What to do with possessions in storage container back home whilst living in Thailand?

[ghworker2010]

I write to ask if anyone has been in the same situation as me- in the past or present.

Over a year and a half ago I put all my stuff in a storage container (costing $200 / thb6000 per month which includes insurance cost) back home in the mother country, paid my taxes, bills; and I'm now using LOS as my base camp. I love living here and have no intention of moving back to oz.

My situation is that I more or less spend 6 months in LOS and then travel around the globe for 6 months. When I'm living in thailand I'm paying thb12,000 pcm on a room 1min from the beach and before going on a trip I vacate the room and leave a bag in storage thus not having a rent liability whilst Im away. In this situation its costing me around thb72,000 for the storage container in oz and thb72,000 for the room whilst living in LOS (total cost thb 144,000 per yr)

Alternatively, if I were to go back home and sell a lot of the stuff (probably cut loses and give it away) and perhaps ship the rest of it over here to thailand I would probably have to take on a permanent condo rental which may cost thb16,000 per month (thb192,000 per yr) and if I were to go travelling just leave it all in the condo unattended.

Obviously its cheaper for me to stay with the current situation whilst Im still living this random free existence with minimal responsibility. Despite knowing this I feel I want to cut ties with oz....My intuition tells me to do nothing until I perhaps settle down and start a family which is what I want to do but these things take time.

I appreciate your opinion or thoughts on this matter. Also, have you ever shipped your belongings from oz to LOS. No doubt it is a rip off- like most things in oz???

thanks in advance if you can share your experiences and / or knowledge on this matter....

[BookMan]

What is the replacement value of your goods in storage in OZ?

If less than the cost of few years storage ditch the stuff

[harrry]

By the time you want to use them they will be worthless. Recoverer the hotos and the letters then get rid of the rest...by sale or jsut give it away. Cheaper in the long run.

[Gsxrnz]

Buy a s/h shipping container rather than renting. They go for NZD1,000-1300 in New Zealand, should be similar in Aussie. Maybe you have a friend that will let you park the container at their place - or maybe a friend has a warehouse or business that you could park it in. Or find a storage/warehouse/transport company that has a large area of vacant land and store it there - probably charge $50 a month.

Or - do what I did and let your kids pilfer it for a couple of years to the point you have nothing left.

Edited September 15, 2013 by Gsxrnz

[theblether]

It's genuinely not worth the aggravation, ask a family member to store anything of sentimental value and sell the rest. You are only compounding your losses.

Stick the funds into a reserve bank account and stick $100 a month into that account in case you ever need to start again in your home country.

[ukrules]

I did something similar when I moved out of my place in the UK.

I wasn't sure how long I would stay in Thailand for so I rented a storage unit and put everything in there.

After a couple of years I decided to get rid of it all apart from a few boxes, an almost new TV, pool table and computer which are stored in relatives houses.

I told my brother to sell / dump whatever he could and got him to handle it. I motivated him to do this by telling him he could keep any proceeds he makes.

My storage unit cost about 13,000 Baht per month so I'm making a reasonable saving, after two years it's no longer worth it and if I do return to the UK at some point in the future I'll just buy a bunch of new stuff.

[NCC1701A]

you don't really need any of your stuff... get rid of it.

[Tim207]

I would get rid of anything that has no sentimental value then move the rest to Thailand. You could always rent a cheap room and use it as a storage locker.

[mogandave]

Get shed of it.

You're paying $2,400 a year to store what?

[scotinsiam]

get it on ebay and have a friend post it to the buyers, or send it to a local auction house - again ask a mate.

[Phronesis]

It's genuinely not worth the aggravation, ask a family member to store anything of sentimental value and sell the rest. You are only compounding your losses.

Stick the funds into a reserve bank account and stick $100 a month into that account in case you ever need to start again in your home country.

Wow...$100 a month = $1200 a year.

Blether, that isn't even enough to get a taxi from the airport in Sydney. A bottle of drinking water at the airport is 6 bucks...180THB.

To get a foothold back in Oz you will need considerably more (think six figures). Even the rent on a tiny sh_t box house or apartment in the middle of nowhere will cost you $350 a week minimum. Then you have to pay two weeks rent up front and four weeks security bond. Plus a bond to get the electricity in your name.

[ghworker2010]

I appreciate the replies / opinions. The value of the stuff in the container is around $25k- some of it quality stuff which I could try to sell I suppose.

[patongphil]

I did something similar when I moved out of my place in the UK.

I wasn't sure how long I would stay in Thailand for so I rented a storage unit and put everything in there.

After a couple of years I decided to get rid of it all apart from a few boxes, an almost new TV, pool table and computer which are stored in relatives houses.

I told my brother to sell / dump whatever he could and got him to handle it. I motivated him to do this by telling him he could keep any proceeds he makes.

My storage unit cost about 13,000 Baht per month so I'm making a reasonable saving, after two years it's no longer worth it and if I do return to the UK at some point in the future I'll just buy a bunch of new stuff.

Very similar to what I did. After paying storage for some 5 years I eventually phoned my nephew up and told him he could have the lot, sell or bin up to him. He made a few thousand dollars and I have saved much more.

Sometimes you have to make the call that you really will not be going back.

[Spoonman]

First 2 year's out here I had my car and a houseful of furniture in storage costing me $400.00 a month.

Sent the keys to a mate and told him to clean it out.... I want coin for the car but the rest I don't care about.

[whiteman]

Took me 7 years to close the lock up down $15000 N.Z in total gone to the big whole in the ground. Along the way my son and his girl raided it and took stuff they wanted then sold even that on. In the end I just walk away from it and told me son take what you want and then left the rest to the guys that worked out at the lock up. I never looked back . Been here 10 years now and expect to die here. I am happy with my lot. As one gets older you do not need much to make you Happy.

[ghworker2010]

Took me 7 years to close the lock up down $15000 N.Z in total gone to the big whole in the ground. Along the way my son and his girl raided it and took stuff they wanted then sold even that on. In the end I just walk away from it and told me son take what you want and then left the rest to the guys that worked out at the lock up. I never looked back . Been here 10 years now and expect to die here. I am happy with my lot. As one gets older you do not need much to make you Happy.

15k down is depressing. I will soon be approaching $4k in storage fee's. In the next trip back home I will have to empty that container and ship the sentimental stuff here. Its crazy to leave it all in storage and pay huge fee's

[elektrified]

Tell me about it. I've had my stuff in storage for 10 years @ US $2,400.00 per year. But my 'stuff' is valuable art, antiques, and electronics. I did try and sell some of it in 2008 when I was there last but the economy was so bad at the time it was impossible. I plan on sending it to Thailand in a 20' sea container within the next 6 months. I also want to save the sentimental stuff for my kid. Some things I will sell here.

[BookMan]

Tell me about it. I've had my stuff in storage for 10 years @ US $2,400.00 per year. But my 'stuff' is valuable art, antiques, and electronics. I did try and sell some of it in 2008 when I was there last but the economy was so bad at the time it was impossible. I plan on sending it to Thailand in a 20' sea container within the next 6 months. I also want to save the sentimental stuff for my kid. Some things I will sell here.

10 year old electronics? Top of the range VHS player?

[elektrified]

Tell me about it. I've had my stuff in storage for 10 years @ US $2,400.00 per year. But my 'stuff' is valuable art, antiques, and electronics. I did try and sell some of it in 2008 when I was there last but the economy was so bad at the time it was impossible. I plan on sending it to Thailand in a 20' sea container within the next 6 months. I also want to save the sentimental stuff for my kid. Some things I will sell here.

10 year old electronics? Top of the range VHS player?

50-70 year old electronics; consumer and pro audio. Highly collectable and very valuable.