The Challenges of Moving Overseas
Posted on 13/09/2016
You are all ready and set for moving house, but you are not moving house just to the other side of the street, or even in the town or city nearby. You are actually all set and ready for a move overseas. That might sound equal parts exciting and scary, but before you choose how to feel about it, how about you get ready for it? Moving home is hard enough as it is, you will have an even bigger problem when you have to take the man and van abroad. Moving overseas presents a lot of challenges which you should be aware of and ready to face once they surface, so read below, be informed, and move safely:
#1 – The Visa
How is the status of your visa? Do you even have one? You should, especially since the events in Brexit; you should always be ready to face trouble with documents. Keep your ID on your person at all times and when you cross the border, make sure you are equipped with or have filed forms for a valid visa which allows you to travel and move to another country. Especially if you are moving to the US, you will need a working visa, which can later transform into something more permanent.
#2 – The Cost of Living
Do you have the finances necessary to support this kind of move? House relocation is expensive as it is even if you are just using a man with van, so you should do your research on the cost of living in the target town you are going to. The money at home is not always enough for living abroad, so make sure you have the finances to survive after the move.
#3 – The Health
More often than not we focus our attention more on the move than on ourselves. If you have an underlying condition, you better make sure that it won’t affect the move or the events after the move. Your health is the most important thing in the world so you should keep it in check and always be aware of your condition. Also, make sure that the environment of the target country is appropriate if you do have some kind of condition to watch out for.
#4 – The Language
Learning the new language is important. Nowadays it is entirely possible to go around just speaking English to everyone, but that’s more of a tourist’s way of spending time in a country. If you are to live in a non-English speaking country, then you better learn the language if you want to become part of the community. People are more appreciative when you speak their tongue, as you will notice.
#5 – The Lifestyle
The lifestyle might not seem that much of a problem within the first few days or weeks after the moving van drops you off. But after a while, if the lifestyle is not one you are hugely familiar with and even used to, then you will have to adjust. And since people don’t change, the adjusting period might just be too lengthy for you to handle. And you should never try to adapt to a new home, anyway, you should feel right at home with the move. So wherever you are moving home to, make sure it is the lifestyle you are used to.
#6 – The Distance
It is sometimes an overwhelming thought that your actual home, the one you are leaving behind, where all your friends and family members are, is so damn far away. Even when moving to another city, you know that there is someone waiting just a short ride away. But when moving overseas that return trip becomes a tad more complicated and that leads to:
#7 – The Solitude
The fact is, wherever you move, initially you will feel the solitude in full force. When the excitement flows away and you are left with your job and chores and new environment, you might just feel like you are the loneliest person in the world. Don’t succumb to such thoughts. With new surroundings comes a new life and new friends. It’s all about adjusting - you will find your place once again.
Prepare to face these challenges well in advance and then you house removals overseas won’t be such a big issue.
