When you are moving abroad, there is often a lot of paperwork that needs to be done. Fortunately, there are some easy steps you can take to make the process as smooth as possible! Here are 6 tips on how you can prepare your home for shipment and what items need to be packed up before it leaves.
Choose The Right Shipper
One of the most important factors in choosing a shipper you trust. A few things to consider include cost, insurance coverage (if required), how large your shipment will be, and if they offer door-to-door services with their staff or subcontract out for local pickup or delivery.
On average, full container shipments range around $500-$1000 per cubic meter depending on where you are shipping from and which destination. This would usually fit about 100 boxes/items at least (and possibly more). For example, moving one room’s worth of belongings can vary between 30-50 cubic meters. If you’re a student, you should look for student shipping rates. For students, the cost is usually much cheaper. Also, consider that larger items like furniture may need special packaging and handling that could increase costs significantly, so it’s best to check with your shipper about minimum charges.
Start Early
Getting your items in order shouldn’t be something you do the day before your departure. Find a good time for yourself and set aside an hour or two to pack up all of those personal belongings that are going along with you! Before packing, take inventory on what’s available at home to accommodate everything, so it will be easier when it comes down to deciding if there is enough space or not.
Organizing shipping is an important task that should be done as soon as possible. If you wait too long, the pressure to get everything packed will make it harder on yourself and can cause more stress than necessary!
Determine Your Valuables
When it comes to moving abroad, there are many things that you need and will use. However, some of these items may not be worth the hassle or expense of shipping them across an ocean. To determine what is important enough to send with you in the shipment of your personal belongings takes a bit of reflection and research. Take stock of what you have and how important these items are to your day-to-day life, work-life, or school life abroad. You may find that there is not much worth shipping at all, in which case it’s just the clothes on your back and a few other essentials.
Or you may find that there is quite a bit of value in the items that you will be taking to your new home, and thus should use extra care when packing them for shipment overseas. Make sure they are packed well enough to withstand potential mishandling by the carrier company, keep this as one of your top priorities so as not to lose such valuable possessions along with spending extra money on insurance or paying high fees at customs upon arrival if something does go wrong during transport.
Pack Quality Boxes
If you have a lot of stuff that needs to be moved, then the first thing you need is quality boxes. This means no flimsy cereal or other food boxes, as they will not survive being reused and stacked without falling apart after one use. You can either purchase new corrugated cardboard boxes from your local store at around $0.50 per box (but these might be too big for some items) or find used ones in your neighborhood via Craigslist, Facebook marketplace groups, etc… but make sure before purchasing them online that they are clean since most people selling these on their own do not wash them thoroughly enough before listing it. Make sure when packing all of your things into the boxes that you label each side so if something falls over you can easily see which side is up.
Label And Document Everything
You should take the time to carefully document your items before you send them abroad. This is important for insurance purposes, as well as knowing what specific belongings are arriving where and when they will be delivered so that everything goes smoothly. You can use a basic spreadsheet or just create an inventory list on Google Drive with any digital photos you have of each item attached to it The more information about your shipment, including estimated values if applicable, the better. This will help you keep track of your belongings while they are abroad and when filing a claim for any items that get damaged or lost.
Arrange Transit Insurance
When you are moving your personal belongings abroad, one of the things that may be difficult to arrange is transit insurance. It can help with any problems that arise during transport, and it might be something worth considering when relocating home or office furniture overseas. If you need something like this, then take a look online for what’s available in the area where your move will happen, as well as look at possible costs involved. You should not underestimate how much damage can occur while transporting items via ship unless they are properly packed before being sent across seas.
This is why it’s ideal to have your furniture insured against any damage that occurs during transit. It will help you get reimbursed for anything that may be damaged or lost. Getting this insurance can also make the process of transporting items much easier as if there are any problems with what has been sent, then they won’t need to go through claims processes because everything should already be covered by an insurance policy. Transit insurance policies are usually designed to cover damages and losses while certain personal belongings are being transported across seas, so these types of services would come in handy when moving home abroad via ship.
In conclusion, shipping your personal belongings abroad is a fairly simple process. However, it’s important to get all of the proper paperwork in order beforehand so that you can avoid any unnecessary problems during transit.
