Almost 10,000 Americans are retiring every day. That is about 3.6 million every year. A lot of them are deciding to move abroad.  And there are many reasons for that. From, lower overall living expenses, access, cheaper and better healthcare to a more relaxed lifestyle. If you are thinking about moving internationally as a senior, you will have to plan and prepare thoroughly if you want this plan to be successful. Of course, one of the most important parts is to find an international freight forwarding company that will organize your relocation. But you will also have to know how to pack properly so your belongings survive the long journey. Here is how to prepare.

Start preparing for your international relocation as soon as possible

If you are planning to move internationally after retirement it would be smart to start preparing as soon as possible. Moving internationally as a senior is not an easy thing. You will have to find a perfect location, find a home, find reliable sea freight forwarders and organize the relocation process. And that takes time. Of course, the most important part is to decide on the country.

Most popular countries for American retirees

Naturally, there are many good destinations and there are places that are not exactly a retirement paradise. Luckily, in today’s world, finding information is not so difficult. Especially with the help of the internet. Go online and start exploring your options. Here are some of the options that are popular among American retirees:

• Mexico is a country that already has over a million American retirees. If you are moving internationally as a senior, Mexico should be the first place to consider.
• Panama
• Costa Rica
• Ecuador
• Malaysia
• Japan
• Canada
• United kingdom
• Germany

Finding a suitable country is the most important thing when moving internationally as a senior

Of course, one of the most important parts of choosing a country to move to is to visit it. Online information could be a good indicator, but you should never, under any circumstances, decide to move somewhere without proper personal experience. Maybe everything will look ideal on a  first glance. But maybe the weather, too many tourists or something else will give you headaches. And you are moving to enjoy it.

Buy a plane ticket and see it for yourself

Moving internationally as a senior is not an easy thing and you cannot afford to make that kind of mistake. So, if you think you found the perfect place for retirement, buy yourself a plane ticket and try to spend some time there as a tourist. That is the only way to make sure that you are doing the right thing.

How to find an appropriate home when moving internationally as a senior

If you think that you have found the perfect country to move to internationally as a senior you can start developing your moving plan. Of course, you will have to find an appropriate home. Finding an appropriate home in a different country is a complicated process. And it is not recommendable to do it remotely. To find a perfect home you have to be present in the country, and you have to have a reliable real estate agent that you trust.

Therefore, find a place to rent, and start dealing with this after you move. The important thing is to know your budget and to set certain requirements that your new home will have to meet. Tell this to your realtor and let him do the work for you.

Organize your relocation properly

One of the most complicated things when moving internationally as a senior is a relocation itself. You need to find an appropriate moving company, deal with complicated paperwork and pack and prepare your belongings for the long journey.  But before you start calling international movers and asking for moving quotes you need to know how many items you have.

Sort out your moving inventory before you start searching for international movers

Therefore, the first thing to do is to deal with your moving inventory. Moving internationally is not cheap and the price is calculated according to the size and weight of your moving inventory. So, if you want to lower your moving bill, try to get rid of some items that you are not using regularly or that you would like to replace.  Of course, the more items you remove, the lower your moving bill will be.

Remove heavy furniture

If you have some furniture pieces that are not in good shape, and that you would like to replace anyway start with those. They are heavy and they take too much space in a moving truck or a shipping container. So they will be the most expensive things to move. If you start dealing with this on time, you could even sell them online, and earn few bucks along the way.

Find an appropriate overseas moving company when moving intentionally as a senior

After you remove all excess items, you can start searching for a suitable moving company. There are many good and honest overseas moving companies, but there are also companies that you should avoid. Some of them could be frauds but in most cases, they are just sloppy and irresponsible. And that could be a big problem when moving abroad. So take some time to explore your options and to check every company thoroughly before you decide to hire them.

Hire professional packers when moving internationally as a senior

Of course, the most difficult and complicated part of the relocation process, especially for seniors, is packing. There are thousands of items that need to be sorted and packed. And you need to prepare appropriate packing materials and disassemble the furniture. Of course, this could be a good way to lower your moving bill. But if you think that is too difficult for you can always hire professional packing services and ease your troubles.