Moving property is no easy task. For many, it’s as stressful as attending an airport or fighting a raging bull. And that’s just moving house in the same city. Just imagine carting all your stuff to the other side of the planet to set up a new home.
It’s estimated that between 4.5 million and 5.5 million British people live abroad, trekking all across the globe to find a little spot on the planet where they feel comfortable. And as the appeal of globalisation broadens, people are moving to more far-flung regions.
China, despite its closed communist system, has grown increasingly welcoming to foreign expats looking to pitch a tent in this grand land.
But moving to China can be an elaborate and costly affair – unless you know where to tighten the purse strings.
So what can you do to make moving to China an easier and cheaper affair?
Saving cash one parcel at a time
Moving all your items to the other side of the world is a big ask. What’s more, it’ll cost an arm and a leg. But there’s a greater fear than your bank balance – what if your smaller, more precious keepsakes get lost along the way?
A courier to China can be ordered at a competitive rate if you choose the right website.
Numerous price comparison sites exist to help you gain the best delivery site imaginable. The cream of delivery sites will offer you first class delivery, recorded and able to track in real time. And all at a low price.
Moreover, your valuables will be safer than if they were rumbling around in the back of a freight with your bulky furniture. So get yourself onto a delivery price comparison site.
Culture clash
Moving to China is hardly like relocating from Slough to Dundee. Cultures change dramatically across hundreds of thousands of miles of ocean – and you don’t want to feel alienated by the time you arrive in the Far East.
Learn signs of respect and politeness favoured by Chinese culture, and ingratiate yourself with local company by using them whenever you meet someone new.
And be sure to make friends before you get there.
Plenty of social networks and forums exist specifically for expats to meet and befriend each other before their travels. The best of these sites will require a premium subscription, but you’ll save money in the long run avoiding social events specifically designed for expats.
Relocating to China will be expensive no matter how you look at it. But with the right choices, you could trim some of that cash load.
China is certainly a complex but interesting place … great guide!
For me, China is not ideal for moving in because of it’s overpopulated. But, China itself is very interesting and I have visited it twice.
I have visited China and really enjoyed it. The people were lovely but it is not somewhere I would choose to live. Interesting article though. Is it somewhere you would consider going?