Hacked By Imam with Love

Whether you like it or not, you need to clean your home and make sure your new home destination is in tip-top shape as well. It’s the normal process of moving but if you make sure to schedule cleaning task before you move, it will be a lot easier process when you head overseas.

First, make sure you purchase the proper cleaning supplies so you can use cleaning tools for specific items such as counter tops, appliances etc. Some of the suggested supplies to purchase include some of the following:
• Windex cleaner
• Shower and bathroom cleaners
• Magic erasers
• Duster
• Step ladder
• Paper towels and cleaning rags
• Specialty cleaners
• Trash bags

It is much easier to clean your home when your belongings have been removed. The best way to approach cleaning your residence is to schedule a specific time when you will begin to tackle the cleaning. Once your time has been allotted, move through your home room-by-room and scrub the rooms top to bottom, clean the interior and exterior of your appliances and then save your floors for cleaning them last.

Once your current residence is ready to be rented out or purchased, you will need to ensure the new home your moving into is cleaned as well. Here’s some simple tips:
• If moving into a new home, find out if the former homeowners plan to clean the home before they leave. You never know, it may not happen and the last thing you want is to have your belongings moving into a dirty home.
• If you are moving into a rental, find out if the management company or owners plan to have your new home thoroughly cleaned and be sure to ask when it will be cleaned and ready to move into.
• By chance, if your new residence won’t be cleaned before your move, I would recommend hiring a professional cleaning service. It might be a few more dollars to add to your moving budget but will save you a lot of time and will ensure your new home is totally cleaned.
• If you have to clean your new home yourself, schedule a time in your calendar to make sure you plan ahead and have the proper cleaning supplies on hand. I wouldn’t hesitate to invite friends to help you along with your family members and provide snacks and even dinner for their cleaning efforts.

By being prepared and scheduling time to clean your new home, it will make your move clean and stress-free!

Safe moving!

Most embassies and consulates around the world have their own websites. When you move to another country, it’s really important to know the contact information and address of the embassy and consulate of the country you are moving to. They have excellent resources and can assist you if something goes wrong in your new international home.

Here are some important websites you should bookmark and make sure you have on hand before you move overseas:
• Embassy.org – Washington D.C. is the “hub” for international resources, lists of directories, passport and visas guides and much more.
• Governments on the Web – This is one of the most comprehensive lists of governmental institutions on the worldwide web which lists ministries, parliaments, offices, city councils, central banks, embassies, multi-governmental institutions and more. A great resource to use and know about the important local offices in your new country.
• Visa information – A private company not affiliated with a government agency but provides expedited visas, passports and other vital information needed for your move overseas.
• Forms and customs information – Rainier Overseas provides useful information on our own site including forms and customs information you should be aware of. Our online search tool is also really helpful.

Safe moving!

You’re moving overseas and what do you do if you want your best friend to come with you? That nice shiny four wheeled friend has taken you many times from Point A to Point B. And now you want your cool car with you when you move. Depending upon where you Are moving, you can have your far-wheeled friend shipped overseas by us through an international auto transport company.

That’s pretty easy but there are some other things you need to consider before your car is revved up to be shipped across the Atlantic or elsewhere. As always, do your research and find out about the country or city’s public transportation system. This really varies from country-to-country and you will be able to assess how much you will need to drive your car and what kind of driving conditions you can expect.

Here are some factors to keep-in-mind and to know about:
• Is your automobile street legal in your new city? Remember that Japan, Britain, Australia and other countries require you to drive on the left-side of the road.
• Make sure your professional mover knows about any import tariffs. Your mover lets you know about any of these potential fees so you are not surprised by any unexpected costs.
• Drivers licenses – Most countries will allow you to drive with your existing American driver’s license but only for a specified period of time.
• Research your new country’s driving regulations and laws before your international move so you know when you need to obtain a new license.
• Purchase insurance – When you move, things can happen so make sure you buy moving insurance for your car especially if it’s a new car. This will provide you peace-of-mind if something should go wrong during the transport.

Follow these tips and ensure you hire a reputable moving company so that your four-wheel friend is taken care of during your overseas move.

Safe moving!

If you like drinking fine wine like I do and have a wine cellar or collection down in your basement or somewhere in your home, you will want to make sure that damage won’t occur when you move overseas or within the states. Your wine cellar probably took many years and lots of money to build up the valuable bottles in your collection (unfortunately, my wine cellar is always empty because for the life of me, I just can’t stop drinking. I’ve been a professional wino for 73 years now).

Treat your wine collection like valuable jewelry especially if you are moving overseas. Here’s some tips to keep in mind:
• Let your mover know – It’s seems simple but many times people do forget to tell their movers about a wine collection to be moved. Please advise your mover that you have a high-value wine collection among your belongings to be moved. Your mover needs to know so they can take precautionary measures to safely move and appraise your collection.
• Find out how much your wine is worth – When you contact your movers, make sure to tell them to have the surveyor or even a wine appraiser to come over to find out how much your collection is worth. That way, a monetary value is placed on your cellar before it’s moved. Upon knowing its worth, I would highly recommend purchasing insurance through your mover so it’s protected before your fine wine heads overseas.
• High-value inventory form – When making arrangements to move your wine cellar, your movers should ask and provide you with a high-value inventory form. Just like jewelry and other high-priced items, your wine is valuable and this will qualify you to receive protection and replacement plans your mover has to offer.
• Take photos – Be sure to take lots of photos of your wine collection especially your expensive bottles. Take additional photos as your wine cellar expands. This ensures you have a complete record of your entire wine collection before your move.

Preserving a fine wine takes its time and be sure to take time when moving your valuable wine cellar to a new home.

Safe moving!