During an international relocation, the majority of your preparation will go into packing your belongings. Whether you have been living in your current home for decades or only a year, you will probably have amassed plenty of possessions that you use and value. For an international move, you will have to consider what to do with all of these.
And the more belongings you have, the more packing you have to do.
Fortunately, having the proper packing strategy can help you go through this stage successfully and with as little stress as possible.
Representatives from international relocation companies in Dubai share below the eight dos and don’ts you have to follow to have a hassle-free, efficient packing experience:
Dos
1. Start Packing Early
Avoid making the mistake of underestimating the time you need to pack all your items.
When you devote enough time to packing, you ensure the safety of your belongings. You can wrap fragile items more carefully and arrange them properly in boxes. You can also seal and label all the cartons and containers correctly.
If you wait until the last minute to pack, you will end up doing all these hurriedly and haphazardly. As a result, you might end up having plenty of damaged items when you open your boxes.
To be sure you have plenty of time to pack, start doing so once you have finalized the date of your move.
2. Choose What To Bring During Your Move Smartly
Bringing all your belongings when you move overseas is not a smart idea. If you do, you will waste a lot of money on packing supplies and shipping fees.
To know which items you should bring during your move, follow the six-month rule. Take note of items you have not used in the last six months and don’t even think of packing them. Check their condition and decide which ones you can sell, give to friends or family, donate, and throw away.
Make sure you sell, donate, give, and throw away all these items to have a less cluttered home, which can help speed up your packing.
With this step, you will have fewer items to pack and ship and save time and money on the whole relocation process.
3. Create a Packing Plan
Stay organized during your preparations by making a packing plan.
This entails creating a schedule to follow as you pack by room. This means setting aside a week for tackling your bedroom, the living room the following week, and so on.
Make sure you stick to this plan so that you can pack all the items you intend to bring and do it properly. Your schedule also ensures you won’t rush the process and avoid mistakes that will make your move stressful.
Also, while packing each room, don’t forget to list the items you put inside each box.
4. Label All Boxes
Lastly, you will have an easier time unpacking and settling into your new home if you label all your boxes and containers during the packing process.
Labeling your boxes won’t take too much of your time, but it will help you avoid a lot of frustration during unpacking. With properly labeled containers, you will easily find whatever you are looking for, even if you are not ready to unpack all the contents of your boxes.
Ensure you label the boxes with breakable items as fragile to let the movers know that they should handle those with utmost care.
If you create a list of the contents of each box, make a copy of it and tape it on each box. Indicate the room where every box should go on top of each carton, too.
Don’ts
1. Ignore the List Of Items You Can’t Ship And Pack
Once you hire your international movers, you will be given a list of prohibited items or things you can’t pack for your move. This usually varies based on your destination.
Make sure you go over this list before you start packing since you may want to bring something not allowed in your host country. These can include liquid cleaning products, plants, and alcohol.
A good rule of thumb to remember is that anything considered hazardous is unlikely to be permitted in standard transit and flights. As such, be wary of putting such items in your luggage, too.
2. Pack Dirty and Dusty Items
Bringing in dirt and dust from your old home to your new one is something you don’t want to do. You will bring in allergens that can trigger your allergies and make your first days in your destination uncomfortable.
Wash, dust, or give all the items you want to bring a thorough wipedown. Make sure you remove all the grime sticking to pans, plates, glasses, and other fragile items you plan to ship.
Wash all clothes, linen, curtains, and other items made of fabric you want to bring as well.
However, make sure these are completely dry before packing them.
3. Skimp on Your Packing Supplies
Although you may want to save some money on your move, carefully choose the areas you can skimp on. These should not include your packing supplies.
Buy good-quality boxes durable enough to hold the items you will put in them. If you want to use cartons from grocery stores, make sure they are strong. Reinforce them with packing tapes to ensure they won’t easily break.
Don’t forget to get enough boxes and other essential supplies, such as packing tape, bubble wrap, and paper, to avoid running out and wasting time going out to buy them.
4. Pack Important Documents In Boxes
Make sure to keep all vital personal documents with you at all times during the move. Do not include those in the boxes you intend to ship.
Although your movers can assure you they won’t lose them, it would still be best to secure them in your luggage or carry-on.
Also, make sure you keep electronic copies of all these documents so that you can still have access to them anytime, wherever you are.
As a final tip, find out if your movers also provide packing services. With their help, you won’t have to go through the painstaking and stressful process of packing. You can then concentrate on the other things you have to do in preparation for your move abroad.
As a result of reading this post, you should have learned something new. On this page, you’ll find more suggestions: Essential Planning Tips when Moving Overseas
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