Relocating abroad can be pretty stressful. We worry about too much simultaneously and always feel we might forget something. The good news is that solutions exist, and they lie in some essential moving tips. With the right ones, you’ll never worry about relocation or how to stay organized for it.
We may not be able to help you make friends abroad or advise you on your reasons for relocating, but we can suggest some quick and easy solutions you may have overlooked. If there are two things you should take away from this, it should be the importance of checklists and international relocation services done by professionals.
These Moving Tips and Tricks Will Help You With More Than Just Packing Boxes
Some of the best tips for moving abroad are similar to those you’d use when relocating across the country; it doesn’t matter if you want to live in another country or just change your lifestyle a bit, following some relocation essentials will be integral. You won’t need a lot in that case, and micromanagement will be out of the equation.
A successful relocation lies in how willing you are to plan, schedule, and be flexible. There’s no promise that everything you planned will go smoothly, and being ready for a potential disaster might be what ends up saving you.
It would be too smug to believe you don’t need storage facilities for your stuff in times of emergency or that you can just leave your car unattended without even considering auto transport service. These are the factors you must count on to complete your backup plan.
How Can I Make Moving Easier? The Only Thing You’ll Need Is a Checklist
Moving internationally depends on a lot, but the best start to planning how to move efficiently depends on just one factor – whether or not you have a relocation checklist. This will give you straightforward tasks and answers to their who, what, when, where, why, and how questions.
As soon as you’ve found the best place to live abroad with your family (or alone,) it will be the perfect time to start making a to-do list. It should include:
- Things to do 2-3 months before the move,
- Each week before relocating planned out,
- Tasks for relocation day,
- Advice from movers that will be in your home that day,
- Things to do when you arrive at the new place,
- Deadlines for each task, both before and after relocation,
- Potential reasons for doing a task, and assignments to specific people, in case of relocating with family or friends.
Before Making Any Moves, Determine a Timeline and Create a Relocation Plan
As mentioned, creating a checklist should start as soon as you learn you’ll be relocating. If you don’t have time to learn a new language, that’s OK – there are more important things to take care of before breaking the language barrier. Those would include determining a budget and taking care of the paperwork as the essentials.
Another vital part is hiring international movers for a relocation because we know you don’t have an ocean freight waiting in your backyard to ship your stuff. If you do, kudos, but for those who don’t, your safest bet will be to hire movers for packing services and overseas shipping.
#1 The Key to Moving to a New Home – Budget, Budget, Budget
Finances are tricky waters to navigate because of many potential complications that can arise along the way. If you’re worried about your job, you can ask your employer about relocation and see if they have recommendations for a company in your chosen destination.
If you are relocating because your company wanted you to, they may also participate in covering some of your expenses – this is the ideal scenario. However, even this situation might cause some relocation stress, so it’s advisable to have some money saved up on the side, just in case.
Use this opportunity to research the currency differences and exchange rates between the US and your destination country. Some lifestyles can cause a real culture shock, and you want to avoid that, so be ready for the living costs and save up as much as possible.
You can always look up the living costs on Numbeo, a website specializing in comparing living expenses globally. Expatistan and a few other websites do the same thing and ultimately help people determine their budgets when relocating abroad.
#2 Make Sure You Have All the Necessary Documents on Your Checklist
Understandably, when you’re relocating to another country for love, you might as well be traveling on cloud nine. We fully support the conviction that love makes the world a better place, but you won’t be able to settle in your new home unless you have the appropriate documents for traveling abroad.
If you and your partner decide on such a big step, make sure you’ve researched the visa and other document requirements that will allow you to enter the country without complications. Apply for everything the embassy tells you, and be ready for a long but mandatory process.
#3 Use the Powers of an International Moving Company
The question of what is the best method for moving has only one rational answer, in our opinion, and that is hiring international movers. It’s simple – you have to go overseas and have a lot to ship. A company can provide you with storage and insurance, ship your car overseas, and custom pack your valuables.
This task should be taken care of a couple of months before the move so you can take the time to vet and verify the legitimacy of the companies that send you quotes. This is crucial because relocation scams happen, and researching them will avoid that.
Here are a few ways of spotting scammers:
- They offer very low quotes – this isn’t good because they probably intend to send you additional invoices or ask for money in advance; there’s an industry standard, and legit companies have similar prices overall,
- They don’t come to your home for a cargo and cost evaluation,
- They don’t ask you questions about relocation details,
- They’re secretive or indirect,
- Their names online and on their uniforms aren’t the same,
- The worst-case scenario – they take your stuff, and you never hear from them again.
Check Your Surroundings and Neighborhood for Free Packing Materials
When the time to pack arrives, you mustn’t panic. It’s easier said than done, but everything will fall into place with the tricks you’re about to learn. Hear us out – there are free packaging materials available everywhere.
The first area to start your search is your own home. How many sneakers and shoes have you bought and never thrown out the boxes? Also, your microwave box is likely to collect dust, and you probably won’t be wrapping it up for a move overseas.
Take advantage of all the free stuff that might serve a different purpose. Old boxes can be used for packaging and putting aside items you don’t use anymore. Stuff like bedding, towels and torn t-shirts could be reused as wrappers for fragile items. They’re all excellent solutions to prevent things from breaking during transport. Invest in duct tape and be ready to improvise.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask For Favors, Help, and Boxes
If you don’t have a box or two for what’s left of your stuff, we have another revolutionary hack – ask for them. Your neighbors may have some spare containers lying around; the restaurants and supermarkets in the area always have new and fresh boxes that they mindlessly throw away.
If you want to keep in touch with friends, ask them for assistance and tell them to bring some extra containers. It may not be wise to ask the ones you love for help with packaging (people don’t like it, we know,) but some of them could be in the mood to do this for you and with you.
The short video below lists some of the most likely (and unlikely) places for finding relocation materials, especially boxes. It might give you some ideas on where to look first.
Don’t Wrap and Pack Everything You Own – You Don’t Need It
Another question that might be raised during relocation is, how long before a move should I start packing? When you decide to move abroad, you likely won’t bring everything you have. Your new house will have more than enough, so you don’t have to worry about transferring a stove if it already exists. That’s an unnecessary expense not worth paying for.
Additionally, when you call a relocation crew to pack your belongings, there are some items they won’t move. They’ll advise you on that and provide a detailed list, so you don’t make the mistake of bringing something hazardous.
The key to a successful move is decluttering, better known as getting rid of the stuff you no longer need or use. When packaging starts, create piles of items to donate, recycle, sell, and throw out. It’s essential to do this because your physical and mental space will be clearer.
Packing and Moving Tips for People Who Can’t Say Goodbye to Items
If you’re having some trouble deciding what is and isn’t meant for throwing out, think hard about what to pack for moving overseas. Firstly, consider your new house – does it have enough space for a coffee machine, another microwave, or other cluttering appliances?
Do the beds have frames, linens, and mattresses? Can you sit comfortably in your living room, and will you have to take out your TV and ship it across the ocean for movie night? Before relocation day arrives, think about what’s really important and what can be left behind.
Struggling to throw out some stuff because of an emotional attachment can be solved by either filling up a box full of them and keeping it in storage until you decide where it can go or giving it to people that mean a lot to you. They can keep this stuff safe and give it to you when you next see them.
What Should Be Moved First When Moving? Let International Movers Help You With This Dilemma
We’ll always recommend getting professional assistance when relocating because it’s a tough ordeal. It can be even more difficult for someone moving abroad alone, so never underestimate the power of a professional crew and their ability to turn your life around.
You may wonder what should go first when you move out. In short, that should be the largest and heaviest furniture in the house, but pros will have already known that when they arrive. The room with the bulkiest furniture will be packed and loaded into the truck first, including appliances.
Later, the largest, heaviest containers will be stacked in front of the stuff that went in first, and so on. You can participate in loading the truck with the workers and shorten the time it takes to do it all. You can also just let them do their jobs and daydream about your new home in the meantime.
When the relocation crew arrives, the crucial part is to be ready for them and create a line of movement that requires the least effort and walking.
You Really Can’t Fail With These Tips for Moving, so Use Them as Best as You Can
Living overseas is a challenge meant only for the bravest of us. Uprooting your life to find what you’re looking for in a different country is not easy, but it is commendable. The point is, you don’t have to do it all alone. With professional packers and companies, relocation can be flawless.
Still, it matters how you prepare for the process. You will be the one to do everything and monitor the move, so you must be the one that’s the most prepared for every sort of outcome. Hopefully, this list of tasks helps you find the ideal pace and timing to move and gives you the keys to a successful relocation.
