After buying your dream home in Italy, the next step is naturally relocating to your new abode that is moving your stuff. You may be experienced in moving across your local towns but moving across different countries is a whole new ball game altogether. However, the following practical tips will be quite helpful in making the entire process as smooth as possible.
• Plan everything in advance to make your move flawlessly easy. Your worst nightmare is to pack all your belongings only to find out that the moving company you expected to use is unavailable at the last minute. Preferably, make all the moving arrangements several months prior to the moving date to avoid disappointments.
• Before you begin packing, take time to sort out important or necessary items from all the junk you have accumulated over the years. Get rid of stuff that you no longer need such as that curling iron you last used several years ago. This will save you time and money as the moving company will charge you by the amount of stuff you have. Rather than make the moving process more expensive, you can sell or donate items that you no longer need that are still in working condition.
• Most items are lost or damaged due to poor packing practices. Pack your stuff responsibly using strong, solid, and durable boxes to ensure your stuff arrives intact. Remember to label each box appropriately for easy unpacking.
• At this point you should have made up your mind on the type of move you will use. For instance, decide if you will pack it all in your car’s boot for the long haul or if you will engage the services of a removal firm to handle transportation of your belongings. If this be the case, get a reliable firm and confirm its availability on the moving date.
• There will be customs related issues to address, especially if you reside outside Europe. EU citizens only need to furnish the moving company with a list of items to be moved but non-Europeans are required to provide documents for furniture and other items for customs clearance. The removal firm will advise you on the required certificates needed for clearance of goods. Keep in mind that customs may levy duty on some of your new items such as laptops just to name a few.
• If you are traveling with your personal car make sure it is registered in Italy if it has been in the country for 6 months without having paid customs duty. Registration will require the car to go through a roadworthiness test called ‘collaudo’ unless it is from another EU country and has all its technical specification documents. You may need to engage the services of companies known as ‘agenzie pratiche auto’ to avoid clearance problems.
Above all maintain your cool and plan everything efficiently and your move will be an enjoyable experience.