Moving Overseas or Interstate? Consider These 5 Budget Tips

Planning an interstate or international move can seem like a daunting task. It does require research and it will take time. Preparing yourself well ahead of time is the most important factor. The reality is that moving home is not just about packing and shipping your belongings. For an overseas move, you may have a new culture, one with language barriers. How do you find a new home or new schools for your children? What facilities does your family need to make life comfortable? Many of these issues apply equally to moving interstate.

By choosing the right removalists either international or interstate removalists you can take advantage of a broad range of services that will ease the worry and stress of your relocation. These services should include experienced relocation consultants that have an in-depth knowledge of your new location and can advise on homes, schools, amenities, things to do and places to go in the early stages of your move. Not only do they have the breadth of knowledge that you probably don't, but they have the contacts to help you find the right home, school or location for your family to live in. At the same time, they have the experience of helping many other people that you can take advantage of.

A good relocation consultant does not necessarily have to have been an expatriate, but they do need to have a level of maturity and life experience. Relocating can be frustrating and tiresome without professional help. Remember, most times you are building a new life for the entire family. All of their needs are paramount and to keep everyone as happy as possible will certainly make the move easier.

The range of information that you need know is extensive if you are to cover all your bases and not have any surprises. One of the first areas that you should develop is a budget if you are to have a lifestyle similar to what you currently enjoy? Here are just a few examples that you might consider:

In finding a home you will need to have a good understanding of the costs in your future location. Combine this with how far you want to travel to work or for the children to go to school and you can determine the location that is both suitable and you can afford. There will always be a good chance that you may have to compromise. It might be difficult for your family to have a smaller home to meet your location and budget constraints. At the same time, you will have to deal with house availability at the time of your move - not all timing is perfect.
Schooling can be very expensive if you want to ensure that your children continue with an education curriculum similar to what they have. Will their education be recognised back home and do they have to sit specific exam conditions or achieve specific grade levels to go onto higher education?
Health costs are another key component that you need to understand. Often if moving internationally, you will need to have a comprehensive health insurance cover before a Visa is issued. However, the options available to you can be confusing unless you have assistance to make the right choices for your family.
If you are a sporting family, what is the cost of joining clubs, ongoing fees and purchasing equipment if needed? This applies particularly to higher priced facilities such as golf clubs, tennis clubs and gyms. Even dance studios can add up with the price of costumes and participation in eisteddfods.
Do you intend to bring your electronic items with you or would it be best to purchase new items with warranties in your new location? Depending on where you are going to live purchasing new items might be considerably more expensive and so you might buy before you leave.

The key message is that having professional help at the very start can set the foundation for a successful relocation. Be aware of all the facts about what is possible and what is not and how your budget can be maximised. This will make your move much easier. International removalists that have offices throughout the world understand the issues that you will need to deal with. They have people on the ground that often have been through an individual or corporate relocation themselves and are sympathetic to the enormity of the task that you are undertaking. Even if you are moving interstate there will always be key areas that a professional interstate removalist company can help you with.

Craig Page has over 25 years experience with Crown Relocations. As specialist removalists and an interstate removals company, Crown helps customers that need an interstate removalist, local removalists or international removalists.