How to pack before an international move

Moving is something that’s usually an essential part of life. No matter where you live, you’ll probably move at least once in your life. It’s a process that takes a lot of time, effort, and planning. It’s not something that can be done overnight, so it’s important that you do good research on how to properly complete every task that is a part of the whole moving process. One of those tasks is packing your belongings. It may appear to be a simple task. However, once you start preparing for it – you’ll realize how much thought and effort needs to be put into it. When moving internationally using international moving services you need to take special care of this packing task. So let’s see how to pack before an international move.

Things you need to do before packing for your move

Before you start the packing process, there are a few things you need to do in advance. When preparing for a move with international relocation companies, one thing that will save you so much time and money is a good organization. That’s why doing research, preparing well, and getting everything you need before you start packing are going to be lifesavers. So what are some things to do before you start to pack before an international move? 

• Set a budget for your move
• Make an inventory
• Plan out the packing process
• Figure out how much of packing supplies you’ll need
• Get the packing supplies

  

Set a budget for your move

Setting a budget for your move is just as important as making a moving plan. This will prevent you from spending too much because you will plan everything out. So, you need to set a budget as soon as you decide on moving. About two months prior to moving, to be exact. Whether you are planning to hire a mover or move on your own – it’s important that you have at least some idea of how much everything is gonna cost you.

Since you are moving internationally, it might cost you somewhere around $5,000. The price may vary, of course, depending on what mover you hire, what services they offer, etc. At first, you might not know exactly how much everything is gonna cost, but it’s useful to know what’s the average amount. 

Tip: A lot of people move internationally because of their job. If you are one of them, make sure to talk to your employer about this. Some employers will cover some or all expenses of your move. This is fair enough, considering that you are not moving on your own initiative. So, if the reason for your relocation is work – don’t miss out on this. Why would you spend so much money on something you might not have to? 

If you are moving for your job, you might also need to move your car. Since it’s an international move, you’ll probably need some help with international car transportation.

Make an inventory

If you are hiring international household movers, they are going to do an inventory. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make one as well. This will help you realize how much stuff you actually have. Having a real idea of how many things you need to move will help with your organization. You’ll also know how many packing supplies you’ll need for everything.

Check every room and all belongings in each room. When you have a list of all your belongings, it will be easier to decide what you can throw out. The same goes for furniture, you should decide what furniture will just get in the way. Moving furniture overseas can be very demanding – that’s why it’s best to get rid of the unnecessary things on time. In case you don’t want to throw things out – there is one more option to get rid of them if they are still good to use. You can see the items you don’t need anymore. Not only will you get rid of the items, but you will also earn money that will contribute to your moving budget. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

When we’re talking about bulky and heavy furniture, the piano is something that also comes to mind, even though it isn’t a part of it. However, just like heavy furniture, pianos can be very hard to protect and transport. You can always hire international piano movers to keep your piano safe during the move.

Plan out the packing process

You should start packing about a month prior to moving. It may seem early, but if you start on time you won’t have problems later on. However, before you start packing, you need to make a plan how are you going to pack things and when. Packing things without any certain order will only result in a complete mess. So first, pack all the things that you won’t need during the moving process and right after you move. These include books, electronics, home decorations, and such. On the other hand, something that you need to pack the last is obviously essentials. Think about things that you use every day, the ones that are necessary wherever you go. Some of these may include clothes, bedding, toiletries, etc. 

Figure out how much of packing supplies you’ll need

Just looking at all your belongings is not really going to give you an idea of what is the amount of packing supplies you’ll need. However, there is a solution for every problem. A moving calculator is something that will help you find out how many packing supplies you’ll need depending on the number of rooms in your house, the adults that are moving, your packing style, and more. Not only that, but this calculator will help you get the right size and kind of moving boxes and calculate the price of these supplies.

It’s a fairly similar system to getting international moving quotes. Bear in mind that this calculator might not be 100% accurate. You might need a bit more or a bit less than what it shows you. So we recommend getting a little more just in case. It will save you from running back to the store to get more supplies when you are already in a hurry.

Get the packing supplies

This is the last and probably the most obvious stage of preparing for the packing process when you pack before an international move – getting the packing supplies. Now that you know how much packing supplies you’ll need it’s time to go to the store and get them. There are packing supplies that are necessary and the ones that could come in handy but are only optional. Let’s focus on the necessary ones for now. Some of them include:

• Moving Boxes
• Packing tape
• Bubble wrap
• Packing paper
• Scissors 
• Permanent markers for labeling

We suggest that you don’t try to save money on your packing supplies, and here is why. The safety of your belongings is one of the top priorities of a moving process. By getting cheap packing supplies, you are putting your belongings at the risk of getting damaged. It might seem like you are spending more – but you are actually saving money. How so? If any of your goods get damaged or anyone gets injured in the process – it will only cost you more to repair the damage. 

Packing tips for an international move

Now that you are well prepared to start packing – we’ll show you some tips and tricks on how to pack as easily as possible. We’ve already mentioned that packing without any certain order or technique will get you nowhere. You would spend hours and hours packing when you can do it so much easier and faster. Why is it so important to be efficient when packing for your move? The answer is simple. Packing is the most time-consuming task in the whole moving process. This is exactly why you want to know all the packing tips when moving internationally with door to door international movers.

Make sure your moving boxes are of high quality

Moving boxes are something that you should choose wisely when you pack before an international move. There are various options that might seem appealing because they are cheap or even free. While getting used boxes from your local supermarket or grocery store might seem like a great idea – think about it twice. Boxes that are used for this purpose are not made for moving. They can support certain items that are transported to stores, but can they support your belongings?

Another thing is that these boxes are often exposed to moisture and other factors that can have a bad impact on the durability and quality of the boxes. These boxes can be a bad choice even for local moves. So when we talk about moving boxes overseas – they should be out of the question. By investing in high-quality moving boxes you are saving money and keeping everyone involved in the moving process safe. 

Leave about an hour for packing every day

A lot of people think that they are supposed to pack everything at once when they are preparing for their move. Let’s get this straight – don’t do this. The packing process is the most exhausting part of the move. This means that you need to take your time doing it. Making it even more exhausting than it already is by overworking yourself is not going to end well. You can get injured due to exhaustion and many other things.

Since you started packing on time, it will be easy to decide when you are going to pack – at what time of the day and for how long. Just like you can’t do the packing without any certain order, you also need a plan for this. It’s very simple – make a plan to pack for one hour every day. If you are consistent in doing something, it will only get easier and easier every day and you will get all the work done little by little. This is the least stressful method for packing your belongings.

Never overpack your boxes

One of the main rules you need to have in mind when you pack before an international move – don’t overpack. This is one more common mistake people make when they are trying to save money during their move. However, trying to fit as much as you can into one box because you can –  doesn’t mean you should. Take as many moving boxes as you need to properly pack all of your belongings. It’s very important to be careful not to overpack because of a few things.

First, boxes that are too heavy will be absolutely impossible to carry. This may lead to various injuries of people moving boxes that are too heavy. Second, when you move the boxes they might suddenly open and your stuff will be all over the floor. It might lead to injuries, damaging items, etc. Not only that, but you will also have to pack everything from the box all over again which also means you will be losing time as well. Your biggest boxes should not weigh more than around 50 pounds. 

Don’t leave any spaces in the box empty

When you pack before an international move – never leave any empty spaces in a box. This is a tip that is crucial when packing breakable items. Before you put them in a box, wrap them in packing paper or bubble wrap using a few layers. These are items like vases, glasses, and other things that are hard to transport due to their fragility.

After you wrap them individually and put them in the box, look for spaces in the box that are still empty. Why is this important? Even when you wrap your breakables individually, if you leave empty spaces in the box they will most likely move around during transport, and get in contact with one another which may cause them to break. Therefore, fill the empty spaces in the box with packing paper to ensure your breakables will get to your new home safe and sound.