Let’s face it; moving overseas, while exciting, can be very expensive and stressful. Therefore, it’s helpful to look for ways you can cut costs and save your money for helping you get set up in your new home. This can include choosing the right shipping options, decluttering for cash, moving during the right time, and getting professional help with packing. As experts in international moving, we’re sharing some of our top tips for moving overseas on a budget below.
Shipping Options
One of the most expensive parts of moving overseas can often be how much it costs to ship your belongings to the country you’re moving to. There are a couple of options you can choose from when it comes to shipping your belongings; air freight or shipping container. When choosing a shipping container, you can ship a full container load, shared load, or less than container load where the cost varies depending on which option you choose. For people wanting to ship a large volume of goods- a full container load is a great option and for people who don’t need as much space, a shared load is a great way to cut costs. On the other hand, air freight, while great for getting items to their destination quickly is quite expensive.
Sell your Clutter
A big part of moving house is decluttering items and minimising the number of items you need to bring with you. While doing this, it can be a good idea to place aside some items that are still in good condition and sell them on Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, or eBay. You may be surprised as to how many people are looking for a bargain, and how much money you can collect by selling your secondhand goods.
Move-in Off-Peak Seasons
Believe it or not, there are times during the year where moving companies are busiest and therefore, it can cost a significant amount of money to move during this time. For many moving companies, summer is their busiest period as it’s when children have their school holidays. Moving off-peak means that often you can negotiate better deals with the removalists you choose and you have a better chance of moving on a day of your choice.
Book Flights Early
Just like if you were going on a holiday, booking your flight early will give you the best chance of securing a good price for your flight. It is recommended that you book your flights 4-6 months in advance; however, if you are unsure of exactly when you’re moving, most airlines will be able to block out a number of dates for you. This also works in the same way as the tip above, where moving during off-peak season means flights won’t be anywhere near as expensive as they would be during summer or the holiday season. If you want to save money further, booking a flight on a weekday is much cheaper than flying on weekends.
Customs
Nobody likes surprise expenses, and customs can be the one part of moving overseas that incurs extra costs. Because every country has different customs procedures and regulations, it can be really difficult to know what and what not to bring, making for a nerve-racking experience. Unfortunately, if your goods aren’t packed correctly or if you haven’t declared everything you should, you may have to pay up. Luckily, you can avoid this by hiring an international moving company that is familiar with the customs processes of the country you’re moving to and offers a complete packing service for you.
