So my personal hell in regards to “moving internationally” got fired up when the moving companies manager finally approached me (after my whole flat was packed and wrapped up in nice little neat packages over a course of 5 hours) and kindly asked me to sign the form that states i did not include any “radioactive material” (im not kiddin), “TNT or explosives”, life animals and…small and almost at the end of the long list that i read through with a smile on my face (which turned upside down instantly)… any camping cooking devices like gas burner etc…yes, there it was black on white, and i instantly knew that the missing box with camping materials (including gas cookers) was not only a trick of my mind but mistakingly got packed up in one of the neat little packages stapling around me and just getting carried out to the waiting container. Arg. I made a quick decision, brought back my smile and quickly signed the whole thing hoping no one really would check my container properly on its way to South East Asia…Luckily i was right, but to spare you these moments of fear, check out the following points:
- Not Clarified All Details Of Your Contract
Be absolutely sure what exactly is included in your moving contract and what not. You will find a good idea here in the guide, but in a nutshell, even things like extra packing material and labeling, organizing of parking space for the moving vehicles, custom taxes or the delivery costs for your stuff to your doorstep at the destination can result in a lot of money you could have already spend for new furnitures if they arent included in your contract.
And if your contract states that the things get delivered to “your doorstep” and your place in Singapore is on the 28th floor, you have minor problem as well, if you are not Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Read: International Moving To Singapore) - No (not enough) Insurance
Ships can sink, planes can fall and trucks can crash. And if its not the whole thing then maybe just your box slips over board or gets sold by some corrupt custom officer. Things inside your boxes/containers can break or get wet etc…there are all kind of things that can happen on a thousand kilometer long journey of your things through rough territory, so be prepared and have a good insurance agains damage or loss. Almost all moving companies will offer this insurance as part of your deal and i can only advice to go for it. It might be fine to loose your set of soccer shoes, but its a bit more tragical if your shiny LCD TV is soaked in salt water or your wedding porcelan is only usable for your garden decoration any longer. - Bringing Too Much
Keep in mind that everything you move now, you most probaly have to move sooner or later again, and the more you move, the more it will cost, the less you will have room for new things and the more can break. I know its hard to leave that favourite sofa behind, which stood in that special corner of the living room for the last 10 years, but is it worth it? There are 2 Ikeas in Singapore alone and plenty of other wonderful furniture and decoration shops. Why not design your new place a bit after the country you live in?
Same goes for other things like books, i made the mistake and brought all my favourite books, which are a lot, and they are heavy and after all, i have maybe read only 10% of them again since i arrived, there is just too much other stuff to do and besides, there are new interesting books getting published every day, you will have plenty of opportunities to create a new pile of them once youve settled down here. (Read: The Singapore Guide) - Having No Perfect Time Schedule
If your flat gets packed 2 month before you move out, you will have 2 most likely very unpleasant month in an empty flat, if your movers come 2 days after you have left the country, you cant be sure anything will go the right way and finally arrive at the same place as you will. If you stuff arrives in Singapore and you are still in the midst of house hunting, you will pay for every day of storage for your things…and so on. Have evrything planned and organized ahead, it will safe you a lot of worries and money. (Read: Preparations For Singapore) - Not Being Prepared When The Movers Come
Dont just leave your place like it is and was the last years, relying on the movers to just pack up everything nicely and organized. They wont. Most probably they will be some hard working guys who have a strict schedule for every day and no time to order your dvds by genre or clothes by type when packing your things. If you dont create sections/piles/areas of things you want to be together or spend your whole day with them giving them advice on every box they pack, you will end up with one big mess upon unpacking your things.
by an Asia experienced 26 year young expat living and surviving in Singapore since years!
Discovering new interesting and strange things everyday, he provides guides, news and tips for how to survive Singapore and how to best prepare for it.
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1 Comment for this post
Dec 18, 2008 at 1:32 am
I personally think that there’s a section in hell where you’re doomed to go through the process of international moves for all of eternity. It’ll be the section reserved for people like K-Fed. Having just done a Singapore-Thailand move with two weeks notice a month ago, I’m getting flashbacks reading this post. =D
That said, I quite enjoy reading your blog. Neat stuff.
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