It is not easy to move anytime, but to move to a new country takes a great deal of planning and research.  Here are some tips to help make this journey a bit easier.

More than 4 weeks prior to your move

• Book your moving company date as far in advance as possible
• Be sure to include insurance coverage for the move (what if the ship wrecks?)
• Ask your insurance company to organise export certificates for any vehicles.
• Provide a detailed valuation of your effects for insurance purposes.

• Order packing cases (unless provided by moving company)

• Take with you list
• Air shipment list (if applicable)
• Removal list –what will be included in your shipment to the new country.  Make sure any large piece of furniture will fit in your new home if possible.  Appliances in 220 volt can be purchased and delivered tax free to be included in your shipment.  I highly recommend this if you can fit them in your new home.  This can include washers, dryers, refrigerators.
• Dispose of list - either sell on EBay, garage or boot sale, or donate to charity

• Ensure your passport, visas and vaccinations needed are up to date, and will be valid for your move.
• Arrange to have your mail redirected.  Send address change cards to friends, family, and billing departments. (Once you get a new address- I recommend keeping an address, even through a service in your home country).  This allows you to keep a bank account, at least 1 or 2 credit cards, and receive magazines that you love while living overseas.
• Advise post office, insurance companies, credit cards, banks, bills, etc of your move and your change of address.
• Cancel any club memberships.
• Advise doctors, dentists of your departure.  Obtain copies of your medical and dental records.  This is especially important for children’s shot records and medical files.
• Transfer, change address, or close bank accounts.  Check with your accountant for tax implications.  Ask for letters of reference from banks and credit cards.
• Make arrangements to open bank and credit card accounts in new location.
• Check to see if you are due a Council Tax rebate, or any other tax refunds.
• Obtain an International Driving license from AAA in the US.
• Begin using the food in your freezer
• Check regulations and make arrangements for the moving of pets.  In order to minimize the time spent in quartantine, your pets must have paperwork started and be implanted with  microchip 6 months prior to move.  This may vary by country.
• Ask for final electricity, gas, water and telephone bills and arrange disconnection if required. Do not arrange disconnection of your telephone until the end of the last day of the move so that you can maintain contact.

• We recommend buying a mobile phone that is pay as you go, which you can use after you leave your home, and also when you visit your home country.
• Cancel subscriptions (or arrange forwarding) of any newspapers, magazines, book clubs, etc.
• Arrange new schools for your children in new location.
• Notify your children’s existing school and arrange for school records to be forwarded to the new school.

• Notify your relocation agent of your contact address and telephone number in the current location and overseas after you move out of your home.
• Notify RELOCATION AGENT of the delivery address (if known), and advise of any possible access difficulties and parking regulations.
• Arrange full insurance cover for moving your household effects.  Turn in the paperwork.
• Cancel all rental agreements, memberships, etc.
• Locate marriage and birth certificates.  Carry them with you on the plane.
• If you are a returning resident, locate your inbound moving packing inventory (this can be useful if not necessary for customs clearance).
• If you are member of a club that will offer your unwanted items for resale, send the information to them of the dates the items will be available.
• Ensure your driving licence and car insurance will be valid in the new location.  If needed, apply for new licence or begin paperwork.
• Clean out your attic, garage, shed.
• Arrange storage, if needed with your relocation company.

• Arrange ‘car boot sale’ or ‘garage sale’ of any unwanted electrical and other items, or take them to your local recycling centre. Ask RELOCATION AGENT if you need advice on the disposal of items.
• Dispose of alcohol, if at all possible, as this can cause problems at customs overseas. Please advise RELOCATION AGENT if you do intend to include alcohol in your household move.
• If you are moving your washing machine do ensure that you have the drum securing bolts or bar supplied by the manufacturer and secure the drum after you have completed your last load of washing. The Moving Crew may be able to assist you with fitting these on the day of packing but the onus is on you to provide them with the parts and to advise them that it has not already been done.
• Empty your refrigerator and freezer of food.
• Arrange to have kitchen appliances disconnected by a professional.

• Ensure that you have labelled everything to be moved clearly, i.e., AIR/SEA/STORAGE/DO NOT PACK, etc., for the packers, most relocation agents  will provide you with stickers.
• Put to one side all personal items that you will carry with you (i.e. passports, documents, work permits, purchase invoices for new or valuable items, jewellery, money, airline tickets, clothing and toys, etc.). Make sure that you take enough clothes to tide you over until your airfreight move or sea freight shipment arrives. Please note that unaccompanied airfreight moves often takes 10 to 14 days to arrive.  No matter what the movers tell you, count on at least 1-2 months for your sea container to reach you.  It must clear customs after it reaches the new country.
• Important documents to take with you include: birth and marriage certificates, medical and dental records, insurance paperwork, financial information, tax records from recent years, current tax information, passports, address information for family, friends, and relatives.  Keep a separate photocopy of these documents in a safe place.
• Obtain foreign currency to use on arrival in new country.
• Empty any safety deposit boxes.
• Defrost fridge and freezer.
• Draw up a plan of your new house, noting what furniture and boxes goes where.
• Pack suitcases with items you need on the journey, and immediately on arrival.
• Make arrangements with your neighbours to allow enough parking spaces for our vehicles on the day of the move.
• Re-confirm air tickets and flight details at least 48 hours before departure.
• Return any rented or borrowed items, e.g. library books, video tapes, etc.
• Have all operator manuals for your electrical items ready to be packed.

• Information contained in your Computer should be backed-up into another format and carried with you to the new location.  Laptops will work worldwide, so they are a great way to move your data, and remain connected in your new location..
• For an international move- you may want to replace electronic equipment
• Removal of all CDs from CD Players (do not forget any that may be stored in the banks or turntables of multi-disc units). On the underside of the unit you will usually find a locating screw: turn this to the ‘locked’ position.
• Removal of tapes from VCRs and discs from DVD Players. Likewise ensure that where provided the unit is ‘locked’ for transport.
• Removal of toner cartridges from Printers and dispose of them. Note: the damage that can occur due to cartridges leaking inside the machine or out of it is well in excess of the value of the cartridge. If you do need to include toner cartridges in your shipment take sealed unused units only.
• Should you still have the original packing for any fragile, electronic items such as TVs or stereos we recommend that you advise the packers of this upon their arrival at your home. This packaging is custom-made to suit your equipment and may offer additional protection.

• Leave the packing to the relocation company.
• Put everything that is going with you in the car, or make sure you keep it separate.
• If at all possible, try not to arrange travel overseas on the same day as the move, as this will tend to add to the stress involved.
• Show the moving crew foreman exactly which goods are to be packed, pointing out items of particular concern.
• The moving foreman will prepare a list of each packed item to be moved (e.g. ‘carton of china’ NOT a list of every item in the carton). This will be signed by him and you as a receipt for the effects being shipped.
• Before the removal vehicle leave, have a final check that everything you want in the move is inside.
• If no one is moving into your old home, turn off the power and drain or turn off the water supply.  Make sure it is left secure and see our article on rental property for tips on getting back your deposit.
• RELAX - while this is stressful at the tim, it will all pass and you are beginning a new journey!