Five Little Known Facts About Preparing for an International Move. Knowing them Might Save Your Sanity

Since this is my 7^th international move, I have no doubt that, once I stop hyperventilating about how much there is to do, I’ll get it all done and it will likely all go smoothly.  It hasn’t always been like that though.  Being aware of a few basic facts (that no one else will tell you) can make your international move go a lot more smoothly and save you from endless amounts of frustration. Louise and I, and many other expats, have learned them the hard way.  To save you the angst of learning the way we did I’m going to share them below:

1.    Many people in the Global Mobility and Relocation professionals have never made an international move

If you know this, you understand that the many of the people who are helping you can’t relate to your experience and they won’t understand your needs.  The only people who can make them aware of your needs as an individual and as a family are you and your partner.  I once worked with a host country relocation agent who firmly believed that the only activity expat partners liked to do was shop, so she referenced all of the houses she showed us in relation to their proximity to shopping area.  Struggling with career loss and identity challenges and as a dedicated un-shopper, her comments only served to make me angry and depressed about the impending move. Intellectually, the people who are helping you may know that moving internationally is one of life’s most stressful experiences but it’s really difficult to understand the detail of what that means if they’ve never experienced it.

2.    It will all be done by the day the movers arrive

The logistics of an international move can absorb your every waking moment if you let it, but it doesn’t have to.  Once the big stuff is done, paperwork, schools, somewhere to live on the other side, you can pace yourself on the rest and ensure that you leave enough time to focus on enjoying time with friends and family, affording yourself and your family time to say proper goodbyes and generally looking after your mental and physical heath.

3.    By the time HR or your relo company sends you information on schools, it might be too late to get your kids into them

Don’t wait on the HR department/relo company to send you information about schools in the city you are moving to.   As soon as you know that moving is a possibility, start checking the schools out.  Don’t just settle for a look at their website.  Call them. Ask them about their admissions process, waiting lists etc. Then do what you have to do to give you the best chance of getting into the schools you want for your children.

4.    The information you receive from the moving company about preparing your house for a move won’t help you much

because it’s almost always far too general and doesn’t give you really handy tips like “Make sure you empty all your waste bins before we arrive because if you don’t your kitchen waste will arrive in your new location two months later” (I haven’t been caught out on that one, but I once had the pleasure of discovering a single putrid, liquefied onion that had escaped my pre-pack eagle-eyed survey)

5.    Packers pack; what they pack is up to you

This means that you need to be very clear on what is going to be packed up and what isn’t.  For example, don’t expect packers to realise that the over-stuffed suitcases lying on your bedroom floor are the ones you plan to take on the plane. Their job is to pack your stuff and do it at lightening speed – asking questions slows them down.  I’ve talked to more than one person who has had to unload the entire container to retrieve the one box marked “Study – Filing Cabinet” from the deepest, darkest corner. All because that’s where their passports were when the packers came!

and here’s a bonus 6^th fact to finish up.  It’s last because this is the fact that we want to have the most impact and we know that the last thing you read is the most likely to be remembered.

6.    If you don’t think about and plan for your own post-move life, no one else will

Your partner will be thinking about the new job, your children will be anticipating their new school but you’ll be devoting your time and energy to things that benefit the entire family or your children.  Even if you want to wait until you arrive, or until you have a true measure of what life will be like in your new country, start to visualise the possibilities, to make connections and to begin planning for your new life.

Trust us on that one – we learned it the hard way too!

If you’re relocating internationally in the coming months and would like some extra support as you prepare for the transition, why not click on the link to schedule a FREE STRATEGY SESSION with us?