What Should You Take on an International Move?
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- 19 Oct, 2018
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Preparing for an international move is a stressful and exciting time. You are nervous about adapting to your new surroundings, but packing your belongings and getting your house ready for sale puts more pressing demands on you.
You may need to think through how much of your household you want to move and which items are easier to replace or too expensive to move.
There are certainly some considerations when preparing for an international move.
Are you planning to return to your current home in 2 to 5 years?
If you are planning to return in a couple of years, it may be worth storing larger household items and even some treasures from the past or home décor that you really like. In the right climate controlled storage unit, furniture and boxes of household necessities will likely be in the same condition when you get back as when you left.
Does shipping or storage cost more than the item is worth?
If you know that shipping or renting a storage unit is going to cost more than your belongings are worth by the time you get back, selling might be the easiest option. You just have to look at your belongings and decide which ones are worth shipping because you love them, which you would rather replace anyway, and if selling or storing are the best options. Also, storage units that are different sizes, or climate controlled cost more money, so how much you want to spend per month on storage may play a role in how many of your belongings you part with.
Can you buy replacements cheaper overseas?
You may be heading to a country where the cost of living is cheaper, or where you will be making a much larger salary. If you can buy cheaper or will have more expendable income, you may want a new start with new home furnishings and décor.
Which clothing will be necessary in your new location?
If you are heading for warmer climates, your winter clothes may be unnecessary, so you can pack a little lighter. By the time you come back to the U.S., your wardrobe will likely be outdated.
If the climates are similar to that of Iowa, you may want to take enough clothes with you to get by for the entire year.
Fashion trends in your future home may not look like those of the Midwest. If you can decide before you leave if you wish to follow the trends or stick with your style, you might be able to pack a little lighter.
Which items will depreciate in value over time?
If shipping your car is too much of a hassle, and you plan to be gone for more than one year, it might be worth your time to clean it up and sell it. Do your research to find out how much you can replace your car for in your new country. Find out if public transportation is a faster and more cost effective way to get from your new home to work and you may not even need a car in your new location. In many cities around the world the average family does not own a car, because public transportation is so efficient.
No matter how much you are planning to ship overseas for your move, Lint United Van Lines can help with seamless and trustworthy international moving services. Contact us today if you are moving overseas from Iowa City, Cedar Rapids or Des Moines!
Once you’ve packed all of your boxes, from the kitchen to the family room and the dining room , it’s time to load everything into a moving container. Make sure you’ve organized everything with your moving partner, so that the moving container is where you need it to be on moving day. There are certain times of year that are extremely busy for movers. If you’ll be moving during one of these periods, then you’ll want to arrange everything well in advance.
It’s easy to rush into loading the moving container in an attempt to expedite the process and get everything out of your old home. But it’s important to consider when to load items and where to place them in the container, so that you can fit as many items as possible into the container, maintain safe weight distribution and not have to re-pack the container because of a mistake.
You will have to exercise additional caution while packing your dining room, but overall, the process shouldn’t be as overwhelming as packing your kitchen or family room because it doesn’t require as much preparation. Since the dining room is a non-essential room, you’re also able to pack at your convenience and it’s always nice to finish what you can before the last minute.
Once the furniture is accounted for, silverware, dishes and other fragile items will remain. You should pack these items individually to ensure that they arrive at your new home in one piece, which can be time consuming, but it’s a straightforward process if you use good packing practices.
Your family room is likely the place where you spend most of your time, watching television, chatting with friends and even working on the computer. Make sure you pack your family room so all of your belongings still look great in your new home.
Start by gathering all of the moving supplies you will need. This includes:
- Sturdy Moving Boxes
- Packing Paper or Bubble Wrap
- Paper Pads
- Tissue Paper for Breakables
- Packing Tape
- Felt-tip Markers
Gather supplies, so you are prepared to pack your kitchen for a move completely uninterrupted. This is a room that you usually wait until last to pack, because after all, you need to eat. That makes it even more important to get the job done fast.
Moving day is exciting and can be a stressful time, but you can alleviate some of the stress if you are prepared for the moving truck. Whether you are planning a long distance move or just moving across town, having your belongings organized and separating the items you will use right away will help. Take some advice from the professional movers at Lint United Van Lines and you will stress less.
There are some things you should have done before moving day and items that should be kept separate from the majority of the items that will be moved.
Your bedroom may have most of your heavier furniture, as well as multiple types of objects to be moved. If you’re prepared and organized, packing your bedroom will be fast and easy.
You can take the stress out your move with a few moving day tips that will ensure that everything gets placed in the right room, and all of your items are accounted for the same day of delivery.
The experts from Lint United Van Lines want to help make your relocation experience seamless by offering their advice.
If you’ll be relocating in the near future, it’s a wise idea to take inventory of your belongings before you move – especially items that have monetary or sentimental value. Whether you plan to hire a moving company for packing, or you’re just trying to be organized before you begin packing, it will help to have a list or photos of your belongings and the condition they are in.
If your items come up missing during a move, or get damaged, the process of proving the value of your loss will be easier if you can prove its existence and condition. Something to keep in mind is that a moving company is more likely to replace damaged goods if its trained staff did the packing.
A moving truck pulls into your driveway and out jumps the guy who will be handling all of your belongings. The employees of your moving company will have access to your home, kids and household goods while they are working for you, so finding a moving company that is reputable is imperative.