Overseas moves can be a challenging and stressful time for your family. You may deal with difficult transitions, culture shock, and homesickness. Still, an overseas move — temporary or permanent — could be an amazing time for you all to grow closer together and experience new things. Check out this list of things to keep, toss, or store as you prepare for a new adventure. 

Bring Small Appliances and Electronics

For most moves, you can safely assume you will have access to electricity, so don’t be afraid to bring your favorite devices with you. Feel free to pack up your gaming equipment, small kitchen appliances, and computers to join you in your new home.

Keep an eye on the voltage your devices may require, though, and make sure you find adapters to fit the outlets at your destination. Different countries often have different ways to plug in electronics, and you don’t want to be stuck without your coffeepot or space heater if you need it.

Leave Large Appliances

Any time you use professional movers, you’ll have to keep an eye on the weight of your shipment, but this is especially true when you travel overseas. All of your belongings will have to fit into shipping containers and travel by ship to your destination, except what you carry with you.

Unless you’re an expert minimalist, you’ll probably need to trim your shipment’s weight, and that means leaving behind heavy appliances like laundry machines, refrigerators, and dishwashers. You can sell them secondhand or store them if you plan to return, and you’ll have the freedom to buy machines that fit your space in your new home. Plus, you’ll have more room for what you actually want to bring.

Bring Clothing

Clothing can be expensive, especially if you plan to overhaul your entire wardrobe to fit better into your new environment. Save yourself some cash by keeping the clothes you have now so you won’t have to splurge when you reach your destination.

Take the time to weed through your clothes before you go, of course. Do you plan to move to a tropical island? You probably won’t need that heavy winter coat. Going somewhere landlocked? Unless you plan to take trips, you likely don’t need your life vests and snorkeling gear. Evaluate what you’ll want, and donate or resell the rest to free up space in your wardrobe.

Leave Furniture

Think about your furniture the same way you did about those large appliances. You don’t know the layout of your new home; you have no idea what will fit and what won’t until you get there. Save a significant amount of space in your shipment by getting rid of your furniture before you get to moving day.

If you have family heirlooms you don’t want to part with or pieces you can’t live without, no one will force you to dispose of them. If you plan to move permanently, you can ship them over with the rest of your things; if you plan to come back to your home of origin, consider storing them or leaving them with someone you trust.

Bring Hobby Gear

Your interests probably won’t change much while you’re away, so if you’ve invested money into equipment for your hobbies, don’t waste it by leaving things behind. Plan space for your bike if you’re a cycler, your board if you surf or skate, or your instruments if you play. Make sure to pack these carefully so that they survive the trip.

Leave Clutter

Don’t bring things to a new country that you didn’t even use in your old one. Anything that isn’t necessary to your family’s health and happiness can probably stay behind. A good rule of thumb is to evaluate how much time has passed since you used something: if that time has been longer than six months, it can probably go.

If you plan to move to, from, or within the Hawaiian Islands, Island Movers Inc. has your back. Our company has over 60 years of experience with personal and business moves, whether door-to-door or interisland. Contact us today for a free estimate, and let Island Movers Inc. take care of your family during this time of transition.