Whether you are relocating internationally for work, school, or pleasure, the transition can be stressful and expensive. Thorough planning can take away some of the stress and help you avoid unnecessary expenses.

Know The Culture

Take it upon yourself to find people who live in the area and ask plenty of questions. Even if you do not know anyone in your new location, reach out to people on social media. You may be surprised at how adapting to a new culture can quickly drive up your moving expenses. For example, if you live in the United States, you are accustomed to fluoridated water and fluoride in many oral care products. Many countries do not routinely add fluoride to their water, which could cause you dental problems later.

Once you arrive in your new destination, you likely will not want to deal with high shipping costs to have toothpaste or other fluoridated products shipped to your new location. Knowing this information in advance would allow you to stock up on products before you leave and bring them with you. Some other cultural differences you should research can include the availability of certain personal or feminine hygiene products and items for specific dietary needs, such as salt and sugar substitutes or retail medications for food intolerances.

Be Realistic About Packing

One of the highest expenses when moving internationally is actually moving items to their new location. If your initial plans are to move away for a year or two, there may be items that are less expensive to keep in storage than to move with you. Take a realistic assessment of the larger items you want to move and determine if it is less expensive to move the items or replace them after you arrive.

When considering the expense of replacing items, you should also take into account how easy it is to replace items. Depending on where you move, it could be difficult to find furniture stores or the type of item you are looking for may not be readily available. You may want to look for independent sellers online and find out which items you can buy ahead of time and pick them up or have them delivered once you arrive.

Take Or Buy Multifunctional Items

Another way to lower your moving expenses is to focus on items you can take with you or purchase that have multiple functions. For example, you may want to only take your couch with you and not your bedroom set, since the couch can be used for both sitting and sleeping. Similarly, a small folding table can be used for work and as a dining room table. Since the table is compact, it takes up less space in the moving truck than taking both a desk and dining room table.

Protect Your Possessions

Unlike moving within your local area, you need sturdier moving supplies when moving internationally. Invest in plastic storage containers to give your items a better chance of arriving in their original condition. For added security, label all your containers with waterproof labels that display your name and new address. Although your moving company will do everything possible to protect your belongings, weather conditions and a lengthy commute can increase the chance of problems.

Ideally, you should not move any electronics or batteries unless the environment is temperature controlled. Prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures during moving could cause damage to electronics and batteries are likely to explode. When possible, find a way to carry these items with you to their new destination or throw them out and replace them once you arrive.

Tackling an international move can be a challenging experience. Finding ways to minimize unnecessary costs during your move and once you arrive will make the experience easier. check out websites like http://www.hollandermoving.com/ for more information.