Preparing for a move abroad

When moving off to your dream destination, the daunting task of transporting all of your worldly goods from point A to B is often the first falling point. Hence it is incredibly important to do the following two things: one, speak to your landlord or seller about any furniture pre-existent in the property; and two, collate a list drawn from the landlord/seller’s responses for the large items you would need to either bring or purchase.

It is also recommended to draw up a second exhaustive list of all of your household furniture over the size of an armchair, and then subsequently whittle it down to the absolute necessities. Unsurprisingly, you would be pressed to find a destination without a local furniture store somewhere nearby - so unless an item has strong sentimental ties or justifiable emotional value, it may be wise to source your larger furniture items overseas. Storage can be considerably costly, particularly if for long periods of time - do the smart thing and plan well in advance!

International Move Checklist

The phrase “moving abroad” covers such an array of distances and relocation efforts, that it is hard to summarise an objective list of things to do and not to do. However, some points for most moves overseas are encapsulated below:

Write an inventory

As mentioned above, draw together a list of your most essential items, and what you will want to purchase once relocated. This will help both with keeping removal costs down and is a productive step toward cleaning out for your new life!

Timings

Timing will be a key element to this move, more so than any other type of house move you may have embarked upon before. You will first need to arrange a moving in date and ensure you can live comfortably for at least the first few days. If this is physically impossible, consider staying in a hotel or B&B until the home is at least furnished with the basics.

Arrange your removal

It is advisable to book your international removal job in good time - but in relation to the above point, this will need to be managed closely to ensure all parties are prepared for the arrival of all your belongings.

Selling what you have left

Electrical items like your toaster, microwave and large screen TV; any old books or unwanted ornaments; and even canned food or drink - all would probably be of better use to someone else than being either binned or worse, lugged along with you. You can look to sell these items online, to friends or donating to a local shelter or food bank.

Why it’s safest to go with professional movers

In most cases, the help of professional moving company with years of experience doing international moves to or from the UK would be a good idea. However, if you don’t plan to move any large or delicate items abroad, you may well have no need for a removals service.

Removal companies will both guide you through the process of international moving as well as take the strain of relocation off of your shoulders and onto theirs.

For long-distance moves, everything needs to be packed with great care and thought. Check out our packing tips to make sure you're clued up on all the right packing methods for various items when moving house, or choose a removal team to do the packing and unpacking for you, which is simpler and more reliable.

So whether you're moving to the sunny shores of Spain or to a farm in France, booking a specialist removal team with AnyVan is the safest way to get both a seamless and cost effective solution to put your mind at ease. If you have any questions, please speak to our friendly customer service team on 020 3608 8287

Last updated: 27th February 2025