Moving overseas used to be a long and difficult process. It involved sending away for a visa, finding employment and setting up a new situation for any children or other family members. As if waiting on the diplomatic process was not complicated enough, one had to consider how to move one’s home and its contents, too. People have been making journeys across the globe for thousands of years, but the question always remained: do we bring our things with us to our new home? Thankfully, the development of moving companies has made moving across the world slightly easier. Here are three things to know about moving your belongings when moving to an international location:
1. Maximize Your Space and You Could Maximize Your Cash
International moving companies often charge by bulk and not by weight, which is great news if you’ve ever tried to weigh an armchair on a bathroom scale. However, this means that you need to know how much space the things you want to bring with you might take up. Generally, you will be charged by whether or not you want a full shipping container or maybe even two or three shipping containers. This is a great time to prioritize your belongings and decide what is really important and what you can leave behind. This can save you a lot of money on shipping, and you can arrive in your new home with less baggage.
2. Prioritize Your Packing to Avoid Any Delicate Problems
Whether you are packing, or you have an agency to do the work, it is always best to clearly label everything, especially anything fragile or delicate. You need to give specific instructions for anything that is fragile and of high value, and it is best to take out the appropriate insurance to make sure everything gets to your new home in one piece. If you are packing without professional assistance, make sure to use plenty of wrapping supplies, custom printed packaging tape and appropriately labelled boxes so that everyone who handles your belongings knows to be careful with them.
3. Shop Around for a Moving Company
Before you settle on a specific moving company, make sure you shop around for plenty of price quotes and be aware of the different services each company offers. Some companies promise cheap rates but quite often these services move your belongings by ship, and it may take anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks for your things to arrive. Some agencies offer a door to door service where they pack your house up, ship it and then unpack your things at your destination. Think about your needs and shop around before you choose who will transport your belongings from your old home to your new home.