Tips for a stress-free move

Unless you have previously embarked on a relocation abroad and re-rooted your entire life, and possibly that of your family, it’s hard to imagine the range of emotions and list of tasks that need to be completed to make your relocation dream a reality.

However, if you're considering moving abroad, it’s important to understand from the outset the magnitude of what's involved, not just logistically but also emotionally. You’re likely to experience a whole range of emotions throughout the relocation process - from excitement to trepidation and nervousness.

The initial decision to move involves a range of emotions, which could be different for each member of the family. It’s important to remember the positives and the reasons for the move throughout the process, while also bearing in mind the logical and rational elements that you need to plan and put into place to make the move a reality.

Visiting your potential new homeland is also an exciting part of the initial planning phase and is really useful to reinforce all the positive reasons for the move and to help you and your family get excited about the prospect. 

Once you have made a commitment to relocate overseas and begun the emotional process of letting friends and family know, there are many more steps both practical and emotional to go through to make your dream of relocating abroad a reality.

To maximize your chances of a successful, fruitful and happy relocation, research into your destination location is key. The more research and preparation that you can undertake before you go, the better. It’s a good idea to do more extensive research once you have decided on the country that you want to move to. Y

Finally you've done it! After months, or even years of planning, you've turned the decision to relocate into a reality and now you are embarking on a new life and a new beginning - living the dream.

Many people choose to rent initially when they move overseas, as this means that they have more freedom to assess their surroundings and think about what type of accommodation and which areas would best suit their lifestyle.

Remember, just because you had a particular type of house and way of life before, it doesn't mean that the same will apply to your new location. You need to make sure that the pace of life and local facilities available will suit you and your family's needs in your day-to-day life.

Settling into new jobs and schools is daunting for anyone, and even more so in a new country, and starting from scratch making new friends and acquaintances, building new social lives and adapting to a new lifestyle can be quite a challenge for the whole family. Some family members may adapt quicker and settle in more readily, so communication with and support for each other is crucial during this time of change.

Keeping in touch with loved ones can help to reduce the feeling of homesickness which is crucial when you first relocate. Thankfully, doing this is much simpler these days with Zoom, Facebook Messenger and WeChat.