The acceptance of an international relocation assignment by a person in Edmonton, Alberta (or another city in Canada) is a time of both excitement and trepidation. Moving to London, Paris, Prague, Moscow, Dubai or any number of foreign locales is stuff made of dreams. Unfortunately, no matter how enticing the idea of relocating to one of these exotic cities is, there still remains the key question “how”? That is where professional international movers come into the picture.

Quite often international relocations are especially time sensitive. The corporation employing the transferred individual needs someone in place immediately. There aren’t months to plan the international move. It is important to get things moving as quickly as possible. This is why using a professional international mover like Premiere Van Lines pays dividends in both time and efficiency.

The first question to be answered by a family is whether all members of the family will be going to the new location. In some instances, the international relocation may be only for less than a year. In this case it may make sense for the transferee to move on their own and leave the family in place in the origin location.

If the transferee is relocating on their own, then the corporation only needs to find a small furnished apartment or an extended stay hotel suite for the individual. This is probably the easiest task for the international movers. A moving consultant can meet with the transferee to decide what items they want to take with them. Given the type of accommodations offered, chances are that this will consist of mostly personal items like clothing, computer, personal effects and perhaps a sound system.

Depending on the volume of goods being transported internationally and the budget allotted, the items can be shipped by air or by sea. Obviously shipping by air is more expensive but if only one person is being transferred the cost is often outweighed by the convenience factor. Shipping by sea usually means a minimum of 4-6 week’s which if often excessive in the circumstances.

Having a professional moving company make the arrangements is very beneficial since they have the necessary contacts. If the individual moving on an international basis is unmarried then the moving company planner would separate the personal goods being shipped from the contents of their residence that is going into storage at one of their modern warehouses. In the unlikely event that the transferee wants some of their contents shipped to a friend or a relative then that too is something the international movers can handle.

If both the transferee and the family are relocating on a lengthier basis then it is imperative that a professional international moving company like Premiere Van Lines be involved. Dependent on whether the transferee and their family will be moving into an unfurnished or partially furnished apartment or house, decisions will need to be made. In this case a moving planner can be a big help. Some of the items to be considered are:

  • Will the origin house be rented or sold
  • What furniture and personal effects should be shipped to destination
  • What items will be stored in the mover’s warehouse
  • Are there any items that should be delivered to family or friends

Once those decisions have been made the international mover can assign a packing crew to properly pack up everything and designate them to their appropriate venues (i.e. Goods for storage and goods for shipment). Then the loading crew can bring the goods to the warehouse for storage and transportation disposition.

The international mover will book space on a ship heading to destination. Shipping containers usually come in 20’ or 40’ sizes to accommodate various households. In some instances where you are only shipping a few things you may book the use of a partial container. Shipping times will vary by destination and can be impacted by poor weather but regardless, it is usually a minimum of 4-6 weeks.

An International mover like Premiere Van Lines will make sure you don’t attempt to ship any forbidden items since they are up to date on regulations. Their moving planner will discuss delivery options with you and make the necessary arrangements. They will also complete all of the necessary paperwork including customs documentation so the shipment is completed in a timely and efficient manner.

When an international relocation is on your horizon you owe it to yourself to contact our Premiere Van Lines Edmonton Branch at 780-455-4502 or talk to your local Premiere Van Lines office to get more information.