How To Pack Up And Prepare Your Home Before Moving Overseas

How To Pack Up And Prepare Your Home Before Moving Overseas

Moving overseas can be a thrilling and rewarding experience, albeit daunting all the same. There are usually some serious logistical challenges that you’ll need to be prepared for, some of which can feel so vast and complicated that it can be difficult to know where to begin. This rings especially true when it comes to packing up a house for an intercontinental move. If done incorrectly, beloved possessions can arrive damaged or broken, or worse yet, vital items may accidentally be left behind.

To make sure everything arrives safely and on time, there are some important safety nets that you’ll want to put in place. For a successful move abroad, it is essential to consider:

  • insurance cover
  • provisions for any necessary import duties and customs clearance
  • long-term storage including convenient options like Melbourne storage units that come to you
  • performing a full risk assessment for all shipped goods

Taking these points (and a handful of others) into consideration will ensure your belongings arrive in your new home intact and ready for you come moving day. 

Here are some other top tips to follow for anybody looking to relocate overseas.

Declutter to Prevent Overpacking

The first thing you’ll want to do before packing any boxes, is to simply go through your home room by room and set aside furniture, decor, and even clothing and other personal items that you’re not looking to take with you. Decluttering can be a fantastic way of simplifying your move, and of course, reducing the risks of you experiencing all the disadvantages that accompany overpacking.

Not only does overpacking lead to a more expensive move, but this dangerous habit can also make the entire moving process that much more overwhelming and confusing. After all, the more boxes you have to organise moving, the greater the likelihood that a box or its contents will become lost or damaged.

Taking some time to sift through your possessions and set aside items to discard or donate will help you trim the fat in the lead-up to your move, ensuring that the process feels infinitely more manageable and that you can keep those feelings of pure excitement and anticipation around for a lot longer.

Arrange Utilities Connections Well In Advance

You should aim to contact your utility providers prior to leaving your current residence, just to ensure that your electricity, gas, water, and other utility accounts can be closed at your original address. You should aim for these accounts to be closed on the day you move. Any earlier may leave you without power or running water during your last few days, and any later may see you paying more in your final bills. 

As part of this process many companies will require proof of move as well as payment for any outstanding bills. It's best to get this all sorted out in advance to ensure a seamless transition into your new home.

Additionally, once you've arrived at your destination it's equally important to make sure you've arranged a reconnection date with your new utility providers so that everything is ready for you on your first night in your new abode. 

Take Lots of Pictures Before Boxing Up Your Valuables

Now it’s time for the nitty gritty of any moving experience: boxing up all your belongings and doing the best you can to make sure that everything stays organised. It’s a good rule of thumb to document what your items look like before your move, just in case you need to make any insurance claims in the event that anything becomes lost or damaged. We recommend taking plenty of well-lit photos from a few different angles for larger items like furniture or picture frames and other decor.

You may also decide to take some photos of the insides of boxes once they’ve been packed, just to help clear up the contents of boxes without really having to open any of them up during the move. Labelling each box by room and by contents may also help keep things as organised as possible. Just remember that moving is a chaotic process by nature, and it’s not entirely possible to make sure that everything is in its place, especially if you’re looking to move overseas.

Make Sure All Electrical Items Have Been Fully Serviced

Another great precaution to take during any move, is to organise the servicing of your new home’s built-in appliances and other fixtures like toilets, shower heads, and faucets in kitchen, bathroom, and laundry spaces. By having these items checked by a professional, you can ensure that they’re functioning safely and properly from the get-go, ultimately reducing the risks of experiencing a potentially damaging fault further down the line. Servicing should include checking cords, safety systems and covers, as well as any other aspects related to the item.

You should also make sure that all the appliances and other electrical items that you’re bringing along with you in your move, are also safe and suitable to use in your new country of residence. Do you need to source some converters or adaptors for particular items? Making these considerations now can save you a lot of time and stress during the final phases of your move.

Pack All Personal Documents Separately

Moving overseas can be stressful enough without the fear of leaving behind important items like passports, visas, title deeds, or insurance policies and other sensitive contracts.

Organisation is key: make sure you take an inventory of every item you need to bring and group each according to type. Pack sensitive documents like passports and visas in their own dedicated bag and take extra precautions to keep them safe during your travels. Some measures you can take include writing your contact information on your passport cover in case it gets lost en route, and packing all sensitive documents in a single bag (ideally a carry-on bag over checked luggage).


Moving to a new country requires thorough preparation and a whole lot of forethought. Enlisting the help of professionals, like moving companies, real estate agents, and even a migration specialist, can aid your transition and make sure you have all of the necessary materials for a smooth move.

Keep in mind as well that this process may look and feel different for you, depending on your moving timeline and personal circumstances. So long as you’re able to factor in all the steps that are necessary to you, however, there’s no reason why your move abroad can’t be as seamless as you’d hope for it to be. 


Posted By JenniferA

Updated : 11th January 2023 | Words : 1085 | Views : 374

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