10 Tips for International Relocation

An international move is a big undertaking. Taking time to wrap your head around what’s involved and working on pre-planning will help simplify the process and alleviate additional stresses, giving you time to focus on tying up loose ends like dental and doctor appointments and visits with family and friends. These international moving 10 tips will help you ease through the process. 

1. Vacation There in Advance
   Taking a trip to your relocation destination is a fantastic way to get the lay of the land, figure out public transportation, neighbourhoods you like, and ones you don’t. Viewing space outside of the lens of a tourist will increase your confidence in your move and help you acclimatize once you arrive permanently.
2.  Set Your Budget Early and Include Wiggle Room
   Sometimes the unexpected happens in an international move, often without relatives and friends nearby to rely on for temporary accommodation, and this can really impact your budget. It’s recommended that you include a 5-10 percent contingency budget in case you hit any speed bumps. Best case scenario, you’ll have extra money stashed away to explore your new country or book a flight to visit family.
3. Make a Checklist and Use It
   Like any big project, procrastination will cause undue stress in the eleventh hour. For example, when moving to Australia from Toronto, create a plan to break down everything you need to do before the plane takes off, so you can stick with it and check off items in small bite-sized pieces in the months and weeks leading up to your move.
4. Hire Experts to Help
   If you are moving for work, odds are your employer will have existing contacts to help you sort out your work visa, accommodations, and a reputable international moving company. If not, put in the leg work, get recommendations from people who’ve completed similar moves to connect you to the right moving and storage companies, immigration consultants and lawyers, healthcare providers, accountants, and realtors/rental brokers.
5. Downsize, Then Downsize Again
   Sell, donate, gift, and get rid of what you don’t need. Anything that doesn’t make sense to bring with you, see if you can store with a family member or friend, or arrange for a long-term storage solution.
6. Be Deliberate in What You Bring
   Release your inner Marie Kondo and pack knick-knacks, ornaments, art, and photos that spark joy. For example, you probably won’t ship your old Christmas tree when moving from Canada to France, but you can bring a select few ornaments that will make the holidays feel special.
7. Cross the T’s and Dot the I’s
   Details are important, no matter how small, like forwarding your mail or contacting your credit card companies before you move. Instead of worrying about what you haven’t done, when you think of something write it down and add it to your checklist to avoid it impacting a small but critical aspect of your move.
8. Have Enough Clothing Available Short Term
   Bring a variety of clothing items you’ll need for your first few weeks in your new home country, including clothes that you can wear to work. This way if there are delays in your items arriving you won’t need to dip too heavily into your budget in your first month abroad.
9. Get Social
   Most regions have Expat groups that you can find online to help you socialize and acclimatize to your new home, with some people who understand what you’re going through.
10. Be Patient
    An international move is a huge undertaking, for adults and kids alike. Experts say it takes an average of 6-12 months after arriving before you’ll adapt to your new way of living. Understand that there are bound to be bad and homesick days for you and your family members, and that’s okay and perfectly normal.

Orbit International Moving Logistics Ltd.: Your International Moving Expert

We have over a decade of experience moving customers around the world. Some of our customers like us so much, they’ve used us more than once. Why did they come back to Orbit? Our customer service is what sets us apart – customer service representatives answer every question, no matter how small, and our moving crew shows up on time with all the materials they need to get the job done correctly the first time.

To learn more about Orbit, contact us at 416-661-4228.