Here are few tips to survive the hassle and secure a smooth move:
1- Plan your move. Count 2 months in advance. It’s all about planning and organizing yourself
2- Are you doing it yourself? Do you prefer hiring a professional?
3- If you are moving on a budget, know the less you move the less you pay for shipping your goods
4- Consider selling part of your belongings in case they are not essential to you. The less you move the better.
5- You can host a garage sale, or post your belongings on specialized websites or even donate possessions to different charities .
6- Once you decide on the items you wish to ship, get quotes from different moving companies .
7- To avoid surprises, make sure to organize an in-person inspection or a video survey of your belongings. This step will help you determine whether you need an airfreight transportation (which is an expensive but fast procedure) or a sea freight transportation. In that case, the survey will determine whether your belongings can fit a 20 feet container or a 40 feet one (check our featured images to have an approximate idea on what fits a 20′ or a 40′ container) .
8- Planning to move during peak season (May-September) or during the week-end will cost more .
9- In case you are handling the packing yourself, consider acquiring boxes, bubble wraps, tapes and packing paper otherwise professional movers can handle the whole packing procedure for you.
10- Make travel arrangements in advance to secure best deals. Do not wait until the last minute.
11- Do not forget to insure your goods for the entire moving procedure.
12- Start packing a month before D-day.
13- Start boxing non-essential and seasonal items first .
14- Fragile items should be handled with extreme care .
15- Keep valuables and important document on the side.
16- A month before moving out, contact your moving partner. Share date and time of moving, important logistics (elevator usage, parking, floor…).
17- A week before moving out complete the packing of all essentials and kitchenware.
18- A day before complete packing of your personal items.
19- As you are packing, keep an inventory updated at all times. This will help you track missing or damaged goods.
20- Moving company will deliver your belongings to the airline or the carrier. Which will prepare all needed documents for shipping and customs formalities.
