Top Packing Tips for Your International Move

Moving to a brand new country is a wonderful chance to get to know a new place from the ground up. If you are making plans to move to a totally new country, you’ll want to get everything ready as soon as possible. An international move can feel daunting. Ease you way into your new life with these simple packing tips. Issues such as the climate in the country as well as packing things securely should be uppermost in your mind.
Enough Packing Material
Packing materials are used to cushion the items you own and keep them from harm. Anyone who is making an international move should be aware of the need for packing materials that can stand up to a long haul. A move to a far away place may take a lot of time. During this time, you want to make sure that your items are kept in place and not shifting. The right packing materials will keep the things you love from being damaged. Make sure things aren’t going to bump into each other after you put them on a boat, moving van or car.
Keep it Light
Light is the order of the day when you’re moving to a new place. Think about the essentials. Moving overseas can be costly. You don’t need to bring all those toiletries with you when you’re going to France or Japan. They have the items you need right there. It’s best to pare down the items you’re going to bring to the barest essentials. Find out if they have your favorite brands at your new location. That way, you don’t have an unnecessary supply of your favorite toothpaste at your new destination.
Store Your Paperwork
Paperwork is a crucial part of any new move, particularly a move to an overseas location. You’ll need to have important documents such as a passport on hand with you as you travel. Make space in your luggage for your most important documents. That way, you’ll always have them on hand as you travel. It’s a good idea to scan your most important documents and have copies on file. Items such as your birth certificate and all documents related to your legal right to travel should have multiple copied stored. Know where you’ve put them and know how to retrieve them as you travel.
Your New Climate
Climate will have an impact on your moving plans. If you are traveling to a much milder regional climate, use this time to get rid of all those clothing you don’t need. You don’t need to bring in the heavy jacket and the thick scarf if you’re headed to the tropics. You can donate or sell them to someone else. That will allow you to avoid bringing lots of things you might not need during the move. Likewise if you are traveling to a colder climate, it’s often much cheaper and easier to buy the right clothing at your new destination instead of moving things such as a bulky winter coat with you.
The Heavy Things
Heavy things of all kinds are going to need careful handling as you move. Many people want to bring items with meaning to them such as their mom’s cherished handmade rocking chair or the lamp they bought from a local craftsperson. Such items should be examined carefully before you begin. You’ll want to protect all areas that might be delicate such as any intricately carved table legs before you leave. If you can, break them down into their component parts for easier handling.