What to bring
If this is your first international relocation, you might be wondering, what should I bring? Do I move my whole house over? Or do I just bring a few suitcases and start fresh?
The answer to that really depends on a few things:
How long are you moving to the Netherlands for? Is this a permanent move or are you here for a finite period of time?
Are you moving with children? Some kids need some comforts from home on a move, but that doesn’t mean you need to bring over every toy they have ever owned?
Will you be living in the suburbs (in a house) or in the city (in a small apartment)?
Will your company help pay for your move or is the cost on you to do it?
All of these questions should be factored into what you should bring over. Will you be given a container by your company to move your things or will they only give you extra baggage? Maybe you are moving on your own volition and so want to limit how much you are bringing with you. Either way, a big move like this is a great opportunity to do some purging!
Often people will ask us about if they should bring furniture, large appliances such as a washing machine or small kitchen appliances. The answers vary.
If you are coming from a large house with big open space and moving to a small apartment in the heart of Amsterdam, that large sofa might not work for your new layout. So before deciding what furniture to bring or leave behind, think about the type of home you want to be in. Keep in mind that Dutch houses are usually very narrow!
And in some cases you may want to rent a furnished house, and then you can leave most of your goods behind in your home country. If you are renting your own home out, this might make the process easier.
We always recommend bringing your important keepsakes with you. Even if you are only coming for 2 years, you never know what the future might hold (ask any of us!) and so having those treasured memories with you not only are a comfort during challenging times, but it’s the thing we hear the most about people regretting bringing along with them.
Your appliances really depend on where you are coming from. If you are coming from another European country then most likely you will have the same electrical system in use. In this case, bringing over your iron, hand mixer or tv should be no different than moving within your own country.
However, if you are coming from outside the EU, keep in mind the voltage and that you may either need to step up or down and that may require a transformer. This is usually not worth the headache and so we would suggest leaving those appliances behind and purchasing new ones upon arrival.
In some cases, you may want to bring over your car as well. Again, the complexity of this will be dependent on if you are coming from within the EU or outside the EU. Check the tax regulations with importing a car before doing it and if coming from outside the EU, you will also need to see what changes to your car you’ll need to make in order for it to be compliant with Dutch standards.
Things like beds also vary. Countries vary with the sizes of their beds so not all bedding linen will fit all beds. Do a quick google of bed dimensions in your country before deciding to bring the beds themselves or the linens.
Most importantly, aside from any physical objects, you should remember to bring with you a good sense of humor and an open mind. Being prepared for the unexpected and accepting that this is a different country and culture will be more important than anything you bring with you.