Moving to a new home is a process that combines excitement with trepidation, as buyers from all walks of life face the inevitably challenging stages of packing, relocating, and unpacking – all mixed in with the social considerations of moving to a new neighborhood and making new friends.

It doesn’t matter how far you are moving, whether it’s to the next street or the next county. The process generally takes the same amount of time in terms of packing and sorting the admin – with things only really changing when you start to consider those further afield and more exotic moves.

There are some distinct benefits to moving overseas – depending on where you are relocating to. Some move for work, others for new opportunities and adventures. Whatever the reasoning and motivation, we believe that an international move doesn’t need to be any more challenging than a local or national one. Which is where this article comes in.

But before we share the essential considerations for an international house move, and all the checkpoints to add to your growing list of things to do before you move, let’s first consider the value of a professional moving company vs. a DIY-style move.

The benefits of hiring a professional international moving company

A DIY-style move is perfectly possible for many movers, with access to vans for hire ensuring that family members and friends can help you to load up your possessions and move them to your new home without the need for specialist movers.

When you start to talk about international moves, however, things change. Having the correct documentation to explain where you are going and why is key, with simple logistics like the long drive and the time difference (depending on the destination) impacting the experience.

A professional team that operates on an international scale can facilitate your move seamlessly, handing over the drive to a new team on arrival in the destination country – one which is fresh and ready to help you settle at the other end. A professional team will also help with lifting and moving and can be booked to help position all of your furnishings in the desired rooms and locations in your new home.

With that said, and with the concept of a professional international moving company front of mind, what else do you need to consider and think about as part of your move?

Your checklist for moving overseas: everything you need to think about

Moving is always a challenging experience and has been classed for many a year as one of the most stressful occurrences that someone can go through in their life.

Moving overseas embodies everything you expect from a local move, with added considerations around documentation, health considerations, potential language barriers, and the different style of culture which surrounds your new neighborhood.

Unfortunately, moving overseas is not a simple process of finding a house you like and moving there overnight. Documentation, for example, will need to be produced at different stages of the moving process to communicate where you are moving to and for what reason. This includes visas, passports, various licenses for driving and other lifestyle choices, insurance policies, and more.

You will also need to consider medical needs and potential health insurance early on, to ensure that should something happen to you, you are fully covered. If you are moving away from the UK to a new country, it can be easy to forget how important this is with our national access to the NHS – however, most countries do not operate under this kind of system and so healthcare is something you will need to iron out early on.

Other considerations and points to add to your moving checklist include:

·        Vaccination and medical records, including any and all required vaccinations that you need to have before relocating

·        Proof of residence and information relating to your new job (if you’re moving for work)

·        Birth and marriage certificate if applicable

·        Make sure that your finances are in order, and that you can easily access your money from the new destination. This includes sorting out local bank accounts and credit cards where possible, to ensure there is no interruption or issues in accessing your money

·        Pets! This can be a difficult one to navigate when facing an international move, as some destinations will allow for and make the move of a domestic pet easy, while others are more difficult. Depending on what you are doing, you will either need to rehome your pet or sort out all the vaccinations and paperwork so that they can move with you

·        Get to know the new local tax system. Every tax system is different and so you will need to familiarise yourself with how much you pay, to who, when, and what implication it has on your salary and access to local amenities

·        Familiarise yourself with the local area in your new neighborhood. Transport links, roads, local shops, and other facilities will all be important in your first few days

And last but not least, embrace the positives and the sense of adventure. Moving overseas can be challenging, sure – and there’s a lot to think about. But it can also provide an enriching and exciting experience that is packed full of opportunity.

Of course, in order to see the bright side and embrace the excitement, you first need to overcome the complexity of the move itself and the logistics – which is where we come in. Here at A Swift Move, we offer various moving packages to homeowners and clients across the UK and can quote for local and exotic moves. Simply get in touch to find out more.