How to save money when moving abroad

Choose the best international removals company

It may be tempting to go with the cheapest international removals company you can find, however that could end up turning out more costly. It’s important to read into exactly what you’re getting for your money. Does it provide everything you need in order to move abroad or will you find yourself paying for additional services further down the line? Excess International Movers provide one, all-inclusive cost for our removals services, with no added costs further down the line.

Leave yourself as much time as possible

Whilst we know that sometimes you can find yourself needing to move home quickly, if you can give yourself extra time then do. By allowing yourself more time to send your belonging overseas you could save money on international shipping costs. The reason for this is simple, longer international shipping services tend to be more cost-effective. If you need or want your items shipped abroad quickly, you’ll have to pay extra for it.

Choose to move your items by land or sea freight

International air freight, although quicker is also one of the most expensive ways to send your belongings abroad and can take up a large portion of your moving budget. International land and sea freight shipping services are much cheaper and can save you a lot more money when moving abroad.

Plan!

One of our most important ways to save money when moving abroad is to plan every aspect of your trip. We know that when moving overseas some unexpected surprises are bound to happen but the more you can plan for your international move, the more likely you are to be able to save money during the move. Planning allows you to account for any delays that may arise and calculate exactly how long everything should take to ensure your new home is ready overseas in time for both your arrival and the arrival of your belongings. Planning ahead will also ensure that you have all the necessary paperwork ready when you arrive to avoid any additional fees or costs incurred requesting more paperwork or documents.

Be ruthless when packing

Although you may be fond of a particularly piece of furniture, you should remember that most things can be bought when moving to a new place. Getting rid of old, no-longer-needed items or putting heavier items into storage can end up saving you a lot of money when shipping your furniture abroad as a lot of shipping companies will base your international moving quote on the size and weight of your load. Therefore, if your load is smaller, you will save money on sending your belongings abroad and leave money for other costs incurred when moving abroad.

Check the customs requirements

Before you pack to move abroad, do a thorough investigation of the country’s customs requirements. Some countries are extremely strict about what they let you bring into the country. You can incur heavy charges if you try to import something into the country you shouldn’t. You’d be surprised at what you can find on the list of restricted items – potted plants or chewing gum can be restricted when entering some countries. As well as heavy customs charges, delays at customs can be costly as they could affect transport plans or mean you have to buy new items that have been stopped at the border

Plan your flights

One cost that many people don’t consider when moving abroad is the cost of flying yourself out to your new home abroad. By choosing your flight time wisely you could save yourself a lot of money when moving abroad. Flying in school holidays to a popular holiday destination, for example, could be one of the most expensive ways to move abroad. Travelling in the off-season at a quieter flight time, however, could see you finding a cheaper flight to move abroad and save you money on the costs of moving overseas.

Save money sending money overseas

When moving abroad, one of our top tips for saving money is to choose a specialist overseas money transfer service that won’t charge you excessive fees. Here at Excess International Movers, we have partnered with TORFX to provide a cost-effective money transfer service to save you money when emigrating.

Arrange work in your new home country

Although you may have already arranged this before moving, securing a job offer in your new country before moving abroad can help offset the costs you will incur when moving overseas. Having a new job ready to start will ensure you have the smallest window of unemployment when moving to your new country. This will make sure you have enough money to cover any living expenses in your chosen country and don’t have to spend time travelling to interviews and applying to jobs whilst trying to settle into your new life abroad. It is important you have the correct permits and visas to allow you to work in another country, so securing your employment before you move will give you the time to process any paperwork before you start your new role.

If you are planning on moving abroad and looking for a cost-effective international removals service with plenty of experience, get in touch with the team here at Excess International Movers. We send countless happy customers abroad every single year and have a wide range of international shipping services as well as bag shipping services available to suit every need and budget.