Improve your journey overseas with our top tips!

Seven Seas Worldwide speak to customers every day who have the same ambition as you.  We know the most important factors required in making a success of your move.  Therefore, we've put together a page of guidance and advice, ideal for the potential expatriate.

• If you're still contemplating where to live, remember to be sensible in your approach.  Don't just stick a pin in an atlas!  It can always help an expat if they move to a country where friends and family already reside.  Having this kind of network in place can really help with the transition and help you avoid feelings of disorientation and displacement.

• If you're lucky enough to have the kind of skills and experience that will guarantee full-time employment throughout the world, you may want to think about choosing a country where your talents are specifically in demand.  This could lead to a fast-tracked application, an increased salary and more benefits.  Being valued in this way will also do wonders for your self-esteem!  Perhaps this is what you have been missing at home?

• Do you have a favourite holiday destination?  Have you already spent some time in another country and become enamoured by the culture and general way of life over there?  Perhaps this is the country for you!  The more you know and love about a country, the easier it will be to acclimatise yourself.

• Make sure you have the correct work permit or visa residency for your chosen country.  Countries differ in their approach to migration restrictions.  For instance, moving from one EU country to another is actively encouraged by the EU so you will find few restrictions imposed.  Alternatively, other countries have much more rigid processes in place that require a greater deal of paperwork (and time). 

• You may find the cost of healthcare rises as you move to your host country, so we would suggest researching into healthcare cover.  Another option would be to put money aside now for any future health issues.  Depending on the country, you may also need to speak to your doctor about vaccinations.

• The moment you decide to move, speak to Seven Seas Worldwide about providing you with FREE packing cartons.  It is best to stay ahead of the packing and avoiding a rush at the last minute.  You could start by packing non-essentials; for instance, if you're planning to move during the summer, you can pack all your warm winter clothes!  Single out one carton for essentials and label it as such so that by the time you reach your destination, you know which carton to open for items such as toiletries, toothbrushes, utensils and, of course, tea and coffee-making facilities!

• At Seven Seas Worldwide, our FREE cartons are chemically-hardened and extremely robust with the ability to support heavy and bulky items, so you can trust us to get your personal belongings delivered safely and securely to your intended destination.  Don't worry, we'll never fob you off with flimsy or unreliable cardboard boxes.  We'll treat your items with the respect that you do.  Order as many as you need now and start packing!

• It is very important to stay on top of your finances when undertaking such a big move.  You may find that your monthly budget no longer stretches to a month!  For this reason, we suggest making savings now and building up a nest egg for your first few months abroad.  It could make all the difference.

• Much as you may want to, regrettably you can't take everything with you.  It is important to be ruthless when packing!  If you're planning on taking large items of furniture with you, we would advise it against it.  Shipping items like beds, sofas and wardobes is a very costly affair.  In most cases, the cost of shipping an item of furniture exceeds the value of the original item.  Unless it has sentimental value, we would suggest leaving the furniture at home.  There are a number of ways you can offload these items.  You can find out about local car boot or garage sales in your area, sell them online, donate them to charity, put them in secure storage or leave them behind with a friend.  It will be cheaper and easier in the long run.  Plus, if you do choose to sell your items, you'll be making great headway in building up that nest egg we mentioned earlier! 

• In addition to this, we would also suggest reducing the size of any CD or DVD collections you decide to take with you.  In this Digital Age of tablet computers and mp3 players, is it really worth shipping several boxes of music and film titles across the globe? 

• When packing, don't forget all those areas of the home that go unnoticed such as sheds, garages, basements and lofts.  These places are magnets for clutter so we suggest paying them a visit and clearing them out completely.  It could also be very therapeutic! 

• Try to write a list of the contents of the carton onto the actual carton itself.  This will help both you and our drivers!  China, glassware and any other fragile item must be packed separately, and electrical items such as TV sets and computers should (where possible) be inserted into their original boxes and then packed inside one our chemically-hardened cartons.

• Our two most popular cartons are the 'Large Carton' and 'Standard Carton'.  Put all light items such as clothes, linens and towels into the large cartons and heavier items including books and photo albums into the standard cartons.  Do not put heavy items into the large cartons!  You may injure yourself trying to move it!  Spread the weight of heavy items evenly across as many standard cartons as you need.  If you're the head of a family, a good tip would be to delegate responsibility in the move by assigning one room to one member of the family.

• For more advice and guidance on moving and working abroad, we would recommend researching online the websites, forums and blogs of fellow expats who share the same goals as you.  There's a wealth of experience out there to tap into.

• Don't forget to tell everyone you're leaving, from friends at your local book club to the government!  Utility services always like to be warned in advance so don't leave issues such as gas, electricity and broadband to the last minute.  It won't make you popular.

• If you're in this for the long-term and looking to buy property, we would strongly advise renting first and doing your research while you're out there.  It is impossible to make a decision on a place from just a few photos and descriptions online alone, so don't make any hasty decisions.  It's a very risky way to start your adventure overseas. 

• Should you have family or friends who have made the big leap to start a new life abroad, you might want to choose this time to pick their brains.  It's very important that you get someone else's perspective before you make your mind up.

• It's easy to lose sight of your goal while on this journey for there are many challenges ahead.  Always keep in your mind the reason why you set out on this path in the first place - and stay positive!

• Here are a few more pointers towards helping you make the right decision while moving:-

• Remember the combination of logistics and cost will soon have you regretting taking those large items of furniture abroad with you!  Unless they have sentimental value, why not just replace them at your host country?
• If you wish to take a lounge leather suite to a warmer climate, you may find that it becomes extremely unpleasant to sit on!  Always think about how your furniture may react to changing temperatures before you think about shipping it overseas.
• For health reasons, it is always a good idea to throw beds away once they're ten years old, so if your bed is anywhere near this mark, it is certainly not advisable to take it with you to your new destination.
• For more information on what to take when moving abroad and other general emigration information, we recommend the websites Expat Forum, British Expats and Expat Blog.