Guidelines on Packing for your International Move

Packing can be fun in one sense but overwhelming in another sense. It can be a bitter-sweet activity full of both joy and pain because packing for an international move requires some time and effort. You find yourself faced with the reality of not knowing what or how to pack for your international move. You question yourself as to what you should take or what you should leave behind. You begin to wonder if you are doing every thing properly.

There are guidelines in place that you should follow to ensure a smooth international move:

(1) Do an inventory of all your belongings. Determine what you want to move. After this is done, weed through the list of belongings again to determine what you should take or leave behind. Once you have decided on the items that are not coming with you, you can begin the process of selling, giving away, or disposing of these things. It is important to narrow yourself down to only what you need to take. More is not necessarily better when you making an international move.

(2) Less can be so much better when you are traveling overseas. Why burden yourself with strenuous packing if you can avoid it? It is important to not put more on yourself than you can bear for international travel. Since you are beginning a new life in a new country, you do not want to wear yourself down with a lot of chores. It is advisable to only take what you need so the packing will go smoothly.

(3) Seek professional advice on the proper boxes, seals, and wraps you need to pack your belongings in. An international move is on another level than a local or in-country move. It may not be the best thing to place your belongings in boxes from the throw-a-way pile at a grocery store. Professional moving companies know which boxes and materials are best to package your items properly. Ask the international movers about the best boxes you should use for overseas travel.

(4) Obtain a quote on the services needed to pack and ship your belongings. Packing and shipping your items overseas is not a matter you should take into your own hands. The packing and shipping of your items should be done with efficiency in cost and labor. After you have locked in a quote that works best for you, the international moving company can help you move forward with your overseas move.

(5) Allow the international moving company to help you pack. Because international movers are experienced at what they do, it may be best to allow them to pack your items for overseas travel. The international movers know how to properly pack your items for overseas shipment. They understand the importance of making sure your items are secure from unnecessary breakage or damage.

(6) Inquire about shipping regulations and customs. An international move is more involved than a local or across the country move. It is important to familiarize yourself with any rules and procedures you need to consider for proper packing as well as what you can and cannot bring with you. Ask your professional international mover to help you research the special things you need to know about your move.

(7) Find out what type of container you will need. Do you need a less than container load (LCL) or a full container load (FCL) for the items you are taking with you? Fill out an item list on line to determine the volume of your shipment. See if your international mover has a minimum volume to ship. An LCL shipment will be in a container with other shipments, a shared container. An FCL shipment means only your items are in the container, a designated container for you. If you require a full container for your shipment, the standard sizes are 20 foot and 40 foot. The 20 foot container will hold about 900 CFT of household goods and the 40 foot container will hold about 1800 CFT of household goods.

These packing guidelines will help lessen any anxiety you have about packing for your move. An international move is a major step, a life changing adventure and an experience to be enjoyed.