While your tiny house is on the move, the last thing you want is for all its contents to shift around, so stowing movable items isn’t optional. You’ll need to secure everything, the small and the large appliances, on the inside of your house, but that’s not where it ends.
The exterior also needs special attention. Water, sewage, and electricity hookups that dangle can be a massive safety risk in transit. Once you’ve secured everything, it allows for easier transport, which makes it much easier for the moving company you use too! And with that being said, here’s a look at what else to consider!
Editor’s Note: This is Part 2 of the series. If you haven’t already, read Part 1 of the Ultimate Guide to Moving Your Tiny House Abroad!
Start Learning the Language
If you’re moving your tiny house overseas somewhere where they speak a language other than English as the official language, don’t wait to get there before you start learning the lingo.
Even minimal language skills help owners of tiny houses settle in quicker in new environments. And don’t rely on Google translate. Machine translations lack cultural competence, which quickly sees messages getting lost in translation. Instead, we recommend a language learning course that’ll help you master the linguistic basics of the language.
Permits and Licenses
Regardless of where you’re heading, you’ll need a permit for your house and a driver’s license for yourself. Depending on where you’re heading, it might not be as easy as just converting your current driver’s license into a local one.
Local driving laws might also vary greatly from the ones you’re used to, so make sure you get clued up on the requirements. In most cases, you’ll be able to get an international driving license, but some countries will require you to apply for a local license as well.
Plan for Healthcare
You’ll inevitably deal with the local healthcare system when you move abroad, so before you go, find out what your options are. Your current healthcare provider should also give you copies of your medical records and ensure you’re up to date with all the necessary immunizations.
Although healthcare options differ across the world, it’s still an essential part of staying happy and healthy when moving abroad. If you’re moving to a country that uses a language other than English as its official language, you might need the assistance of an in-country interpreter to help you navigate the sometimes complicated field of foreign healthcare systems. You can also download the Day Interpreting App for free to help you with this.
If you take regular medication, you might want to stock up before the move. It might be challenging to access your prescriptions when you first move to another country, so it’s always best to have enough meds to tide you over.
You might also want to weigh up the pros and cons of taking out private health insurance and relying on local healthcare. Most expatriates choose private cover for peace of mind, so be sure to check out your options before you leave to start a new life in a foreign country.
Finding a Source of Income
After you’ve figured out how to get your small home into different countries and get settled in, you might want to start planning how you’ll earn an income abroad. Many tiny house dwellers work remote jobs, but again, this requires research BEFORE you pack up and move.
You’ll probably need a visa or get a working permit to legally work abroad but remember that the visa you have to move to different countries is NOT a work permit. Whatever job you end up doing to earn an income must comply with the local legal requirements.
It’s critical to keep in mind that you’ll need to support yourself abroad, and the cost of living can vary dramatically depending on where you’re moving to. You want to ensure that you research the local job market before you touch down in your new home to ensure it won’t be too hard for you to find a source of income. Which sectors value the languages you speak? Do they welcome immigrant workers? What’s the unemployment rate like? All of this is important to consider.
On the other hand, if you plan to retire abroad, it’s essential to have your finances in place to ensure you can live comfortably. And easy access to your pension funds is key to this. Planning on transferring your pension overseas? You’ll need to research the most cost-effective way to do this too!
Wrapping Up
Moving your tiny home abroad to a new destination is a huge undertaking that requires proper research and preparation. There’s a lot that goes into the process, and it can take quite a lot of time to understand the ins and outs of the country you’re moving to. Many international relocation companies can help you navigate these issues so you’ll have a smooth journey.
At the end of the day, moving your tiny home abroad is a process that favors loads of patience, flexibility, and professional expertise on your side. A do-it-yourself tiny home transport setup isn’t the correct approach if you’re relocating to another country. And it’s no small feat to ship a tiny house.
Unlike the goal of tiny home living, there’s nothing “tiny” about the process of packing up and starting a new life and moving your entire house from one location to another. Most people prefer working with experts in the tiny house moving industry to ensure success from the moment the towable tiny house boards the ship to the moment they set foot in their new place of residence.
