Over the past few years, the number of people moving to and from the United States has increased dramatically. While the reasons for moving may vary from person to person, it is still a big deal for someone to move to a different country.
No matter what your reason is, you shouldn’t take international move very lightly. You might have heard a lot moving is a frustrating and tedious task. Additionally, when it comes to international relocation, it is much more complicated than intrastate and interstate moving.
Apart from feeling pre-moving blues, you will also have to handle several laborious tasks before moving, such as sorting, packing, loading, moving, unloading, and more, all this may leave you lost at some point. Thus, it is always best to have trustworthy international movers in San Diego by your side for better assistance throughout the process.
Do you know packing your belongings for an international move is one of the tiresome, yet essential tasks? As compared to typical relocation packing, the international packing process is quite complicated. So, before you start packing your stuff, you need to ensure the safety of your household items during the transit and prioritize what you’re moving to your new house and which method of transportation is most suitable. If you’re moving your home for the first time, here’s everything you need to know about packing for moving abroad.
What to pack for your upcoming international move?
When we talk about your earthly possessions, moving them to another country is impractical and unnecessary. Firstly, shipping stuff across international borders costs a lot of money and is a risky undertaking. Secondly, you will not be able to use most of your old possessions in new surroundings. Therefore, when deciding what to pack for abroad moving, keep in mind your needs and future lifestyle and other characteristics such as climate, importation rules, and commodities available in your future destination.
We understand that it is not easy to give up our possessions, especially those favorite ones. Therefore, to help you make your decision easier, below, we have given a few factors you need to consider when deciding what to pack for an international home relocation.
- Your duration of stay in a foreign country – Are you moving aboard for your job, studies, or treatment purpose? If yes, then it means your stay in that particular country will be for a limited period. Thus, you should bring only personal stuff and things that you may require for your work, studies, and treatment. On the contrary, if you’re planning a permanent move, pack all your essential and valuable possessions.
- Future lifestyle – For example, if you’re going to study at a prestigious university, you must ask yourself these questions before packing your belongings. Will I need the study materials and books? Will I get time to pursue my hobbies like playing musical instruments or sports? Do I want to work part-time after classes or during the weekend? Accordingly, pack your stuff as per the requirements.
- The size of your home – Please remember, if you’re going to live in a smaller home, then it won’t be able to accommodate all your items. Therefore, pack your belongings accordingly. Also, consider whether you’re getting a fully furnished home. So, in this case, you don’t carry much other than your stuff.
- Climatic conditions in your new country – Carrying fur-lined hats, coats, and boots is useless if your new country has a moderate climate throughout the year. On the other hand, there is no point in packing straw hats and sandals when relocating to a northern country.
- Importations law and regulations – Most of the countries, especially western countries have strict regulations about things getting imported across their borders. For example, they don’t allow certain pets, drugs, plants, and hazardous substances to move inside their country.
Given these factors, you can assess your items and make a list of things you want to carry to your new foreign destination. The following are some of the essential things to pack when relocating to another country. However, these may vary from person-to-person depending on your needs and requirements.
- Essential documents – Documents like visas, passports, birth certificate, driver’s license, marriage certificate (if you’re married), medical records, financial records, school and college records, health insurance are must-haves when moving abroad.
- Clothes and shoes – As mentioned already, consider the climate peculiarities of your future destination when packing clothes and shoes. As a thumb rule, always pack less for smooth and affordable moving.
Other things on a packing list are:
- Medicines (stock up for two-three months)
- Toiletries (some products may not be available in a new country)
- Electronics (phone, laptop, tablet, camera, and their chargers)
- Books or study materials
- Family heirlooms
- Kitchen items and furniture (avoid carrying old furniture)
Once you successfully create a packing list for your international move, buckle up to get them packed and shipped safely across international borders.
- Invest in good-quality and right-sized moving boxes to pack your belongings.
- Label each box rightly using different colors and numbering system.
- Use sea freight instead of air freight for moving your belongings overseas.
- Lastly, when it comes to unpacking your boxes, do it room-wise. It is advisable to start with the kitchen and bedroom.
In closing
It may take six weeks or more for transporting belongings to your new home. Therefore, pack some essentials in a separate suitcase and carry it with you. After all, you can’t be waiting for this long to brush your teeth or take a shower (wink). Please note, you can create an ultimate moving playlist to make your moving day for fun and enjoyable. Most importantly, hire a moving and storage company in San Diego with years of experience and expertise in international home moving services.
Are you searching for the best long distance movers in San Diego for planning your next international move? Feel free to contact professionals at Eckert’s Moving and Storage.