Emigrating top tips. Helpful hints for your adventure abroad.
With so many people choosing a new start abroad these days, we thought it would be a good idea to provide you with some handy advice for making that life-changing transition a relatively smooth one!
- Have you taken into account your budget for the first few months abroad? Some new arrivals have spoken to us about how they lacked the preparation required for their new economy. A good way of avoiding financial potholes at your new location is to start saving now before moving abroad and putting the extra money aside for the start of your adventure overseas.
- A productive method of earning a little more 'going away' money could be to sell a lot of your items rather than ship them abroad. If they can be replaced at your new address, why hold onto them? The cost of shipping abroad your items could incur moving costs that exceed the original price of the item! To offload items, find out about local garage sales operating in your area, locate some charity shops and if you don't have an eBay account, it may be a good idea to obtain one!
- Don't forget those places you tend to forget about for the rest of the year such as the contents of the loft or basement or perhaps even the shed or garage. You will find a lot of clutter accumulating in these areas so it would be a good idea to spend time in them deciding whether to sell, store or discard.
- List all the contents of each carton on the side of the carton and number them too; this will help members of our staff as well as yourself! Remember to pack china, glassware and anything fragile separately. Electrical items such as television sets and computers should (where possible) be enclosed in their original packing and placed inside a carton for shipping overseas.
- Should you be thinking about buying property, it is essential that you rent somewhere first and start investigating after you've settled in. Buying a home on the strength of a few photos online is a risky way to start your new life.
- If you have friends or family who have been on a similar journey to the one you're about to embark on, now would be a good time to pick their brains! There's nothing more valuable than experience when moving overseas - except perhaps boxes.
- If you're deliberating over what items to take and what to leave behind, here are a few suggestions below to help you on your way!
- Planning on moving items of furniture such as a bed, wardrobe or sofa? We would strongly suggest having a rethink! The combination of cost and logistics will soon have you regretting undertaking such an enormous task, and unless these items have sentimental value, why not just buy new stuff at your host country?
- Can you not bear to be parted from your lounge leather suite? Well, if you're travelling to a country with warmer temperatures, that suite will be extremely unpleasant to sit on! Always think about how your furniture will change or react to a new climate.
- Remember to check the age of your items before shipping them. Did you know that if a bed is older than ten years it ought to be replaced anyway?
- For more information on what to take when moving abroad and other general emigration information, we recommend Expat Forum, British Expats and Expat Blog.
- Don't forget that getting settled into your new home will also mean dealing with the inevitable culture shock! Our advice would be to build relationships with other people living in your host country who have been on the same journey as you. To avoid feeling isolated, the best way is to open your mind and immerse yourself in the culture of your host country - try the local food, attend community gatherings or events, find out where people go to be entertained and be part of the scene. Only through approaching your new life with keenness and positivity will you make a success of your adventure abroad.