This question shouldn't be in this section, but I couldn't find a way to delete it or move it. So here it goes....
I want to work in Japan for at least one year, maybe more. I am from the United States. I have a lot of (expensive) furniture and other belongings, but I have no place to store it. No family is available and storing it with friends is out of the question.
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So my question to you is: Before moving to Japan to work, what did you do with all your stuff in your home country?
For me, the best option seems like selling everything. But I hate to sell nice leather furniture, electronics, antiques, etc. However, so far, this appears to be the best thing to do... I have thousands of dollars worth of furniture and other stuff.
Putting my stuff in a storage facility will be too costly, although perhaps I can store a little in a small storage space and not be charged much...
Another option that I was considering was buying a house here in the states and putting all my belongings in it, and then I can always move back to the house, after I am done working in Japan. The problem with this idea is that I don't know how long I will be in Japan for. I at least want to go for one year. But, alas, what if I love my time there and want to stay a little longer? I will worry about my house and my belongings...
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But even if you can't do those things, you'll be fine. people who simply come to Japan to work for 5 months, drink their salary away, then return home,
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So what did you do before moving to Japan? And how did it work out for you?
I would just like to point out that if you think storing extra belongings in the U.S. is an expense and a headache, it's nothing compared to what it will be if you drag all your crap over here with you.
Glenski, yes, I meant rent it through an estate management company.
However, I do realise and should have originally pointed out that this is very much dependant on which country you live in, where and of what type the property is, and the local demand for rental housing etc.
Here in the UK the rental agent can take on as much responsibility as you wish. My last rented place we only met the landlord to take the keys, and contacted him when things broke, but for an additional fee the agents will take care of everything. A small but significant enough proportion of landlords over here will never meet their tenants, or indeed manage their portfolio of properties from abroad. There are also many Brits with holiday homes overseas (including the States) that they will themsleves only visit for a week or two a year - the rest of the time they are short lets for profit, to folk the landlords never meet.
Now all this is local to the UK, or even certain parts of it, and reading back through the thread probably a very thorough clear out followed by secure professional storage is the best option.
If I was in the same boat as the OP though I would most definitely buy a property here and rent it out on six-month renewable contracts. The rent I received would pay for the management company, the storage, and a very nice profit too. Plus, I would have most probably made 20 000 + profit on the appreciation of the house/flat over the course of a year.
I would suggest selling it. No matter how hard you try, furniture and electronics really do not store all that well. Especially since you don't know how long you will be gone.
You will have to deal with mold/mildew on items and it is really difficult to clean those off without causing more damage to the items. Electronics will be outdated by the time you return so why keep them?
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Also, along with the storage rent, you will also need insurance to protect you against serious damages, otherwise you could lose everything with no return.
That's what I was thinking. I could buy a house and put my stuff in there. I can fully pay off the house...
The problem is what Glenski points out: Who will be watching my house while I am gone? As I already pointed out, I won't have family to keep an eye on it or anyone else really.
So I am concerned that I might enjoy Japan so much that I decide to stay for a few years.... And then I will think about the safety of my stuff.
I could always rent the house and lock my stuff up in a room or let the tenants use the furniture. But I will be in Japan! That's many thousands of miles away from the USA mainland... Won't it be hard to be a landlord with all that distance between me and the property?
Obviously I am going to be selling some stuff... But it just seems silly to go to Japan with bags of old family photos and other sentimental things, when I don't know how long I will be in the country.
I agree that I need to cut loose if I am going to travel abroad, and I will sell stuff. But the idea of just selling or giving away EVERYTHING makes me feel uneasy.
I wish someone had told me that a good reason to go overseas right after college is that you likely won't have many belongings to get rid of. Now I have so much stuff ... and no one to store it with.
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Sell it all, and don't look back. You'll find a new start waiting for you in Japan, and another one will be waiting for your return. Enjoy the now!
I'm with CC1 here.
I made the mistake of storing my stuff in a paid facility. Yes, MISTAKE. I even have a family member willing to take care of things (you don't) in case of emergency. It was all money wasted. Imagine $45 or $100 per month...PLUS INSURANCE, YES!
In a year, you will have paid 12 times that -- $540 to $1200 (times 2 or more for insurance added) -- and that money could have gone into savings or to buy totally new stuff upon your (eventual and supposed) return.
Now imagine liking Japan so much you stay for a second year. Kiss $1000-2400 (more with insurance) goodbye and for what? Keeping some things tearing at your sentimental strings. Things like a stupid sofa or dresser. If you have nobody to help you out to store stuff at their homes, seriously consider selling what you have or donating to charity.
I put it in a storage unit... depending on what you have, you can find something as low as 45 dollars a month... If it's more than you want to pay, sell it... You may or may not need that couch a year later... and if your into moving to Japan, permanency may not be a big thing with you....
Me, I couldn't part with my vinyl....
For personal stuff like family photos, etc., obviously, keep them. For anything else, have a yard or garage sale and make some money. For the stuff you don't need or want and couldn't sell, hire a dumpster, pull it up to your door and toss the crap in or give it away to charity.
"One man's trash is another man's treasure!"
If you have nobody to help you back home with all of this, your choices are extremely limited. You could ship some smaller items just before you left home, using seamail they'd arrive 4-6 weeks later. Ask your employer first if you can ship to him.
Only a few hundred dollars in kitchenware? Yes, I wrote "only". Goodwill will love you. You will probably spend that much in storage costs in a month or two anyway.
Clothes will go by the wayside. That's fashion, especially for women. This might be the only thing to ship in advance. Pack enough for 2 seasons, then ship the rest. (You're likely not going to have any space to store it in your apartment, though.)
Yes, I had a hard time parting with things, but I have a family willing to take some stuff and store it for me.
If you plan on living abroad, you have to be capable of cutting loose. Of course you keep the pictures, but material things can be replaced.
Rent it out to whom, Armandy? Good, close, reliable friends or family PERHAPS. Even THEY can cause you problems when you are thousands of miles away. You need a building manager or someone similar whom you can trust to take care of repairs, missed rent payments, weather damage, etc.
Storing goods in a house when you are not there is just not good sense to me.
And, if you have the money to buy a house (!!!), you certainly have the money to rent a facility for a few hundred bucks a year.
Rent it out to whom, Armandy?
Where did I say anything about renting something out? I think you have me confused with someone else.
It'll cost far too much to send to Japan, and while you're there (if it's only for a year) you probably won't use it all (much of it will stay in the cardbord boxes all year I should think).
You have two options - sell almost everything you can do without and/or store what is indispensible until you get back.
The perfect way to keep things that are irreplaceable, or that you don't feel like dealing with or making a decision on yet, would be to buy property if you can, and store it all there (maybe rent the house and lock everything up in the garage/an outhouse/the attic?)
The perfect way to keep things that are irreplaceable, or that you don't feel like dealing with or making a decision on yet, would be to buy property if you can, and store it all there (maybe rent the house and lock everything up in the garage/an outhouse/the attic?)
Why is this so "perfect"? You will have to deal with a real estate agent for the property, and there will be nobody around to ensure the safety of your belongings, plus rent is likely to be higher than at any storage facility.
Sorry, Armandy. That was meant for "made of stone".
Why is this so "perfect"? You will have to deal with a real estate agent for the property, and there will be nobody around to ensure the safety of your belongings, plus rent is likely to be higher than at any storage facility.
If you have money to buy a house you can rent it out while you're abroad. Your things should be covered by insurance (lock them away separately).
I rather not put things in a storage facility, as I point out in my original post.
But I am worried about certain things... What about old pictures, books, etc... Some things would be easy to sell, but other things would be harder to get rid of.
Did any of you ship stuff to Japan? Taking extra bags on the plane would be too costly for me. I have so much clothes.
The amount of furniture I have now is very expensive. So it's not a matter of getting rid of a dresser or drawer. The kitchenware alone is probably worth a few hundred dollars...
Did any of you have a hard time parting with belongings before going to Japan?
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Working in Japan, but how to store things back home?