Once you have decided to move to another country, secured a new job, got somewhere to live and booked your route to your new country there is only one thing left to do: pack up your belongings. Anyone reading this who has actually moved to another country will know that it’s not anywhere near as simple as that, but for the purpose of this blog post, we’ll assume it is.
So once everything else is secured and you’re ready to go all you have to do is get your belongings in order so you can leave. However, this task alone can take months, so the most important thing to do is to prepare and think in advance. That way you can pre-empt any delays and move forward accordingly.
Deciding what to take
If you’re moving away for a long period of time trying to decide what to take with you can be quite daunting. We all have possessions we love but logistics can simply mean we can’t take everything we want with us.
The best way to decide what to take is to think about how often you use your individual belongings. For example, clothes you wear more than once a week are certainly worth taking, as are box sets of your favourite TV shows and films. However, special chopping boards and other cooking equipment you only use around once a month can probably be left behind.
Bulky items like furniture, TVs and cooking appliances can be difficult to take with you. Often it can be beneficial to sell off your old stuff and buy new possessions when you arrive in your new home.
Getting rid of stuff you don’t want
Before you decide what you’re going to take and what you’re going to leave behind it’s worth researching the prices of different household items in your new country. If larger items, like TVs, wardrobes and dining tables, are cheaper in your new country it can make financial sense to sell your existing items at home and buy new ones when you arrive. If you have items that aren’t in good condition, donating them to charity shops or leaving them with friends could really help someone out.
Packing
While you’re packing your belongings make sure you clearly mark each box so that when you’re unpacking you can easily find where everything is straight away. If you use the services of a specialist international removals company they will provide you with proper packing materials that will be sturdy enough to hold your belongings. Proper packing materials will also be easy to mark so you can clearly identify which container has what inside when you come to unpack. An international removers company will also be able to provide you with all of the tax and importation paperwork you’ll need to go through customs.
The actual move
With most international moves, larger possessions need to be transported by ship or plane and then go through clearing and customs at the destination country. This means possessions need to be transported a few weeks before the people leave. So you need to think about what you want to keep with you for your final few weeks in your current location and what you want to have with you when you leave.
Unpacking
If you’ve used an international removals company, unpacking your belongings should be fairly straightforward, as everything will be labelled and the team handling your delivery will be able to unload the boxes in the rooms their contents are needed in.
If you’ve managed the move yourself then unpacking can be more of a challenge. As you’ve just arrived in a new country with a new house, it’s likely that everyone will have their hands full so trying to unpack everything straight away might not be the best idea. Wait until the next day and take things slow. Moving to a new country means there’s a lot to get used to and take in, so take your time and stay relaxed.
