What to sort out first - moving abroad in 4 months...

[AdventureInKL]

We have just decided to move abroad (KL). We've written so many pages of lists that I don't know where to start...

Anyone any idea of shipping timescales - if it takes 6 weeks to get there, when do we need to arrange it etc?

What to take?

How to rent the house out?

How to sell the car?

etc. etc.

Any advice would really help. :)

Hello.Certified copy - needs to be certified by a solicitor. You can use a family lawyer or local high street solicitor will often charge 15 quid per certification.

Don't like the sound of the chest xray - !

I'm in KL and have been here nearly two years. DH has been here longer.

DH rented a furnished apartment when he first came out here nearly three years ago. It had beds, sofas, dining table, white goods etc. He bought bedlinen, crockery and cutlery in IKEA out here.

When I and two DCs joined him we had a small airfreight allowance of 100KG which amounted to about six big boxes. I packed extra kitchen stuff and some things to make the DCs rooms seem more homely.

We have since bought some of our own furniture because the landlady's was a bit old and tatty.

But, the point I am trying to make OP is that, yes, you can find furnished places here. If you rent UNfurnished you can either buy cheap furniture OR use one of the furniture rental places here. Unfurnished rentals are cheaper, often enough to cover the cost of the furniture rental.

DO BE AWARE THAT THE TRAFFIC IS DREADFUL here, and you should consider how long a commute you can bear. My DCs are at a school that is only 9 miles from where we live. On a good day the drive can take 25 minutes. On a bad day it is 90 minutes. I am very pleased that they take the school bus most days.

Some other things that have come to mind;

All your electrical stuff will work fine here, OP. Same voltage, same sockets.

We had two cars before I left. I sold one at the very last minute to a dealer so didn't get as much for it as if I had sold privately, but at least it was sold. The other one we have left in the the UK in the care of a relative who is happy to have an extra car. We find it useful to have access to our own car in the UK, for our trips home and DH's work trips.

Cars are expensive here. It is unlikely that you will be able to buy the same type and age of car as you had in the UK for the same money. Maybe you'll have a car as part of your package though.

anon Isn't that a notarised copy?

OP- I would check with whoever's asked for them as I think it can mean different things in different countries. Certainly, UK passport photos are "certified" copies and most people just ask someone they know who has a prof job.

Chest x-ray is to check for TB.

Ok, deep breath, here goes.




1. Do your research to find out as much as you can about what you need. There are lots of expat sites out there that give country reports (some free, some paid), blogs (www.expatwomen.com and www.expatblog.com both have country lists),and general advice (www.expateverydaysupportcenter.com, www.expatinfodesk.com, www.definingmoves.com) although if you are going to be working in an international school, you should have access to lots of great contacts already.
2. Get rid of as much stuff as you can. Depending on how long you are going for, when you return it will either seem outdated or very worn. If it's not worth shipping, consider carefully whether you need it at all. Usually expats who are leaving sell a lot of stuff, so if you are in an international school, you'll probably find you can get a fair amount secondhand if you really decide you need something. And the less you have, the less you ship, pack, unpack etc etc. 


3. Get three quotes for shipping companies, and check their insurance carefully. 


4. Advertise the car, find a dealer, whatever you need to do to get it sold and rent for the last week or so if you need to. You don't need the hassle of worrying about a car when you are trying to sort out everything else.


5. Certified copies - have you asked the bank or your solicitor? Or contacted the embassy? 


6. Scan and back up everything. (I use a scansnap S1100, which is amazing and scans direct to email, file or Evernote, so perfect for traveling). This includes banks statements, marriage certificates, family photos, wedding photos, professional certificates, etc etc. I have lost count of the number of times we have needed them, especially the ones you least imagine.


7. Get a full medical. If anything turns up, you can get it sorted before you go, rather than having to rush to find a doctor/ dentist when you get there. And get any routine screenings that might fall due in the first 3-6 months - you'll be astonished how quickly time flies by and you still haven't chosen a doctor.


8. Get full copies of your medical records, and make scanned copies. Healthcare gets really fragmented when you travel, and healthcare providers really appreciate being handed your medical records rather than a lengthy and expensive international fax bill.


9. Clarify the legal stuff before you go. This includes your will, any trusts or living wills, and a full copy of your life insurance details, bank accounts etc that can be left with your solicitor. 



10. Get Skype, get an online email address if you don't already have one and start sending out change of address notices. Update your contact list (and back it up, obviously). And buy a laptop if you don't already own one. 

 11. Get your hair done just before you go. It's a nightmare finding a hairdresser, and you need photos taken for everything once you land. Good luck!

Great, thank you so much for all of that.

Paperwork getting sorted now, health stuff should be OK to organise, now the house rental (this side) is next on the list...

It's me (OP, can't be bothered with NC now).

Paperwork all sorted, medical stuff too.

Packing and sorting/getting rid is the next big thing. We are thinking of, once we've decided what to take and boxed it up, of inviting all our friends around to take stuff. Has anyone else done this? There's always Freecycle but it such a hassle for so many things, car boots too. What about house clearance places - do they pay you or do you pay them?!