3 minute read
One of the biggest questions we get from people who are trying to figure out what to ship in their container, is whether to bring their beds or buy new ones here instead.
Reasons to Ship Your Bed
There is something magical about sleeping in your own bed after a long trip. You know exactly what it feels like – home.
- Comfort – this is the number one reason why people choose to ship their beds when moving to New Zealand from overseas. It’s something that gives them a daily (or nightly) connection to “home”. Your bed is one of the most personal items you can bring with you, and it may be a source of great comfort, which is hard to put a value on.
- Cost – If you’re already shipping a container full of household goods, it may be more cost effective to ship your bed than buy new. Beds in New Zealand are either similar or more expensive than the cost in other countries.
- Temporary assignment – If you know that your time in New Zealand will be limited to an international assignment and you’ll likely be moving on to another country from here, then it may make more sense to ship your beds. Since bed sizes are not standard, if you buy a bed in New Zealand, you’ll likely not want to take it with you when you leave.
Reasons to Leave Your Bed Behind
For most families moving to New Zealand, we recommend purchasing a bed when you arrive.
- Mattress sizes are not standard across the globe, so there is a good chance that you will not be able to find bedding / sheets to fit your mattress. You can always order sheets online from overseas, but you won’t be able to buy directly from local shops.
- Replacement issues – If you need to replace your mattress, there is a good chance you won’t be able to find one that will properly fit your bedframe. In that case, you’ll end up buying a new bedframe anyway, and you could have trouble selling the one you brought from overseas.
- The wait – Most people are moved into long term accommodation before their container arrives, which could be 3 – 4 months. What will your plan be for sleeping during that time?
- Mattresses can be damaged in transit – We know of one family that shipped their much-loved King-sized mattress from the US. It was in a mattress box but placed on its side in the container. During transit, some of the memory foam ‘sank’ to the bottom of the box, causing there to be a weird lump at one end of the mattress that never went away. Insurance covered the loss of the mattress, but not the bedframe (which was fine).
* One further note when buying bedding here in New Zealand – always ask if the sizes are marked in New Zealand or Australian sizes. Many Australian owned shops size for Australian sizing (e.g. Kmart, Adairs) which are different than New Zealand sizing.
International Mattress Cross Reference
While there is no global standard for mattress sizes, we’ve complied a cross reference from the countries that most of our clients are moving from. This is not exhaustive but meant to give you an idea of the size comparisons.
The Takeaway
There’s a lot to consider when deciding what to do with your bed. Did you know these were all things to consider when debating to ship your bed or not?
