Relocating Your Family

There are many reasons you might need to relocate your family. It could be that you feel now is the time to immigrate to another country simply because you know you and your kids will have a better quality of life. Considering the current economic climate, many people are moving their families because job opportunities are better elsewhere in the world.

Whatever the reason is, it IS going to be a stressful time for you and sometimes it can be hard to focus on why you’ve decided to do this. It’s actually far easier to relocate your family if your children are still quite young. The younger a child is, the easier it is for them to adapt to a new way of life.

The older children are the more attached they are to their surroundings. They may have life-long friends they don’t want to leave behind, or they might be at that age where rebellion against their parents is all that matters. Remember, we were all teenagers once and if you think back to what you put your parents though whilst your hormones were raging, it’s easy to understand why a teenager might become a slight glitch in the whole relocation process.

The only piece of advice that can help with this is to make sure you talk openly and honestly with the kids, and treat any worries they have with kindness and understanding. Once you have them on your side, things will go much more smoothly.

Of course, you will have to deal with everything else that goes with moving. You will have to make sure that you have somewhere to live in your new area and tie up any loose-ends in terms of your old address. You shouldn’t forget about making sure that utilities are disconnected and your post is re-directed etc.

Don’t Lose Your Nerve!

The information given so far may have you quivering in your boots, and you might be questioning your decision but the fact is you have to remember you’re only looking for a better life for you and your family. NEVER lose sight of this. If you plan well ahead of time and get the whole family involved, this can actually be a very exciting time for all of you.

Approach the move with a positive manner and try to make it fun for the kids. You might want to give them a little bit of responsibility so they feel more grown up. Perhaps entrust them with labelling the boxes that have been packed, or get them involved in finding a removal company for you. Actually you could ask them to take a look at this website http://www.theroadahead.co.uk/ which is so easy to use you could call it “child’s play”!

Finally

If you’re moving to another country make sure you know all about the local laws, and find out about taxes (this is especially important if you’ve bought a new home). Check that it’s possible for you to have a bank account and if you’re going to be using a different currency, weigh up if it’s worth keeping your money in your home country instead of the new one.

Amenities in your new area are also important. You and your kids will need to be registered with a doctor, and you’ll need to have a school close by. Being able to get to a hospital in an emergency is also important, so check all of these things before you even think about taking the plunge and relocate your family.

Satellite Switch by the BBC Leaves Expats in Uproar!

I’ve lived as an expat for the best part of 8 years now, and I have to say I’m glad I made the transition. However, this blog isn’t about what I think of expat life, it’s about how I was outraged at the recent murmurings concerning the BBC and how they have switched to a new satellite feed which has been widely publicised as having a smaller “footprint”.

OK, “outraged” may be a bit of an over reaction but I can’t help but think I’m being punished because I don’t live in the UK anymore. After all, it was my country of birth and I’m still interested to know what’s going on and one way to do that is to watch the local BBC news. 

Presently, I live in Southern Spain but other expats like me who live in different countries around Europe and even the world have also been affected by this move. The one question that springs to mind is why? And, it’s hard not to feel like I’m being singled out because I live somewhere other than the UK.

The bosses at the BBC will tell you different. They have stated this smaller “footprint” was needed so the BBC signal could be strengthened in order to give better coverage over certain areas in the UK. However, it doesn’t help that Mr. Pryde (Director of BBC Distribution) practically said expats don’t really have the right to watch their channels!

Of course, as someone who has lived and travelled throughout Europe I have learned that “where the is a will, there is a way” and many companies have already stated the way to regain access to the BBC news, the channels my kids love and the soaps my Mum loves to watch (yes, practically the whole family has left the UK) is to buy a bigger satellite dish.

Not to be one to take the first piece of advice that comes my way (no matter how desperate I am), I decided to do some digging. What I found was a piece of technology called IPTV. If you use this technology, it will restore all the BBC feeds you’ve lost and the best bit is you don’t need to buy a new satellite dish.

I found this link  http://www.ntv.mx?r=df which was surprisingly informative without being too technical. 

Unfortunately, you mention the phrases “Astra1” or “Astra2” and my brain shuts down! I have been using this system for a short time, but I have to say it has served me well so far. Oh, and I’ve also discovered I have a ton more movies at my disposal as well!

If you’re really stuck when it comes to understanding how satellite feeds work, and you need some more information (which I did in the beginning), take a look here http://www.theithelper.com/contact-us.aspx.They will be able to answer any questions, give advice on the best software and/or hardware you need it and they really helped my out in my “hour of need”.

Suffice to say, normality has returned to not just my household but a good deal of my expat neighbours homes as well!

Using a Professional Packing Service

As someone who has moved home both internationally and locally over 6 times in the past 6 years, I think I’m somewhat of an authority when it comes to information on packing up your belongings. Yes, I have done it on my own (with the help of family and friends), and I always used to think this was the best way to go about it.

Why? I hear you ask. I thought packing my own items gave me more control over where things were and how well they were packed. However, when I think back to the amount of boxes I had when I first moved, and look at what I have now, it’s apparent that items have gone missing, or have been broken over the years.

It doesn’t matter how carefully you pack things, they will, at some point be in the hands of a professional moving team. If you don’t use a professional packing service, ensuring your items are safe inside the boxes during transit is pretty much down to you.

These days if I’m moving (and I hope this doesn’t happen again for a while), I always enquire about a professional packing service when negotiating with a removal company. The reason for this is that any company that offers this type of service will insure your items from the minute they’re being packed to the minute they arrive at your new home.

They only employ professionals who know about “all things packing”, and they use materials that will protect your items when they’re on the move. For example, I had many framed pictures when I first moved, and the amount of times I’ve had to replace the glass when I reach my new destination doesn’t bare thinking about.

If you use a team of professionals to do this for you, they will use specialist boxes to pack fragile or unusual items that require something other than a bit of bubble wrap and packing tape. Companies that offer a packing service will also help keep you organised. Their teams will label boxes correctly, and make an inventory as they go.

Just think of the amount of time and energy this will save you, especially when you have a large amount to pack. It may sound a bit mad, but the biggest pain for me is packing clothes. I started out by piling them up in cardboard boxes. This brought with it an issue I could do without. There is nothing worse than arriving to a new home and being faced with an entire wardrobes’ worth of ironing!

Companies that offer a professional packing service use special boxes to pack clothes so they hang just like they do in the wardrobe, (yet another time saver). Of course, using a service like this will cost that bit extra, but if I’m honest and add up how much money I’ve wasted because I’ve had to replace lost or broken items, using a service like this would probably have saved me money in the long-run.

My advice to anyone who’s moving, whether it’s down the road or to another country, is to use a professional packing service. If you think a service like this will suit your needs when moving, why not take a look at http://www.theroadahead.co.uk/getaquote.aspx where there are plenty of experienced removal companies waiting to help.