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Military members and their families often have to move every two to three years.  If you are in the military, the good news is that the government will pay a professional moving company to pack your belongings and move you.  If you prefer, you can choose to do some or all of the move yourself.  When you do a military DITY move (do it yourself move), the government will reimburse you for about 90 percent of what it estimates it would have cost the professionals to do everything.  And since most people can carry out a move with less cost than if they hired the professionals, that means that you can actually make money when you take on a military DITY move.  Of course, you have to put in a lot of planning and hard work to make it happen.  But if you do it right, you will receive a handsome financial reward.

You have a lot of options for how you carry out your military DITY move.  You can do the whole move yourself.  You can also do a partial military DITY move.  That is when you have the government hire movers for part of your move and you handle the other. You can rent a moving truck, use portable storage containers or make use of your own vehicle.  You need to make sure you have proper authorization to do a military DITY move or you will not be reimbursed.  Also make sure the weight of your shipment does not exceed your maximum allowable weight limit and that you are only moving things that are considered household goods.  The government will not pay for anything beyond that weight limit or that are not on the authorized list of household goods.

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The cross country moving company you hire to help with your move wants the move to go smoothly just as much as you do.  And a key part of that is simply communicating with your moving team well in advance of moving day.  You want to know what to expect from your cross country moving company and, likewise, they want to be clear about what you expect. 

Before you even hire a cross country moving company, make sure you have obtained estimates from at least three companies.  This allows you to do a side by side comparison of the services provided by each of the companies and the charges and fees for those services.  Read the details of the estimates carefully so that you fully understand what is included and what you would have to do to incur additional costs.  Do not simply assume that all estimates include the same things, even if the overall estimate of cost for the move are the same.  Ask questions if you need clarification. 

Your cross country moving company provides you with details of what to expect from them.  And now it's your turn.  If you have certain expectations for how your home or belongings will be handled, be sure to speak about them with your cross country moving company.  For example, you may have artwork or fragile items that need to be wrapped and handled in a particular way.  Or you may have an historic banister and leaded glass in your home that you want protected before the moving team starts moving in and out.  Being clear with your cross country moving company about your expectations will assure that they provide the service you need and that your move goes according to what both you and your moving team expect.

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When you have to move abroad, your moving check list takes on an entirely different tone than when you are moving locally or across state lines.  In addition to the basic moving check list items, make sure you think of things that will help make your overseas move a little easier:

1.  Take care of travel documentation.
If you focus only on the moving check list details of packing and relocating and forget to check that your travel documents are current, you won't be able to enter the country.  Add those tasks to your moving check list.  Plan ahead and make sure your passport is current.  If you need to renew it, you will want at least 2 months to assure that you receive the new one in time for travel.  Have copies of birth certificates, marriage license, powers of attorney and immunization records (and make sure you are current on vaccinations for that area of the world). 

2.  Simplify.
An overseas move is never easy on your belongings.  And it can be expensive.  Decide what you really need to live abroad.  Consider leaving behind things that you can easily get overseas.  Know what the climate and your daily living arrangements will be so you can plan accordingly.  Obtain storage for things you want to keep.  And add a garage sale to your moving check list for the things you don't. 

3.  Check country requirements.
There are certain things you may not be able to bring in country.  Know the requirements for pets and household items long before you arrive. 

4.  Prescriptions.
Refill prescriptions for medication, eyeglasses and contact lenses so you will be ready to hit the ground running when you arrive.  It often takes a while to find your way around and understand where the amenities are.

5.  Take inventory.
Take photos or video of everything you plan to move overseas and store stateside before you pack it.  Make an inventory list of all those items, as well.  Keep your inventory list, moving check list, moving contracts and other related paperwork together in one handy file folder that will travel with you.  

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