Thirtysix years of "stuff", really adds up. Especially when you need to get rid of almost everything you own. At first I thought about shipping most of our household goods, especailly since there would be no tarriff or tax upon arival in the Philippines. But a 20-foot container would only hold our living room set, grandfather clock and a few boxes. The cheapest shipper wanted $6,800. I can buy some pretty nice furniture in Manila for that kind of money.
After sorting out what we going to ship in Balikbayan Boxes and what we are going to sell on "Craigslist", the boxing began. But first, "Craigslist".
Craigslist is actually pretty awesome, I started getting emails within 30 minutes of placing our spare bedroom set online. We also sold a crytstal chandelier, all of our Christmas stuff, all in all about $850 in one day. Elly also sold her grandfather clock, a 55" TV, an Entertainment Center, a dining room set, etc, etc, etc. We figured out that with her car and my truck sold, we will be making out pretty good.
We also signed a two-year lease for our home in Texas. A great couple, Jason and Terra Wood and their little girl Cammeron. I feel very confident they will take great cdare of our home.
Now the Balikbayan boxes. A balikbayan box (literally, "Repatriate box") is an ubiquitous, corrugated box containing any number of small items sent by an overseas Filipino known as a "balikbayan". Though often shipped by freight forwarders specializing in balikbayan boxes by sea.
A 5.5 cubic foot box costs us $105, and takes about 45 days to arive door-to-door at our home in Dinalupihan, Bataan. Elly had three boxes packed and ready to go before I knew what was in them!. I want to packup my handtools and some building supplies like electrical wire, which may come in handy as I re-wire our house. I hesitate to bring my power tools, since the voltage in the Philippines is 220 VAC. Yes I could use a step-down transformer, but I can re-purchase those items in Manila with the money I earn from selling them here. I gave up trying to crate my 76" longhorns, put them on craigslist. (sigh).
Craigslist is actually pretty awesome, I started getting emails within 30 minutes of placing our spare bedroom set online. We also sold a crytstal chandelier, all of our Christmas stuff, all in all about $850 in one day. Elly also sold her grandfather clock, a 55" TV, an Entertainment Center, a dining room set, etc, etc, etc. We figured out that with her car and my truck sold, we will be making out pretty good.
We also signed a two-year lease for our home in Texas. A great couple, Jason and Terra Wood and their little girl Cammeron. I feel very confident they will take great cdare of our home.
Now the Balikbayan boxes. A balikbayan box (literally, "Repatriate box") is an ubiquitous, corrugated box containing any number of small items sent by an overseas Filipino known as a "balikbayan". Though often shipped by freight forwarders specializing in balikbayan boxes by sea.
A 5.5 cubic foot box costs us $105, and takes about 45 days to arive door-to-door at our home in Dinalupihan, Bataan. Elly had three boxes packed and ready to go before I knew what was in them!. I want to packup my handtools and some building supplies like electrical wire, which may come in handy as I re-wire our house. I hesitate to bring my power tools, since the voltage in the Philippines is 220 VAC. Yes I could use a step-down transformer, but I can re-purchase those items in Manila with the money I earn from selling them here. I gave up trying to crate my 76" longhorns, put them on craigslist. (sigh).
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