How do I move without neighbors knowing? It’s rather simple, you take your passport, wallet, and backpack and catch an overnight flight. Joking aside, people often get into last-minute moving situations, and things can get pretty hectic if you don’t know what to do. However, when you know what to do, a last-minute move is absolutely possible, and these last-minute moving tips provide you with all the necessary information about this issue.
Be Calm and Write a Short Last-Minute Moving Checklist
How do you move house in 3 days? This question alone can make the relocation stress much worse. However, the key is to stay cool, calm, and collected. Now, this is easier said than done, but with a moving abroad checklist, it is possible. Checklists are especially helpful if you are relocating for the first time as they will bring much-needed order and organization to your relocation. Here is what you should definitely include:
- Organizing the relocation budget,
- Gathering all important documents needed for moving internationally,
- Deciding on what objects will be relocated,
- Deciding on whether or not you will need the services of an international moving company,
- Finding a place to stay (if you don’t have already some agreement) until you have found something suitable,
- Searching for a bridge job until you have found something suitable, although who knows, you may find the right opportunity immediately,
- Booking a flight.
Now, this might seem impossible to do in just three days when moving overseas but consider the following point. There have been people who have asked the following question: How do you move in 24 hours? And yet, they have managed to successfully move abroad.
What to Do While Waiting for Moving? Try to Contact the Expat Community
It is always a good idea to get in touch with an expat community when you are relocating across the world. There is even a possibility that some expats have already asked themselves, “How do I move the last minute?”. Therefore, you could get invaluable pieces of advice. However, regardless of what kind of relocation is in question, it is always helpful to contact these people as you will get a clearer understanding of how to move to another country. Even if you don’t manage to get in touch with an expat, you can always check out countless blogs and Youtube videos available on the internet.
First, Check Whether You Have All the Required Documentation to Cross the Border
To begin with, check if your passport is valid. If it is expired, there is no point in thinking about an international relocation until you’ve renewed your passport. Secondly, you must check whether a certain foreign country will demand a travel visa. You can enter some countries only with a US passport. However, some you cannot enter without a visa. Unfortunately, because of the corona pandemic, it has become even more difficult to travel internationally. Many countries nowadays require international Covid certificates for entry.
You Will Also Have to Notify Some Authorities About Your Relocation
Fortunately, this is not a big problem nowadays since all documentation and forms are available on the internet. Nevertheless, you might end up in legal trouble if you don’t know who to notify about the relocation. You should definitely contact the IRS, the US Postal Service, the health insurance provider, and all relevant financial institutions. Finally, don’t forget to notify your boss and landlord that you are leaving the country.
Whether Movers, Your Family, or Friends, You’ll Need to Hire Last-Minute Moving Help With Packing
Of course, this depends on what you have decided to keep when relocating, but in most cases, there will be a long inventory list to pack, and doing everything by yourself will cost you a lot of time. Therefore, keep in touch with friends, and when the time comes, be sure to call them and ask for help. This will render your move more efficient, but more importantly, you will be able to say farewell.
A Mover Can Help You a Lot With Packing – Consider Hiring International Movers and Their Services
Packing all together is not easy at all, especially if the objects have to cross a long distance. You will potentially have to pack fragile items or electronics, and you have to apply appropriate material in order to prevent things from breaking. This means that you’ll have to look for all materials and, more importantly, learn how to properly pack, which isn’t the best scenario when relocating on a tight schedule.
When hiring an overseas shipping company and their packing service, there will be no need to think about these issues. The movers will supply you with all the needed materials and adequately secure everything for transportation. Moreover, if you are asking yourself what is the easiest and cheapest way to move, hiring an overseas moving company might again be the answer. The thing is, when relocating internationally, you’ll require storage services, and if you are a car owner, overseas auto-transport service. Purchasing these services individually can be quite costly, especially for these long-distance journeys, and you might not even find everything quickly.
Relocating Sturdier Objects Like Furniture Is a Slow Process Without Professional Help
If you are relocating on a tight schedule and want to take your furniture pieces and appliances as well, there is a reasonable chance that you might not succeed. Furniture requires disassembling and careful preparation for transport. Otherwise, it could easily get damaged beyond repair.
What is more, you would have to do all the heavy lifting, and that is not advisable for people who don’t know the appropriate techniques, even if there are friends beside you to help. However, with movers and their professional service, there will not be a need for such worry, and everything will be done in a timely manner.
Only Relocate Items That You Truly Need – Get Rid of the Rest
What is the easiest and cheapest way to move? One of the most useful relocation tips that you can get is to downsize for the move. This means that you will add only absolutely necessary items to your relocation inventory list. Above all, you will be able to pack everything more quickly, but also, you will be able to save a lot of money that would otherwise be spent on various protective materials and other shipping costs.
Use Your Home Items as Protective Materials to Pack Everything More Quickly and Reduce the Cost of Relocation
Another great relocation hack is to use any type of cloth or clothing that you don’t require anymore as protective materials. If you see that there is no time to go to home supply stores and search for adequate gear, take all your bed linen and socks and start wrapping your fragile objects up. They will provide the necessary protection for transportation, and if you are unsure of how to properly wrap a certain item, there are bound to be tutorials on Youtube or relocation blogs.
Don’t Forget to Pack a Bag of Essentials
No matter how tight the schedule is, you must find some free space for relocating day preparation which entails preparing a bag of relocating essentials. This bag should contain all the necessary documents, clothes for a day or two, some basic toiletries, medications, phone chargers, books, and such. Forgetting to pack this bag can make the first day after relocation tough and force you to waste money on unnecessary expenses. Here is a video on what a bag of essentials should look like.
How Do I Move Immediately? Here Are Some Further Tips if You Find Yourself in This Situation
As mentioned above, you are not the first person that has ended up in this situation. There have been many relocations that were done within a short period, and luckily, many people have been kind to leave advice. Here are some tips on what you can do to speed the process of relocation maximally.
Pack one room before going to the next
Although it may seem to you that it’s better to run from one room to another and pick up all the necessary objects, this isn’t a good thing to do. Of course, you have to be quick in this situation, but take care of one room and then proceed to the next.
Take all available home containers
You have probably seen that boxes are usually part of every relocation. However, you might not be able to acquire new boxes at a certain moment. If that is the case, take all your available suitcases and duffel bags and make them into containers for your objects. What is more, suitcases are known to be one of the safest containers for long-distance journeys,
Take trash bags as containers
This might not sound right, but trash bags can be good containers for non-fragile objects, especially if you lack boxes to pack clothes. However, you must label these bags as it can easily happen that they end up in the trash because you forgot that they are actually relocation containers. Trash bags might also be the answer for all people who are asking what is the cheapest way to move.
Sort everything later
It is true that you should pack everything in an established order. However, a tight schedule might not permit you to do that. Therefore, pack all objects (especially non-fragile ones) without thinking about any particular order.
Label everything in a simple way
There are many interesting labeling methods that render relocation easier and more fun, but there is no space for that when you have to relocate quickly. Choose one method, and label everything accordingly.
Leave clothes in drawers
Although you will probably have to ask movers whether they permit such practices, it is a great way to pack everything more efficiently. You would basically only have to wrap an entire drawer in protective materials.
Leave objects in the car
Again, you will have to ask a certain relocation enterprise if their policy accepts this practice. Be that as it may, it is not a bad idea to store some objects in the trunk or on seats.
Once Everything Is Packed and Ready, Do Some Research on the Country
This issue certainly won’t be on your mind in this situation, but remember that culture shock awaits you in the new country. Therefore, if you have managed to do everything, or after you have boarded the plane, take your phone and read a bit about the culture or language. It will certainly help you break the language barrier and assimilate more quickly into the new environment.
Everything Is Possible With the Right Organization and Proper Assistance
As you can see, everything is possible with the right information and attitude. As mentioned, the key is not to panic. Nowadays, due to the internet, a lot can be done from the comfort of your house. However, it is best to have people beside you on these few chaotic days, especially professional movers, if you have the means.
