted to feel like I had a nice house so I wouldn't miss living in the US. It was more important to me now to have a chandelier rather than a plain hanging bulb from the ceiling. I hate modern furniture so it is hard buying items here that don't cost a ton. I love decorating and fixing up my house so maybe I am not like the OP, you really have to think what kind of place you will be satisfied with in the long run as well as what kind of headache you will have when you arrive in order to buy all of the things you need. That really is one of the biggest reasons to bring a lot - so you can set up right away and don't have to start comparrison shopping which takes a while and be pressed to hurry and make quick decisions. Store owners probably won't do you any favors when they see an Anglo new oleh making a purchase as they assume you are rich. When you have older kids, it is that much harder to have a house unsettled and unarranged without a place for everything.

The best thing we brought on a lift was a huge deep freezer. You can buy smaller ones here but we use ours a lot and I am so happy we have it.