Let the Adventure Begin! A Week-by-Week Guide to Moving Abroad
8 Weeks Until Overseas Move: International Moving Checklist - What to Take & What to Leave Behind
Preparing for "Cozier" Living Quarters Abroad!
We live in an age where we are attached to our "stuff", so when we find ourselves in a situation where we have to figure out how to get our stuff from one country to another, it's often a process fraught with anxiety and expense. Therefore, the more planning and preparation involved, the more smoothly the move will go.
Before choosing an international moving company, do everything possible to minimize the amount of items you will move. Now is a good time to have that garage sale you have been meaning to have for years. That extra pocket change can fund some trips in your new country. Whatever items don't sell should be donated to your local charities.
If moving from the U.S. or Canada to another country abroad, be aware that housing in other places is much smaller due to limited land, the cost of utilities, etc. So, if you ship all your goods over, they may sit in unopened boxes stacked in your new cozier abode. Also, in many countries the norm is that rentals are furnished. I moved half of my furniture with me to the London area and had a difficult time finding a place that was unfurnished to house my items. The two flats I rented while living there even came equipped down to dishes and silverware. Also, hallways and stairways may be narrower. My movers complained about my large "American size" furniture. Even with hard effort they were unable to get my sofa up the stairwell, forcing me to sell it. My bed had to be sawn in half to bend it and get it through the hallways and later bolted back together making for an uncomfortable few years' slumber.
If you have some extra special pieces, antiques or items with a strong sentimental value, see if a friend or family member would be willing to store them for you during your time away. Then, you won't be worrying about something happening to them in the move abroad.
Keep in mind that it is usually not worth bringing your appliances due to different voltages and plugs in various countries. Although you can bring a converter, unless you are heading for a remote area it might be cheaper to sell or store many of your items and buy replacements in your new country, rather than pay to have them shipped there. You don't even have to pay for new appliances in your adopted country. When you arrive abroad, find and buy a copy of the local English paper and you will find advertisements of items being sold by expats who are returning to their home countries. Craigslist is even becoming a popular resource in more and more foreign countries.
Take advantage of the beautiful handcrafts of your new homeland. Instead of shipping your bulky bedspread over, buy one from your local market made with the textile of your adopted country, such as Thai silk, Irish linen or Finnish Marimekko fabric.
Shipping the Necessities Overseas
It would be a good idea to ship a few boxes of items you will need immediately but which you may not have the option of carrying on the plane. The cheapest way to move goods internationally is usually by freight, but the tradeoff is that it will take longer for your shipment to arrive. You will settle in more quickly if you have the most necessary items with you during the first weeks abroad.
Earth Class Mail lets you view your mail online, then, with a mouse click, have it either opened and scanned for your review and download, shredded to protect your privacy, recycled to help the environment or forward-shipped to you or others 24/7, wherever you are in the world. Reduces forward-shipping costs by 50-90%!
Kendra Redman is a well traveled writer with a B.S. in
Journalism and a Master's in Writing. She has lived in
six countries and draws on her experience to write
about her adventures and misadventures. One of her
greatest travel accomplishments was once returning
from a trip with two end tables and two lamps as her
"carry on luggage."
This is an excerpt of our free e-newsletter, Let the Adventure Begin!. For full access, please subscribe to the e-version of Let the Adventure Begin! (free). You'll receive (free) weekly e-newsletters starting 8 months before your approximate move date and running through your first four months abroad.
