Tips for Furnishing an Apartment when Moving Overseas

I recently moved to a new country. The cost of shipping belongings to a new country is very expensive. Therefore, I had to part with many items that I cherished. But I did not get rid of everything and the toughest part of the process was weighing which items I should take with me and which items I should leave behind.

Here are some tips and lessons learnt from my relocation process geared towards a relatively mobile apartment dweller. If you are lucky enough to have a corporate relocation then none of these rules may apply!

Think in terms of replacement cost instead of value. The most important trap I immediately fell into was looking at how much I paid for something and then justifying why I should put any money towards shipping that item. For instance, I had purchased a shelving system from Target that collapsed nicely. I had paid $30 for the item on sale and figured that since the item could easily be bought overseas that there was no point in bringing it. Wrong. Had I replaced it, then I would have essentially bought the item twice, once upon original purchase and once more when I replaced it overseas.

Think in terms of time. Once you arrive at your new location, the last thing that you are going to want to do is spent the considerable amount of time necessary to properly furnish an entire apartment.

Consider which items to keep. The good thing about shedding all of your possessions is that you are not bogged down in any way and your possessions will not dictate your living arrangements. This may be a good idea for those who intend to find a room to let or that are looking for a fully furnished apartment. Assuming that you want to establish your own apartment, then it is probably a good idea to pack some things. This is a great time to get rid of things you do not use or you can live without. I got rid of all of my CDs, although I did digitize them and load them on my laptop. I also brought along collapsible furniture items, a complete set of kitchen goods, and artwork and one-of-a-kind items. One intangible benefit to packing some things is that you will have some favorite items from home to keep you cozy.

Carefully consider whether to bring furniture. You never know what sort of space that you will be inhabiting once you arrive. That lovely sofa that has been in your family for years may absolutely dominate your living area if it even fits through the front door.

Decide whether to bring electronics. Most destinations are likely to have different electrical adapters and voltage requirements. Therefore, an adapter may be needed for your electronics to function properly. Adapters can be expensive, especially those that are required to adjust the voltage. When you consider the amount of electronic items that a household contains then the cost of the adapters and shipping of the electronics becomes very expensive.

When buying things, check second-hand or vintage shops. Once again, consider quality. Searching for things second-hand often takes more time. But, you can generally get a better quality item for a similar price as you would pay for a made-to-assemble item from a store such as IKEA. Another benefit is that a quality resale item can often fetch a higher price when it comes time to sell it for your next impending move. An assembled item is much more likely to be thrown out or to be sold very cheaply.

Browse the classifieds. There are many websites where users can advertise those items that they are looking to sell. Many times items will be underpriced or can be negotiated since the purpose of the ad is often to get rid of the item rather than get top price for the item.

Ask around and pay attention. When I first moved here, I quickly met several people that were readying themselves for in-town moves. I was able to purchase a set of kitchen chairs and a large bed for very reasonable prices. Both buyer and seller benefited in each transaction since I was able to get a good deal and they were able to sell their items hassle-free.