Guide to shipping your belongings overseas

Hire professionals when shipping your belongings overseas

Trying to do everything by yourself isn’t as smart as it may sound. There’s a lot that you’re quite inexperienced at when it comes to moving. This is completely normal. Luckily, there are professionals out there that can make shipping your things overseas much easier. 

Find trustworthy movers

Hiring a reliable company to ship your belongings overseas is the way to go. This is not the easiest thing since there are so many out there. However, taking the time to realize what you’re looking for is essential. It’s best if someone you trust can recommend a company they’ve had a positive experience with. If that’s not an option, simply keep your eyes and options open until you’re sure you’ve found the winner.

DIY some things

If you’re confident enough in your overseas belongings shipping abilities, that’s great. Maybe don’t rely on them fully, though.

What could be a smart plan is to DIY some areas of shipping your belongings overseas. Anything that you’re comfortable with is worth giving a go.

• Packing
  There are a number of companies that’ll offer you packing and unpacking services along with shipping of your items overseas. You, of course, don’t have to take them up on these offers. If you’re confident in your packing skills, go ahead and do this on your own.
• Cleaning
  Swiping your home clean after you’ve moved out or before you’ve moved in is a task. And a big one at that. However, no one said you need professionals to do it. We do recommend calling up some friends to help.
• Organizing someone to receive the belongings you’ve shipped overseas
  If you’re moving to a place you’re already familiar with, you probably won’t need a storage solution. Once you’ve shipped your belongings overseas simply organize a pickup on your own.

Don’t forget that you can bow out at any time. If you start to feel like you’ve taken on more than you can handle, that’s okay. There’s no room for regret. You’ve tried your best and that’s the most you can ask of yourself.

Don’t overspend

There are some ways in which you can ship your belongings overseas on a budget. Apart from DIY-ing a few things, you can also try to cut back when it comes to the quality of moving equipment for items that aren’t fragile.

Another great way to save money is by getting familiar with shipping laws. Even though you’ll have hired a company you trust to ship your belongings overseas, it doesn’t hurt to read up on laws regarding the process of shipments. This will both give you some insight into how everything plays out and give you a chance to catch any possible ventures you’re maybe unintentionally overspending on.

Dealing with a huge overseas relocation?

If you’re really taking a leap with this move, it’s all the more reason to take shipping your belongings overseas seriously. Shipping your things when leaving the States to start over in some other country isn’t the same as going to a country you’re familiar with.

Aside from the pricier process, you’ll also need to think about a few additional barriers. Having someone you can trust to pick up and take care of the belongings you’re having shipped overseas is essential for making this work. 

What about possible special scenarios?

If you’re in need of a special service, that’s reasonable. You are moving your whole life to another continent, after all. 

Shipping your bigger items overseas will require some additional charges. If you need to ship your car overseas or transport a pet, you’ll probably need to set aside some money for it. Nonetheless, the sacrifice will be worth it once you’ve moved into your new home.

Additional advice

• Get rid of some things beforehand
  Donating or selling your belongings before shipping them overseas is a great way to earn and save some money. 
• Buy some new stuff
  It might be time to purchase some new things for your new place. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant. Bringing a fresh component will help you think of the new place as, well, new. 
• Don’t dwell on mistakes
  If you mess something up during shipping the belongings overseas, it’s no big deal. Pick yourself up and dust yourself off, there’s still a lot to be done.
• Write down some advice
  Be it for your future self or for friends in need, you won’t regret doing this. Taking the time to write down all the hardships you’ve stumbled upon while shipping belongings overseas will be of great help to someone.

Think ahead

One of the most important things when shipping your belongings overseas is to think about the next step. The ultimate next step you need to keep in mind is unpacking. The whole time you’re packing and transporting your items, think about the fact that you’ll need to unpack them. Try to make this as easy as possible for your future self.