The idea of moving to another country can at first appear to be a far more complex issue than simply moving to another part of the UK, but with careful planning and consideration, it can be just as simple. Of course there are a larger number of steps to move through, and it can take more time depending on where you're moving, but the planning side of things needn't be too vexing.When moving house, the first few steps will always be the same. You'll be needing to pack your items up for safe transit. Although you would always need to be packing everything properly if you were simply moving down the road, you need to be aware that when moving abroad your items will be in transit in a far longer period of time. The best way to transport your items when moving abroad is by renting out a container on a freight. This can often take a long time depending on where you're moving to. You can expect shipped items to take a few months, so you'll need to ensure everything is packed safely. So, packing your house up safely is much the same as moving a few towns over! But extra vigilance will always be beneficial. Gather some helpful bits and bobs to help with this packing step: strong and sturdy moving boxes that can be bought from moving companies in standard sizes and strengths. A range of tape is a good idea, from duct tape for sealing boxes through to masking tape. Masking tape is great for taping up cables or securing movable items such as drawers because it's easy to remove and leaves minimal sticky residue. Masking tape can also be written on like a label, making it doubly useful! Rope and cable will always be of use too to secure moving parts on furniture, such as drawers and doors on wardrobes. The next step will be much the same for moving house locally too. Next, you'll need a hire van or lorry. If you're moving abroad, you'll simply need this to take your items to the container for loading. Loading the container safely and securely will be much the same as loading your lorry. Line the outer walls with the heavier items and larger pieces of furniture. Fridges, freezers (fully defrosted and cleaned out), washing machines, tumble dryers, sofas and other large pieces of furniture should all ideally be lining the outer walls. Boxes can be piled, but be sure to stack boxes of the same size and shape on each other. Irregular boxes can make unstable piles and could be potentially dangerous. Once everything is safely loaded in, you won't be seeing your container for a while! Transporting yourself to your new location whilst your items are sailing the seven seas uses the same principles as a local move, but on a grander scale! Instead of packing a small bag or box of essentials to keep with you such as paperwork, clothing and personal essentials, you may need to pack a larger selection of bags and a couple of boxes. These essentials need to keep you going in your new house until your shipped items arrive, which can be anything up to a few months. Be sure to book your flights far in advance to get the best deals.When the ship arrives at the other end, you'll need to hire a van once again to unload your items into and bring to your house. First of all, check all your items. Be sure that everything is there, that it hasn't been moved and that everything is in the condition you last saw it in. Unloading and unpacking is also pretty much the same process as any other move. So although there are more stages to a move abroad, it needn't be too much more of a complex operation than any other move.