What’s the biggest possible move you can think of? A few states over? How about a cross-country move? You might want to think again. An overseas move can be one of the biggest and most exciting moves of your lifetime. Between the culture shock, language differences and even something as simple as driving on the other side of the road, overseas moves can seem daunting.
But the good thing to realize is that with a little bit of planning ahead of time, an overseas move doesn’t have to be difficult — in fact, it can even be easier than a domestic move depending on the circumstances. Here at Moving Insider we try to focus on DIY moves, but unless you own a cargo ship you’re probably going to need some help from the professionals. It’s best to accept that fact now and use the rest of your time wisely focusing on things you can do yourself while still in the motherland.
Get Passport/Immigration Papers Early
A visa is typically required to move outside of the Country. Check with your local or federal level government for exact details. Flickr Image via Creative Commons: TheTransparentEyeball
The most important of any international move by far is making sure it’s legal. Getting a head start on this process is sure to save you headaches in the long run. Depending on where you are moving to, paperwork can take up to and longer than six months. Having these materials ahead of time will allow you to focus on other taxing issues like which shoes you’re going to have to leave behind due to lack or room!
Information on where to find the appropriate paperwork can be found via an online search or a conversation with the Department of State here in the United States. Travel message boards and user generated forums online can be a great place to harvest tips for your move.
Use a Shipping Service
Shipping services for overseas moving may just be the best thing since sliced bread. Services like portable moving containers by U-Haul will deliver a storage container right to your front door, give you all the time you need to load it, come back to retrieve it and load it on the ship and then deliver it to your new doorstep. It sounds too good to be true, but thankfully it’s not.
U-Box Portable Storage Containers can be picked up at your local U-Haul Center or delivered to your doorstep on the back of a truck.
They allow you to use as many U-Box storage containers as needed — the lightweight, portable open space design makes it easy to load a small case of books or a full size dresser. You can also put your storage box in a clean, secure warehouse for storage if needed.
Pack Properly and Efficiently
With such limited space available on an international move, you’re going to have to leave a few items behind with friends and family. For the things you do bring along, it’s important to make sure you keep every item safe and make the most of your available space. So many packing solutions exist and it can be difficult to figure out which ones you really need.
Keep in mind that some things may get jostled around when moving overseas and it’s usually better to be safe than sorry. Be sure to use the right size boxes and materials like packing paper or bubble wrap for the job.
Have you moved overseas before? Was it a nightmare of did everything go off without a hitch? Let us know how it went and your top moving tips in the comments below.
