A lot of people would think that going from the United States to the United Kingdom will be as easy as they thought. One big reason is the language. They speak English in the UK too don’t they? However, the language is not a problem; it is the culture which you have to consider first.

Yes, language is the same. They speak English. But does every English word mean the same for them as how we were used to it? Just like different countries, each and every one of them uses local slang. And if used incorrectly, you might run into a fight with a local. You need to study not merely the use of words properly, but you should also know about using the words casually.

Simple driving matters too. Are you already used to driving at the wrong side of the road with a right-hand vehicle? You must take note of that and learn how.

Aside from these facts, there are several more things to consider. The best thing to do is research. The internet has a wide library of facts and figures for a researcher and this will be of great help to you once you have decided on moving overseas.

Leave yourself enough time – don’t expect to finish work one day, move out fo the house the next and hop on the plane the third day! It just won’t happen and you will stress yourself out a lot. The last time I moved overseas we moved out of our home weeks before we left the country  it gave us time to finsih off all the lose ends and take a breath before we left for the next big adventure! Remember that you have to finish off all the little things -the mail redirect, the medical records pick up, the giving away the items you aren’t taking: food and similar things.

I’m not sure if I’d go that far but I would say that moving house can be a big deal. When moving house the key is to get down to the detail level early – you really need to think about all the issues you are going to encounter. Unfortunately many people don’t have the luxury of time when it comes to relocating because the move is caused by sudden event such as job assignment or even a new job. Moving for work can be particularly difficult for the family of the person affected. It maybe that the move is to a place they don’t particularly want to live in.

Nevertheless whatever the reason for moving house you are going to have a list a mile long to work your way through. Start with the essentials: where you are going to stay when you arrive in your new location and what you are going to do with your old home.  A major relocation is easier if you are already renting.  Getting out of a rental lease is a whole lot less hassel than the decision making around what to do with a house you own. Do you keep it or sell it? Rent the house out? Get relatives to look after it? The possiblities are endless and all come with their own lists of pros and cons.

Getting down to the nitty gritty of moving house is all about lists and packing! Start with a good  clear out. There is no point packing what can be got rid of. Sell stuff on line or take it to the local op shop. Give it away. Just get rid of stuf you haven’t used or don’t  remember you even own. How many shoes does one woman need? What about your kitchen is it full of electrical gadgets that you never use? Sell them. Have you got 10 potatoe peelers when 2 would do – somethings really just aren’t worth keeping.  Tidy and pack as you go.  You can start to pack some items as soon as you know you are going. Things such as out of season clothing and seldom used books might as well go into boxes now rather than later. Its a waste of money to paya packer to do this type of grunt work – save the professionals for packing your fragile and precious items.  Analysis what is worth taking with you particularly carefully if you are moving to a dramatically different climate -  maybe time to sell the extra winter coats and boots if you are moving to Florida or Spain!

Aside from packing there are a million other things to do when moving house. List all utilities- then get in contact with them several weeks before your move date to get final readings and disconnections arranged. Remember its not just power and water these days:  cable TV, broadband, mowing contractor allneed to be made contact with.  Make sure you start keeping a list of important dates such as final readings so that you don’t forget in all the mad panic.  If you have children then the list of things to do gets even longer. You need to inform schools at each end of the house move and make arrangements. Ensure that the kids are enrolled in their new school as soon as possible. Sports and social activiites also need to be cancelled or at least informed that your kids are not going to available for the final games of the season or the school’s disco.

One thing to remember is that almost everything will sort itself out. There is no point about getting too stressed. Take a deep breath, step back and learn to say no to the unimportant stuff – or delegate it. A great thing to do is to arrange a final house clean for after you move out – by professionals – it saves you having to keep cleaning supplies at hand.

Its also important to arrange a mail redirection so that your mail follows your house move. Its incredibly difficult to remember to change every item of mail over – or at least the ones you care about. Getting the redirected mail with their bright stickers on the front is a good way to remind yourself to contact the sender. If you are just moving locally than maybe consider a PO Box to solve the problem for the next time that you are moving house!