Household Goods • Appliances & Computers
Household Goods
Depending on the circumstances of your move, you may want to leave many of your belongings behind. Intercontinental moves of household goods can be very expensive. For instance, Infinity Moving of Bronx, N.Y., estimates a cost of $1,600 to send 150 cubic feet of your prepacked goods from San Francisco to a dock in Paris; that's $10 per cubic foot, with a 150-cubic foot minimum plus $100 for customs documentation.
Larger shipments are less expensive by the cubic foot; a shipment of 420 cubic feet would go for $6 per cubic foot, or $2,520 plus $100 for documentation. If you want the shipment delivered to your residence, the price increases to $9 per cubic foot. These prices are not prohibitive for large quantities of furnishings, but unless you have an employer who is paying for the move, it is better to sell much of what you have before leaving the United States.
Be warned, however, this will not be easy. One of the most miserable days of my life was the day we held a garage sale before moving to France. I watched books and pictures and pieces of furniture that were like old friends go out the door, knowing I'd never see them again. But, unless the objects are quite valuable or irreplaceable, it just does not make economic sense to cart them to France.
Besides, compensation for your sacrifice awaits you when you arrive at your new home. For many people, one of the great delights of their initial years in France is traveling about looking for antiques and brocante, the French term for used household goods. You can find great deals on grand old armoires, buffets, beds, and tables, and searching for them is a wonderful way to explore the countryside, as well as get a glimpse into French life and customs.
Linens are one category of furnishings that should be considered for the move, however. Although U.S. mattresses are measured in inches and French ones in centimeters, American sheets will fit either. A standard double bed in France is 140 centimeters wide and 190 centimeters long—that's 56 inches by 76 inches—very close to the 54-inch by 76-inch U.S. double mattress. The same goes for other standard bed sizes: single, queen, and king.
The bed itself, along with box spring and mattress, is a debatable item because of the expense of transporting its bulk and weight. These items are certainly available in France, as is a spring system not seen in the U.S. called lattes. Lattes are pieces of wood about, 25-inch thick and two or three inches wide that span the width of a single bed or half of a double bed. In their simplest form, they bow slightly upward and are set in a steel frame. A foam or latex mattress sits on top, and the bow in the lattes provides the spring beneath the mattress. In more complex and expensive forms, each end of the latte is set on a rubber mount to give it exceptional flexibility. Even the simple ones are quite comfortable. The density of the foam mattress also determines the comfort. At least 15 centimeters of thick foam of a minimum density of 28 kilograms per cubic meter should be used in such mattresses, and 18 centimeters of 35-kg density foam is certainly preferable. Pillows in France are sometimes square, rather than rectangular, but the familiar rectangular ones are widely available to fit American pillowcases.
Finally, if you were considering bringing your gun, think twice. France's gun laws are much stricter than those in the United States. For starters, you will need to obtain a permit from la douane (customs) to import arms and ammunition. Automatic weapons are banned entirely.
