Which are the most expensive moves?

The moving process is expensive, no matter where you move to. You need to hire personnel and a truck and buy packing materials. And that is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. If you want to hire every single service that professional residential movers offer, you will be set back a considerable amount of money. However, the most expensive moves are international ones. We will explain further why this is the case, below. So, without further ado, we present to you:

The Most Expensive Moves – International Move

International moves have significant costs other than regular moving costs. Obviously, the transport of your belongings on the international scale will be a lot more expensive. Of course, the total amount depends on several factors, such as:

• Moving and Transportation
• Size of The Move
• Route Distance
• Transportation Method

The best thing to do, before conducting any sort of move is to get a moving quote. You need to know, at least approximately, how much the move will cost. You do this by region. So, if you are moving to or from Massachusetts, you will search for moving quotes Massachusetts. Simple enough. There are other costs for an international move, though, that these quotes will not provide, which are:

The Most Expensive Moves – Costs Of International Packing & Unpacking

Whether you are preparing for a commercial or a residential move, the packing process is different for international shipping than it is for local moves. Most countries will need someone to vouch for the goods that are in transport. Usually, this will be your moving company. However, if you want your moving company to vouch for your belongings, you need to hire their packing services. And that will cost extra. However, you can try to negotiate with the moving company and pack everything by yourself. The way you can do this is by leaving the boxes open and available for inspection.

You see, if a moving company is to vouch for your stuff, it either needs to pack the boxes on its own or at least inspect the contents thoroughly. This is to cover their business and reputation.

Costs Of Insurance

Insurance costs are also quite higher for international moves. They represent a significant amount of overall costs. International insurance is something that your moving company can offer. Be sure to ask if the insurance is already included in the quoted price. If it is not, then make sure to purchase adequate insurance. If it is, then check what it will cover. When it comes to international relocations, you want to bite that proverbial bullet and get the insurance that will cover everything in the case of an accident.

Usually, everything goes according to plan and you do not need insurance. However, accidents can and will happen and it is a smart move to plan for every contingency. Sure, you will be paying a bit extra but peace of mind is priceless.

The Most Expensive Moves – International Storage Costs

Another thing that can rack up the costs significantly are international storage costs. Your moving company needs to coordinate with various international shipping companies and sometimes it is not possible for your belongings to be always on the move. They will, more often than not, need additional storage facilities while they wait for their ship or airplane to be ready. These costs are not astronomical but they can be significant, depending on the delay.

You may also want to put your things in a short-term storage unit if you haven’t figured out where you want to live in your new country. While you are searching for that perfect home, your items will need to be somewhere. And this will incur an additional cost. Make sure to plan for this.

Visa and Lawyer Fees

Another cost that is not present in local moves is the Visa fee. While these heavily depend on which country you are moving to, and the type of Visa, you can expect to spend additional money there as well. You can expect this to be anywhere from $50 to over $1000, so do your research accordingly. You will also be needing to file a lot of paperwork for an international move. A LOT of paperwork. Because of the sheer volume of papers, you might want to consider hiring a lawyer. You can do the research on your own and figure everything out, too. It will take considerable effort and time, however.

Most people simply hire a lawyer and swallow the additional cost, though. The reason for this is that most people actually hate dealing with paperwork that makes little sense. I know I do. In any case, you certainly can reduce the costs of your move if you choose to spend your own time and energy on this. You will still have to pay for the Visa, though.

Housing Costs

Obviously, your home will cover the majority of your costs. Buying a new home in another country can be really expensive. Aside from the price of the house itself, there will be a lot of other costs. Taxes, stamp duties, council taxes, these are just some of the many different expenses that you might expect. It will depend on your location which of these will apply. Make sure to research everything before you hire movers and arrange transportation. You do not want to get into an unpleasant situation due to unexpected costs.

Other Costs

As if these costs were not enough, there are a plethora of other, miscellaneous, costs to consider. You will most likely need to buy at least some new furniture for your new home. It is unrealistic to expect that you will be able to fill your new home perfectly with only the furniture that you already have. Then there are the possible differences between the countries, such as outlets. You may need to either get new appliances or find adapters for your old ones. These adapters can be quite pricey themselves, depending on the appliance.

All in all, your best bet is to set aside funds for these other costs, just in case.