Are you moving overseas? Whether it’s across town or across the globe, relocations can be an incredibly stressful experience. But with a little bit of organization and preparation, you can make the move as smooth as possible. Here are some moving day tips to help you survive your international move.
The day of the relocation is equally important and stressful, so having useful relocation tips to help you survive can make all the difference. They provide simple steps that can help reduce tension and ensure a smoother transition between locations. These tips offer helpful advice for packing, loading, and transporting belongings, as well as handling last-minute issues that may arise. Having a plan in place, reliable international moving services, and some helpful tips for moving can help ensure that all of your belongings arrive safely at their new destination.
Start Preparing for Moving Internationally by Creating a To-Do List
Once the truck is headed your way, some tasks have a habit of sneaking up and stacking up. Did you remove all the garbage bags? Scrubbed the grime from the bathtub that you took an oath to remove before leaving? Cleaned the refrigerator and freezer? Decided what to keep, what to leave in a storage facility, and what to donate to Goodwill? These quick but essential duties are often overlooked when you’re overwhelmed by packing, but if you allow it, they could leave you rushing at the last minute.
So let’s start with the most important tips for moving day, and that’s organization and planning. The key to an effortless move isn’t simply to organize – it’s also to keep everything in check, which can be easily handled with a thorough checklist. Keep a running to-do list of everything you need to do so you don’t have to rush on a moving day to wrap up all the minor details. So that you have enough time to finish everything before you go, you can manage your time and get up a little earlier if required. You can place this checklist, along with other paperwork and a projected relocation budget, in a relocation binder.
Prepare to Tip Movers for a Job Well Done
When you’ve decided which international movers are handling your move-out for the first time, there are a couple of things to think about. Besides preparing some questions to ask your international moving company, find out which items they won’t move, whether they offer packing services, and whether they will handle fragile objects such as dishes or china.
You should be sure you have cash on hand for tipping on relocation day if you are happy with the way they are handling everything. It takes about $20 for each international mover, but you may wish to keep a little additional cash on hand in case you’re really impressed with how efficient they are. Although not necessary, tipping is greatly appreciated by the movers. Additionally, you should have cash because cards or cheques are not good for tipping.
Have a Babysitter Ready
The day when you finally move to another country might be a challenge if there are young children or pets present. Little ones, both two-legged and four-legged, may also be at risk because the front door will be mostly open. It’s best if you’ve previously thought of plans for your children or pets before moving day – now you just need to start implementing them. Plan a pick-up or drop-off early in the morning if a friend or relative will be babysitting kids for you so you can concentrate totally on everything else that remains to be done. If your children or dogs will be staying, try your best to keep them occupied and out of the way (gadgets and toys will go a long way).
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Pack a Cooler With Some Nutrition
On relocation day, there is typically a lot of grunt work, which uses a lot of energy. It’s simple to get sidetracked and neglect to eat or drink properly, so it’s a good relocation hack to have a cooler filled with water and easy-to-grab snacks. Fill it with low-mess, high-protein items like protein bars, premade sandwiches, bags of nuts, and some dried fruit. Take into account packing a little more for your movers as well. Whenever you start to feel worn out in the middle of the day, you’ll be quite glad you have your filled cooler on hand.
Don’t Forget Your Essentials
Packing for an international move can be a daunting task. You want to make sure you have all the essentials and items that will make your transition smoother. Here are some tips on packing a bag full of relocation essentials for your big move:
- Toiletries: Pack travel-sized toiletries, such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and deodorant. These will help you feel at home in your new country quickly.
- Clothing: Pack comfortable clothing that’s appropriate for the climate of your new location. If you are moving to a colder climate, bring warmer items such as coats and sweaters. Make sure to pack sensible shoes – walking shoes, sandals, and dress shoes will all be necessary.
- Electronics: If you need electronics for your move (laptop, phone charger,) don’t forget to pack them in your essential bag. Make sure to bring enough outlets or converters so that you can use your devices in the new country.
- Documents: Your passport, visa, and other important documents should all be with you during your move. Make copies of these documents and store them in a secure place such as a lockbox or safe deposit box.
- Valuables: Pack any valuables that are sentimental or have monetary value (jewelry, antique items, etc.). It is best to keep these items with you during the move for safekeeping.
By packing an essential bag before your international relocation, you can be sure that all of your important items will arrive at their destination safely and securely.
Leave Out the Cleaning Supplies for the Final Sweep
Even though you’ve probably already done your thorough cleaning, you should still have some basic cleaning materials on hand in case you need to perform any last-minute touch-ups. It should be adequate to have a broom, mop and bucket, and jar of sanitizing wipes. Maintain your cleaning materials in a location where they won’t be placed into the truck, such as your vehicle or a closet. When the area is free of boxes and vacant, you can assess whether any last-minute cleaning is necessary. One of the move-in day tips you also would want to consider is that you should also prepare some cleaning supplies for your new home as well.
The following video offers some tips on how to clean smarter and faster.
Charge All Your Electronics
Before you embark on your international relocation, there is another important task on your “relocating for the first time” list. Make sure all of your electronic devices are fully charged and ready to go. This includes cell phones, laptops, tablets, cameras, and any other device you might need for communication or entertainment during the journey. Additionally, consider purchasing an international adapter if you’re traveling to a country with a different power outlet than the one you’re used to.
If you plan on connecting multiple devices at once, consider investing in a power strip with USB ports and an international adapter plug. This way, you can ensure that all of your devices are charged and ready for use when you arrive at your destination. Additionally, make sure that any electronics that must remain powered during travel (such as video game consoles) have their batteries fully charged before departure.
Finally, remember to back up any data from your devices onto an external hard drive or cloud storage service. This way, you can easily access all of your important files and documents should anything happen to your device during the relocation process.
Do the Last Walkthrough of the House
One of the relocation mistakes people tend to make is not to check their previous home once again before they leave it for good. You should run a thorough inspection of your property and keep a close eye out for anything you could have forgotten to bring, as anything you leave behind could be difficult to retrieve. Doing a last walkthrough of the house before you move internationally is an important step. This will help ensure that everything is taken care of and ready for your departure.
Step One
The first thing to do is to check all the appliances, lights, and anything else mechanical in the house to make sure they are all in working order. Check any lease agreements and pay any bills that you may have. If you are moving out of a rental property, be sure to remove all your belongings so the new tenants can move in seamlessly.
Step Two
After this, make sure all doors and windows are properly secured to protect your home while you are away. Additionally, double-check any electrical outlets to confirm they are turned off and unplug all electronics to avoid a fire hazard. If there are any plants or animals in the house, make sure they have been taken care of or arrangements made for someone to take care of them while you are gone.
Step Three
Lastly, it is important to set your thermostat accordingly, depending on the season, as well as check the attic and basement for any possible leaks or flooding. Make sure everything you intend to bring with you is prepped and ready to travel by opening all of your cupboards and closets (even the far backs of shelves). You don’t want to worry about these things while you’re in a completely different part of the world.
Now That You Know All the Best Moving Day Tips, It’s Time to Go
The average person moves 11.4 times in their lifetime for various reasons, so it’s no wonder that two-thirds of Americans say moving is one of the most stressful life events (along with starting a job abroad and getting married). The process of packing up everything you own and relocating to a new place can be overwhelming, but there are some things you can do to make it easier on yourself. A good plan, skilled organization, and some relocation tips will help ensure that your transition is as smooth as possible.
Although it may seem daunting, there are plenty of things that you can do to make sure your move goes as smoothly as possible. By following these tips and taking the necessary precautions, you can rest assured knowing that you and your belongings will arrive at your new home safe and sound. And once you’ve gathered all the information you need, be sure to reach out to a reliable international relocation company. They will take care of the heavy lifting, provide overseas vehicle shipping and handle the relocation so that you can focus on the benefits of relocating overseas.