| By :
Alison Withers
Copyright (c) 2010 Alison Withers These days as work opportunities are no longer confined to one's home country in an increasingly global market people are much more mobile. There are other reasons why a household may want to move, for example to be closer to children and grandchildren who have settled in another country. Perhaps a family that has decided to move abroad is hoping to keep costs down by using the self-pack shipping option. If so, there are some useful tips for making it as efficient as possible, because the turnaround time for loading a self-pack container delivered to your door are tight. The first thing to consider is what you are going to take and what size of container you might need. As a general guide you could expect to fit the contents of up to a three-bedroomed size houe into a 20 foot container safely. For a larger house you could expect to need a 40 foot container. It is possible to also rent 45 foot or 40 foot high cube containers but it is surprising how much can be fitted into a container. Step one, therefore, is to assess what you are planning to take and what you might be able to get rid of. As a guideline, anything you have not used for a year or more is unlikely to be worth transporting to a new home. Careful packing can save space, for example stacking upright and armless chairs in pairs. Putting a dining table on its side will create a space between the legs into which boxes, or the chairs, can then be slotted into the space. Try and load as much as possible into packing boxes, packing personal effects tightly into the box, and wrapping fragile items in paper or bubble wrap whenpreparing personal effects for loading into the container. When loading your packed belongings into the container, try to ensure boxes and loose items arepacked tightly next to each other to minimise any movement in transit. Wardrobes, merchants' chests, chests of draws, beds, and other larger furniture, should have the corners covered by bubble wrap and cardboard and again pack them tight against each other to avoid movement. Awkwardly-shaped items like bicycles can be laid flat on top of other items and carpets and soft furnishings, like cushions and blamkets, can be used to protect items like mirrors and pictures (which should also be protected with bubble wrap or similar material. If you are thinking of taking the family car, each country has specific rules and regulations that you need to comply with, and there are also strict rules on safe securing and transportation including disconnecting the battery after loading and ensuring the petrol tank is no more than a quarter full. It is worthwhile, however, making sure that your vehicle will be accepted at your destination country and what fees you might have to pay for importing it. Although you can pack some personal possessions within the vehicle to save space, it is a good idea to load all the other household and personal items first, then create a false wall to prevent items falling on and damaging the vehicle during the journey. Load the vehicle last of all. Important personal documents should be carried in hand luggage and you should also keep a spare set, as well as scanning them and storing them online as a safety measure. This also applies to all the shipping documents you will need at the destination port, important contact names and numbers and any medications a family member may need on the journey. Finally, have everything packed before the container is delivered and enlist the help of a few good friends and family at both ends of the journey to help load everything within the time allowed.
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