Facing an international move can be overwhelming in every way. With so much to do and prepare, your emotions can bounce between excitement and fear of the unknown. Trust us when we say that preparing the moving essentials can lower stress to a minimum and get you ready for the most significant change in your lifetime.
While it’s easy to think you have everything covered by picking a country to be your future home and investing in international moving services, international relocation can prove to be complex beyond words. Besides finding suitable housing and landing a great work position to help you balance finances abroad, there are many more things to take care of. And amidst all that fuss, you can easily forget there’s a ton of moving-out essentials you should pack and bring with you. Let’s see what should be considered essentials for moving out and thus important to pack.
Start Your Journey With a Moving Essentials Checklist
Donald Miller, American author, public speaker, and CEO of StoryBrand, said that “Fear tricks us into living a boring life.” This is something you should keep in mind when you feel that stress is starting to get a hold of you. After all, relocating across the world is an enormous step forward in anyone’s life. Just focus on all the benefits of relocating that await you beyond the borders of the US.
But to firmly grasp each step that takes you closer to your destination, you should stay on top of organization and planning by creating a checklist. And more importantly, a checklist of all the necessities that may seem insignificant but, in reality, will make the relocation smooth and effortless.
Don’t Want to Pack by Yourself? Pick the Best International Moving Company to Handle Your Move
But before you can write down which moving necessities are quintessential, you should choose the international movers that will take care of everything else. Professionals are a necessity when you want to move efficiently, and it’s especially true for anyone who is planning to move to another country.
However, be wary of tricksters and scammers, and know how to spot and choose a reliable international mover. They will be easily recognizable if you run several checks. A reputable company will have outstanding reviews left by their satisfied customers and a peachy perfect background. This means no name changes (some frauds do this to hide their past behavior) and a stellar status with BBB – Better Business Bureau, without serious complaints. They are also required to have a USDOT number with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Once you contact them, you will receive a general quote based on your destination and the size of your home and a definitive one when they visit for an in-home estimation. Additionally, choosing which services you will use, such as an efficient overseas vehicle shipping or highly secured storage service for your belongings, will determine the price.
What Should You Not Bring When Moving? Purge Your Belongings Relentlessly
Before you can focus on boxing up the essential stuff, you need to discard the excess items. Although you may see this task as a daunting one, you should know that it will be beneficial in many ways. Budget-wise, you’ll be able to lower the price of the relocation by transporting less, and you will be able to efficiently and smoothly move overseas. When you start sorting out items, divide them into three groups. Also, keep in mind that decluttering is something you can start doing even two months ahead.
You Need to Start With the Throw Away Category
The first group will be the easiest to sort out, and you can do most work in the garage and the attic. These two spaces are the usual suspects when it comes to stuffing and storing away, let’s say it openly – garbage. So you will most likely find the majority of damaged and worn-out belongings right here. Prepare enough garbage bags and boxes, and be relentless. Since you’ll be relocating to live in another country, you shouldn’t pay for a packing service for stuff you really won’t have use for. Also, contact the relocation company that handles your move, and find out which items movers won’t move.
Search Your Home for Items You Know You Could Donate
The second group will not only be beneficial for you, but it will also help those in need. Once you throw away everything irreparable and unusable, you should set aside all the items you could donate to a charity like Goodwill. It can be all sorts of stuff, from kitchen appliances to books and linen. It will also be much easier to figure out what to pack when relocating abroad once you purge your belongings thoroughly and make someone else happy at the same time.
In the End, Organize a Yard Sale
One of the best ways to eliminate the majority of relocation stress is by saving on costs. Keep that in mind when you grow tired of decluttering – the fewer possessions you take with you, the lower the price will be. And if you manage to sell some of the unwanted items, even better – you’ll be able to add a coin or two to your relocation budget.
The following video shares some tips on how to earn more from your yard sale.
Boxing Up Without Essential Packing Supplies Will Get You Nowhere
Once you’ve managed to get rid of excess items, you can get to the packing part. But before you can wrap even one little thing, you will need to obtain some quality packing supplies first. Here’s what should be on your boxing up to-do list:
- High-quality, sturdy boxes of all sizes. Since you’ll be moving overseas, ensure they are new so they can endure the long trip to another country. You will mostly use medium-sized ones, but grab a few large boxes for lighter objects and a couple of small ones.
- Several rolls of packing tape of good quality. Avoid buying plain duct tape, as it might not hold the bottom lids of your boxes tightly and prevent your possessions from falling to the ground when being carried.
- Plenty of various cushioning materials. You’ll mostly use bubble wrap because it’s the best material to prevent things from breaking. You will also require paper, foam peanuts, and plastic wrap.
- Tools such as a heavy-duty tape dispenser, scissors, a utility knife, and a marker.
Additionally, you may want to protect your valuable and sensitive items (like electronics) far better than just placing them in a cardboard package. A reliable relocation company will offer you a service called wooden crating, and it’s the perfect solution for long transitions – these wooden crates are customized to the size and shape of the object you want to be protected.
What Goes in an Essentials Box When Moving? The 101 of the Basic Travel Necessities
Relocations are all but simple – they are a bundle of tasks, frantic preparations, and a sense of joy with a tingle of stress, especially when we plan on relocating to an exciting new place. And in the middle of all that chaos, we may forget how important it is to include basic necessities on our relocating abroad checklist. These basics are meant to make the trip easier and also allow us to have a stressless start in our future home. But what exactly should we pack and carry with us?
Start With the Toiletries You’ll Require From the First Day in Another Country
One of the best relocation hacks that you can apply to any type of move is to prepare and box up the basics from your bathroom. Things like toothpaste and a toothbrush, along with towels, shampoo, and several rolls of toilet paper, will save your life once you move in. Keep in mind that you will be living overseas, where you will have to break the language barrier first in order to learn your way around. What you don’t need is to rush around the neighborhood, trying to figure out where the shops are, because you’ve forgotten to pack a soap bar and other basics.
Enter the Kitchen and Toss Some Basics Into the Box
Learning how to live abroad and settling in will be so much easier if you don’t do it on an empty stomach. That’s why you should pay a visit to your kitchen cabinets and pack all those things that will be required in the first few days. Box up some dry foods, plates, utensils, cups, a pan, and a pot. Don’t forget to add some spices, coffee, and a coffee maker, too.
What Do People Need When They Are Moving? The Essentials for the Road
One of the greatest relocation mistakes you should avoid making is skipping packing up some snacks and refreshments for the trip. Box up wet wipes, tissues, and a paper towel, just in case. Additionally, if you’re going to travel for a longer time, you should remember to pack phones, tablets, chargers, and the like. Throw in a few books to keep you company (add in a dictionary so you can learn a language abroad,) and you’re good to go.
Your New Apartment Will Need Some Stuff, Too
One of the most important move in essentials that often get overlooked is tools. You will require at least a basic set of tools in order to settle down properly. A set of screwdrivers, a hammer, nails, and at least a smaller power drill will make your life so much easier. When you move to another country with professionals backing you up means that all your furniture will be reassembled by their trained hands. But nonetheless, there will still be a ton of stuff to do around the home in the first month.
You should also remember that you will require clean sets of linen and changes of clothes for each member of your family. If you plan to move with dogs, prepare a kit just for them, like their favorite toys, bowls for food and water, and their dry food.
Box Up Enough Supplies for Cleaning the New Place
You will probably have to apply some serious scrubbing and cleaning in your former home as part of your relocation day preparation. This is vital in order to sell it for a good price or to get your deposit back, but similar cleaning awaits you in your new place, too. Previous tenants have probably left it flawless, but nonetheless, prepare at least essential cleaning supplies, so you can spruce it up before you unpack.
With All the Necessities Packed and Loaded, You’re Ready to Fly
Although relocating means you have a lot to tackle, preparing the necessities for the road and a period beyond the first day in another country is a life-saving hack. Not only will you be able to settle in without any unnecessary stress gnawing at your back, but you’ll also be prepared for any culture shock a new setting throws at you.