Moving Abroad
Making moving overseas run like Clockwork
Together with our impressive network of international removal partners and agents, Clockwork Removals can operate in any location, offering a door-to-door moving service worldwide.
Clockwork Guide to Moving Abroad
There are so many things to think about when you move overseas. Whether you are relocating through work, emigrating or retiring abroad, as well as all the usual chores involved in moving home such as notifying your utility suppliers, re-directing the post and cancelling your milk order, you will also have to worry about passports, visas, shipping your belongings and getting acquainted with a completely new culture.
To help you through the moving process, we’ve put together a helpful checklist of things to think about and organise when you are moving abroad:
As early as possible:
• If you haven’t done so already, start researching your new destination thoroughly.
• Make sure all passports are up-to-date and you have valid visas.
• Start sorting through all your belongings and decide what you want to take with you, what you’re going to store and what you’re going to dispose of. Remember, the more you take with you, the more expensive your shipping costs will be and remember we can store for you both here and abroad.
• Finalise your preferred removal date with your Clockwork move manager and begin thinking about insurance values for your consignment and type of cover required
• If you are moving to a non-English speaking country it’s worth learning a little of the local language.
6 weeks before moving
• Check and confirm all your travel arrangements such as flights, trains and car reservations.
• If you’re not moving into your new home straight away, organise any temporary accommodation or hotels at your destination and en-route.
• If you need any vaccinations visit your doctor.
• Don’t forget to advise doctors and dentists of your move and obtain your medical records. Check to see if you are covered for emergency health care in the country you are moving to, if you are not you may need to take out specialist health insurance.
• Notify your local council and check if you are due a Council Tax rebate
4 weeks before moving
• Go over your move with your dedicated Clockwork move manager
• If you are taking your car abroad, make sure your driving license and insurance covers you in your new country and make sure your MOT is up-to-date. Your international move co-ordinator can organise export certificates for any vehicles.
• Arrange insurance cover for the move
• Make a list of what you intend to take with you
• Cancel any club memberships or subscriptions
• Arrange to have your mail redirected
• Make sure all your finances, credit and payments are in order
3 weeks before moving
• Clear out your loft, attic, shed or garage and dispose of or recycle anything you aren’t taking with you.
• Speak to your international move manager to arrange storage at home or at your destination.
2 weeks before moving
• Contact your electoral office about postal voting forms.
• Dismantle large items of furniture
• Arrange for a professional to disconnect kitchen appliances
• Organise for utilities like gas, water and electricity meters to be read on the day of your move, your phone disconnected and any bills forwarded
• Arrange for any rented items to be collected
• Cancel milk, newspapers and pay local bills
• Transfer or close bank accounts. If you are keeping any savings accounts open, notify them of your new address and fill in a ‘Not ordinarily resident’ form so you don’t have to pay tax on your savings.
• Ensure possibly soiled items, such as outside furniture, bikes, shoes are cleaned in advance, with a power washer or good cleaning detergent. This will reduce the risk of fumigation / quarantine charges at destination.
1 week to go
• Start emptying and defrost your fridge and freezer
• Collect all important documents like birth and marriage certificates together ready to carry them with you on the move. Keep separate photocopies in a safe place.
• Go over the final checks of your move with your international move manager
• Get your foreign currency to use on arrival
• Drain lawnmowers and other power equipment of petrol and oil
• Label your furniture, draw up a plan of your new home, indicating what goes where
• Pack luggage for your journey, keeping with you all the items you’ll need on arrival (leave the packing of furniture and possessions to Clockworks’ expert packing teams)
1-2 days before your move
• Pack the items that you are travelling with eg. travel documents, passports, clothes, currency, medicines in your hand luggage.
• Arrange with your neighbours to save a parking space outside your home for the removal vans
On Moving day
• Before the removal vehicle leaves, double check all your rooms, cupboards, loft, shed, garage etc to make sure that that everything you want to move is packed away.
• If no-one is moving into your old home, turn off the power and drain or turn off the water supply, lock up and and hand over the keys to your estate agents.
• Relax and enjoy your move while we look after the rest!
Testimonials
" I've used Clockwork 4-5 times for shipments to Cyprus. All is basically taken care of as soon as the first phone call is made. All staff from office to packers are extremely helpful polite and efficient..''Tom Smith / Lincoln
Very friendly, efficient and adaptable team and good admin support as well. Overall very impressed and thanks for your help.Sarah Gromova / London
The Service was of an Excellent Standard from start to finish. Thank you.Madeleine Price / Cannock
An excellent and highly professional operation. I was particularly impressed by speed of response to queries and the willingness to modify the schedule and services to changed circumstances.Michael Conlon
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