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Timing is Everything When You Are Moving Abroad

international removals, tulips

You have decided to take the plunge and move abroad. But when is the best time to go?

Spring is a time for thinking of changes, and it’s when many people start planning to live and work in another country.   But there are so many factors to consider, whether you are moving to France, Germany, Canada, or South Africa, that in practice another time of year may often be best for your actual relocation.

At Hamiltons Removals, we specialise in international removals to Europe, the USA and destinations across the globe. Here we look at how timing is key to getting the most out of your move.

School Year

If you have children, it’s important to check out when the school year starts in your new country. There is obviously an advantage in moving abroad in the summer holidays. It gives youngsters time to adjust before they start at their new school, and means they will be starting the school year with all the other children in their class rather than joining them in the middle of term.

However, there are cultural differences to bear in mind with term times. In some countries, such as Australia or New Zealand, the main holiday will fall at a different time of the year. So moving from the UK when it’s winter here could be the best arrangement if you are relocating to the other side of the world.

The ages where children start and change school in different countries is another thing to bear in mind when deciding on timing of a move. For example, in the USA, kindergarten and elementary school start at the age of 5-6 and finish at 10 or 11. Junior high school runs from 11-12 to 14-15 and senior high is from 15-16 to 17-18.

If you plan to move back to the UK at some stage, you might prefer to enrol your child in a local private school, but this means there could be some additional costs such as school fees. Another option is an internationally-accredited school, which will allow your child to move more easily between the different systems. All of these may have different term times which again may affect your choice of when to move.

Learning the Language

At the moment, if you are an EU national migrating to another EU country for work, your children are entitled to free language tuition in your new home country. If you do move in at the start of the summer holidays, that will give them the chance to learn the language, possibly at a summer school. Of course, as an adult you may also want to take a course in the language of the country and often the summer is the easiest time to arrange this too.

Weather Eye

Starting life in your new home and country when the weather is good means you can get out and about and get to know the area much more easily.  In some places, such as parts of Australia, this doesn’t mean you have to stick to summer, as these areas have mild winters and hot summers. Checking out the average temperatures before you go, and which seasons are likely to be rainiest, can help you decide when to travel. It is also a good idea to check out when the peak holiday season is, as you might prefer to avoid travelling at the busiest time or arriving on a public holiday.

Culture and Events

Favourite sports or hobbies could help you blend into your new surroundings, especially if you are able to join a local club. Timing, and the weather, are again major factors here. If you fancy a regular game of outdoor tennis, then the spring and summer months might be the best moving months; but if you are a keen rugby or football player, then you should be able to play all the year round.

You might want to time your move for when your new country can be seen at its finest, for instance during the tulip flowering season in the Netherlands, or where you can look forward to enjoying events such as sports tournaments, festivals and pop concerts. This will help you get out and about and give you a greater feel for your new country.

Hamiltons Removals operate weekly removals services throughout the year to most destinations in Europe including France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Spain and Gibraltar. We also arrange international removals to the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, South Africa and a host of other countries.

Call us now on 01379 855203 for more information, or click here for a free online moving quote.


Security Improvements completed at Aldeby

Back in November we started the planning the improvements for the security of the Aldeby depot. This has now been completed and the depot is monitored by 13 cameras which cover the entire site and record activity 24 hours 7 days a week. Which can also be viewed from our Harleston depot or any mobile device!

The Entrance to the depot now has security gates that open automatically at 7:00 and close at 17:00 Monday to Friday.