Packing

I was just talking to my housekeeper and she was asking how many times I have moved since I got married. I moved 10 times in 12 years!! This is a lot!! Put this way, I feel like an expert!! She has been thru moves with me before. Right after she started working for me our container arrived from the US and she helped - a lot! - with the unpacking. Then we moved to a different building in our development. She helped pack and unpack. And now we are packing again! She is used to work for expat families so she knows exactly what to do.  And here are a few tips:

• Separate all the important documents you need to bring with you and put them in a safe place;
• Do the same with your jewelry;
• Pack your clothes and other personal items before the movers arrive;
• Remember that your container is not going to arrive for a while so think about what you will need and bring it - or send it on your air shipment;
•  Pack some toys, games, paper and crayons for the kids;
• You will need the charger for all your electronics - cell phone, DS or PSP, lap-top...
• Empty your safe and keep its key with you;
• Ask the movers to start packing the living room and dinning room first. The bedrooms and kitchen should always be the last places to be packed;
• Make sure that the movers will pack  your plasma TVs and pictures in a wood box;
• Keep an eye on the movers while they pack fragile items - and keep a closer eye when they unpack them.

Always ask your company to allow you to bring an air shipment and a large container - 40' High Cube. 

And one fact about moves: No matter how careful you are or how good the moving company is, things will break and/or disappear during the move. So make sure you list all the items that are important to you on the insurance paper and take pictures of them, if possible.

Now it is time for me to go supervise the movers.