7 Tips You Need to Know When Moving Out for the First Time

Preparations Are Necessary When You’re Moving Out for the First Time

When planning on moving abroad for the first time, good organization is super important, and you shouldn’t take it for granted. Be sure you prepare yourself a relocating out checklist, where you will put on the paper all the important tasks you need to finish before your move day. This includes everything from what to pack for a move to all the important law issues you need to handle.

Because the first move is super stressful, we’ve provided you with some tips you should remember to use when moving overseas. So grab a pen and paper, and start writing down these seven most important tips you’ll need if you’ve never moved abroad before.

#1 Budgeting Should Be Your Number One Priority

Let’s face it, when it comes to relocating day preparations, money is always one of the biggest concerns. When moving out on your own for the first time, the budget should be your number one priority. You need to be careful with how much you are spending and where you are investing your money.

There are plenty of expenses you should prepare yourself for when relocating to another country, but planning a budget and expenses will help you out a lot. So, how much money should you have when you first move out? It depends a lot on where you are going. We’ll share some useful budgeting advice in the following paragraphs, but be sure you always have a financial cushion for at least two months.

If you don’t have experience in budgeting and you’ve never been independent before, you can always educate yourself through YouTube videos. Here’s a super helpful guide to saving money for relocating.

#2 Once You Find the Place for Living, Research It Thoroughly

When it comes to living overseas, many people get carried away when finding the right place to live and don’t do proper research. The last thing you want happening is thinking you’ve chosen the city that is the best fit for you but not doing research and getting disappointed. So if you are already searching for some of the best places to live abroad, follow this advice to be sure you are making the right decision.

Calculate the Cost of Living in That City And See if It Fits Your Budget

No matter what your reasons for moving internationally are, you need to do thorough research on the cost of living in the city you are planning to relocate to. Balancing finances abroad is not an easy task, and you want to make sure you’ve chosen a city that fits your budget well. You can find out everything about the cost of living in particular cities online.

Use websites like Numbeo to get the needed information. You should be searching for the cost of rent, groceries, average salaries, going out, medical expenses, transportation, bills, and other similar items.

Research the Neighborhoods in the City You’re Moving Into

Researching which neighborhood you are going to live in is super important. There are plenty of factors you have to take into consideration to ensure living abroad doesn’t turn into a nightmare. Find information on crime rates in the neighborhood you are planning to live in, as well as transportation, how far away it is from the city center, and other important factors that may impact your choice. If you are relocating with dogs, check out how many pet-friendly parks are there in the neighborhood.

#3 Gather All of the Necessary Documents in Advance

Gathering all of the necessary documents for traveling abroad can be quite stressful, and that’s why you should start with this task in advance. Inform yourself about what you have to have for relocating overseas. Different countries require different types of visas, so you should call certain institutions to get the right information.

The type of visa you’ll require depends on why you are relocating to another country. If you are planning to work, you’ll probably have to take care of a work permit, or if you are planning to relocate as a student, you’ll require a student visa. In the following lists, you can see what type of documents you definitely shouldn’t leave behind:

• Medical and dental records,
• Birth certificate,
• Driver’s license,
• Social security card,
• Tax records,
• Your pet’s vet records.

These are just some of the documents you’ll have to take care of if you are planning on relocating abroad alone. If you are planning on relocating with your entire family, you will also have to acquire documents for your kids and their schools.

#4 Study All the Renting Rules Before Looking for Apartments

The secret of relocating efficiently and successfully is being prepared properly. One of the most important questions you have to solve is your future housing situation. Most people choose to rent at first, and if they decide that the city is good enough for them, they’ll purchase a home. In case you’re relocating because of work, housing should be one of the relocation questions to ask your employer.

There are plenty of formal issues you have to consider before you decide to move into a certain apartment. Our advice is to choose the one that fits your budget the best. Even if it’s not the most amazing choice, you should settle down for a convenient price. If the apartment fits your budget nicely, here’s what your few next steps should be:

• Fill out an apartment renting application – You are probably not the only person applying for that specific apartment, and landlords are the ones who choose who’s going to rent it. Usually, you have to pay a fee for applying, so if you are applying for fewer apartments, choose only the ones you are most interested in.
• Submit the needed documents for the landlord – You should try and get recommendations from people with influence. You’ll have a great chance of getting the apartment if your credit score is with regular payments and as little debt as possible.
• Be careful when reading the lease – You should never rush into signing a contract until you’ve read all the information carefully. Ask your landlord about any specific issue you might have. Inform yourself of the length of the lease, your responsibilities, and any other similar question.
• Inspect everything – Don’t agree on a single thing before actually seeing the apartment. You have to make sure everything in the apartment is working well. If you see that anything is busted, damaged, or broken, call the landlord and inform them about it.

#5 Be Organized When Packing Up for the Move

Packing for international relocations is much more difficult and requires more attention than regular interstate relocations. Packing up your whole home inventory can cause a lot of relocating stress because there are so many tasks you have to finish before the relocation date. Organizing in advance by writing a thorough to-do list and home inventory list is a good start, but let’s go over some additional packing advice you could use.

Declutter and Figure Out What You’ll Leave at Your Old Home

Packing up your entire house inventory is totally unnecessary and not recommended at all. Before you start boxing up anything from your house, declutter everything first. See what is totally not worth shipping overseas, what you can’t throw away, or donate to the ones in need. More items for shipping means more money – so if you are willing to save up some money, only pack the most necessary items.

Hire Professional Movers to Assist You

As you’ve read in the previous paragraphs, there are plenty of tasks that you have to finish before your relocation, and they will require a lot of energy and hours. However, there are certain tasks that you won’t have to do completely on your own. If you consider hiring an international moving company and getting their international moving by sea services, you’ll take a lot off your plate.

Packing services can be out of great help and super beneficial for you. Especially if you don’t know how to box up certain belongings properly, for example packing fragile items can be quite time-consuming. If you are not ready to do this task with proper attention, hire an overseas moving company.

Reputable companies will also offer you other useful services like overseas vehicle shipping, which will be quite helpful if you have a car you are not sure how to transport overseas. Any questions you may have about relocating, like which items movers won’t move, be free to ask them. Good movers will solve any problem you may have

#6 Create a Plan to Use After You Move

You’ve read some of the most important relocating tips, and now we’ve got to the part where we discuss important advice to remember once you are relocated. You should have a plan of things to do after relocating, just in case you get caught up in cultural shock and forget the important tasks.

Some of the most important tasks are updating your personal information. You should take care of updating your address at the USPS, updating your driver’s license and car registration, finding a different color, dentist, and other similar things.

You should also have a plan for unpacking your items in your new apartment. If you were relocated by professionals, this task shouldn’t be too hard since they probably labeled everything properly. Once you’ve handled each of these important items, you’ll be able to finally start adjusting properly to the new surroundings, as well as making new friends abroad.

#7 Find a Suitable Way to Deal With Relocation Anxiety

International relocations can cause you a lot of stress and anxiety, especially when this is your first relocation. Many people deal with psychological issues after their relocations, so you should prepare yourself for that possible scenario. You might find yourself wondering, “How do I cope with moving out for the first time?” Here is some advice on dealing with those types of issues.

Talk to Your Friends and Family Each Day

When you’ve never been away from friends and family before, you’ll most definitely miss them a lot. So it’s no surprise that sometimes you’ll feel sad and blue when you don’t have your favorite people by your side. That’s why you should keep in touch with them every day and video chat online with them.

Don’t Rush Yourself Into Fitting in Immediately

Adjusting to a new environment could take weeks and even months, but it won’t happen overnight. You don’t have to feel super happy about the new city as soon as you get there. Give yourself space to get to know the environment, see some interesting places, break the language barrier, and do similar things. After a few months, you’ll be able to tell whether you’ve made the right choice or not.

Remember These Tips for a Safe and Smooth Transition

Now that you’ve read the top seven tips for people who have never relocated before, you’ll feel more ready and confident for this important transition. With the right preparations and the help of an overseas shipping company, relocations don’t have to be stressful at all. If you apply our advice, we can ensure you’ll have a safe and stress-free move.