A critical part of your journey when moving abroad will be the removal company that you choose and trust to deliver your belongings. The company you choose is very important as they will be the ones responsible for all your worldly possessions and they will have to ensure that everything reaches its destination in good time and in the condition that you left it!

Search on-line and you will find plenty of advertised removal companies who do international removals. The first decision you need to make is whether you will fly or ship your belongings. Shipping is much cheaper but takes significantly longer, however this could be planned so that your things arrive in the new country just a few days after you.

Never take the first quote you are given, always ring round several different companies – as many will try to beat a previous quote for you in order to get the business. That said, be sensible and don’t pick a company just because they are the cheapest - they still need to be reputable. It is down to you to check that the company you choose is registered with the BAR (British Association of Removers). Don’t use a company who is not registered.

Let’s assume that like the majority of people, you opt to ship your belongings, you then need to see how much stuff you have to take. This amount will decide if you need a container to yourself or a shared container with another family. Unless you have an exceptionally large family or house then you should find that a shared container supplies a sufficient amount of space for your things; remember that you’re not literally taking the whole house with you, lots of things will be easier to buy new once you’re abroad and some furniture can be sold or put in storage before you go.

The removal company will send workers to your house to pack your belongings for you – let them pack the boxes as they will be well trained and know the rules and regulations on packing. There are certain things which can’t be packed together and if the regulations are not adhered to it can cause long delays in the shipping of your things. Your boxes will then be taken to the shipping dock to be packed into the container and sealed. For peace of mind, most good companies will allow you to be there to witness the container being sealed.

Be sure to take a note of how many boxes you pack, as well as all the furniture going in the container, and note the contents of each box. Lastly, it is really important that you ask the company to provide you with a shipping date and the expected arrival date for your container, in writing. Insurance is also a must, as you never know what could happen; the cost of insuring your container for all eventualities is a small price to pay for protection against losing everything. Things can go wrong and ships can sink. Get comprehensive cover that will pay out for any outcome.

Start your hunt for a home in Greece here…
If you’re searching for an overseas property, a good place to start is the Overseas Guides Company’s new property search facility. To start your search now visit http://www.emigrationguide.com/content/emigration-properties