Tag Archives: International move

Tips to staying safe when moving

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Moving can be unpredictable to say the least. Anything can happen so you want to ensure you and your entire family including any pets you may have will be safe during the move. Turning your back to safety could be a costlier blunder that you could have easily avoid.

Some safety tips:
• Kids – It can be dangerous if you have young kids around when moving. Heavy household goods can be dropped so avoid any distractions too by having your kids stay at a friend’s place or relative.
• Pets – Just like your kids, you don’t want to have your pets roaming freely while your move is underway. Anything can happen, plan on taking them to friends for the day or hire a pet-sitter to take care of them during the big move.
• Clear hallways – Pick up any clutter, toys or other items that may be in the hallways. Ensure all pathways are free of dirt, water, other substances and ice outside pathways.
• Clothes – Wear the most comfortable clothes during the move, shirts and pants that stretch. Wear comfortable shoes that have good traction and consider heavy duty gloves to protect your hands.

Safe moving!

Tips renting furniture

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This week, I’m going to provide tips about renting furniture if needed when you move.

When you move across the pond, not everything will go right when it comes to furniture. Some of the furniture you currently have to move might be too big or too small for the new home. Your couch might not even fit through the door. Or, your furniture doesn’t arrive on time, so you have to rent some furniture in the interim.

• When looking for homes, consider searching for furnished apartments or homes. This will save you money and any hassles from shipping furniture overseas.
• Also, consider renting household goods such as kitchenware’s, vacuum cleaners, televisions, bedding, silverware and other items. This will save you time and money especially if your move is for a certain timeframe.
• Research relocation consultants. From single items to fully tailored packages, consultants can come in handy to provide expertise for your new home.

Safe moving!

Tips regarding your mail when moving

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Even though many of us receive packages via FedEx or by other means, we still have important snail-mail to collect and when moving overseas, you want to ensure you receive it at your new home or residence. With technology today, you can now actually manage your mail from abroad by using mail forwarding services.

Moving can be stressful especially moving overseas but be sure to select a mail servicing company before heading out so that important letters, correspondences and yes, even bills are still sent to you.

You can choose a variety of features including:
• Mail sent monthly, bi-monthly or as requested
• Add an Internet account so you can view the status of your mail and specify specific shipping dates
• Shipping and customs documents can be handled by the shipping service you choose
• Categorize or select which parcels of mail you want to receive overseas

The U.S. Postal Services regulates commercial receiving agencies (CRMAs) and requires a form to be filled out (you can download it here: https://about.usps.com/forms/ps1583.pdf) and have identification documents handy when filling out the form. If you have a significant other and you’re not married, each person will need to fill out a separate form.

Mail-forwarding services eases a lot of worries when heading overseas and this is just another convenient service to use when living in another country.

Safe moving!

Tips about big-ticket items

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You have your garage sale and sold a lot of items per my blog last week. But you still have really big items that you need to move. When you are planning to move whether from state-to-state or internationally, it’s important to know what personal items you have that are difficult to move so you can prepare when your assessor comes out to ensure your “big-ticket” items are safely packed and safely moved.

Being prepared is key and having movers come in to move all of your belongings especially the big-ticket items, will ensure safe transport from point A to point B.

One of the most difficult items to move are pianos, no surprise there. Pianos are heavy and challenging to move they are large and bulky but more importantly, they have small intricate parts inside that can easily be damaged. Leave it to the pros to move your piano because they will make sure to not cause damage to it but more importantly, not to damage your doorways, hallways, walls and even ceilings and fixtures on top.

Another tough item to move are fish tanks. They are large and heavy and most of the time, fish don’t survive a move if they are left in the tank due to fluctuating conditions. I highly recommend to leave some of the “original” water in the tank, just above the bottom to ensure the existing bacteria in the water remains when you fill it. In addition, move your fish into small containers or bags using your fish tank water and transport them that way. If it’s a long trip to move, have them specially shipped via overnight or if possible, take them with you in a portable dispenser bag. You can purchase the bags at most pet and aquarium shops.

I have discussed moving artwork before but it’s also in the same category of difficult items to move. More often than not, your artwork is expensive or at the very least has sentimental value to it so you want to make sure during transport, your art safely arrives without damage. Your assessor and mover will wrap it in paper and use bubble wrap all around the frame for extra protection. If they are very good movers, they will also use packing peanuts and professional moving tape and mark it as “fragile” when it’s secured in a box for the move.

When you know and are aware about some of the big-ticket items and how they should be packed before your move, your large items will be safely secured. Leave it to the pros and you’ll have less headaches when you move to your new home.

Safe moving

Moving overseas on a limited budget?

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If you are planning to move overseas whether on your own or due to work, it can become very expensive but there are certain steps you can take to make it less expensive.

Here are some useful tips to move on your budget and to make it even less complicated:
• Lighten the load – When you move, this is a great time to get rid of non-important things and items you never use such as books that have been in your shelf for years or a chair that you never use. Less movers have to move, less you’ll have to pay. Plan on giving away your extra un-needed items, donate, sell or recycle them.
• Dedicated mover – Make sure to hire someone that has been in the business for years and is reputable. At Rainier, you will receive dedicated and personalized service. In addition, we know hundreds of agents throughout the world to provide you the very best price.
• Purchase insurance – Movers know how to transport your belongings but accidents do happen. A reputable company will always offer insurance coverage. If something happens during transport, you’ll know you won’t lose everything monetarily.
• Moving date – Generally speaking, movers are extremely busy during the summer months, weekends and at the beginning and ending of each month. If you can be flexible about the date of your move, the ideal times are middle of the months, November through early December, February through April. These are some of the least busy times and some movers may provide discounts during the slow months.

Follow these simple steps and you will lower your moving expenses and will also be organized and prepared for the big move.

Safe moving!

The ultimate guide for moving to the UK from the USA

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Making the move to a new country is never simple and with the continued rise of people throughout the world relocating overseas the demand for information on the procedure involved has only increased. As we are constantly scouring the Internet for valuable content for our customers, it was with great joy that we came across the well-known wikiHow web site and read what we have so far considered to be the absolute definitive guide on the process of moving to the UK from the USA.

The article is an incredibly easy to read and understand twelve step guide for Americans who are moving to England and covers everything from the difference between the names England and UK, issues specifically related to U.S. citizens seeking employment, challenges for moving your pets and, seemingly, every other important issue that can be thought of.

As an added bonus, after the twelve steps the article gives a thorough list of very practical tips (e.g. Don’t insult their cars…) and warnings (e.g. Don’t fake an accent trying to fit in….) that can be useful right away and also gives some great links to other resources such as finding the best flights to the UK, where to find great local entertainment, how to pack for the move and more.

While the process of making an International move seems to get more and more complicated, reading this piece on relocating to the United Kingdom from the USA will make potential movers comfortable in the fact that there are genuine, helpful and easy to understand resources out there that will break down the procedure into simple terms and will let the novices out there get a better understanding of what the process entails.

Contact Rainier Overseas Movers today for a free quote and join the ever growing list of people that we have helped move to the UK from the USA.