Living In USA

If you are renting a furnished apartment or house, moving is a relatively simple matter. You move exactly as you would for a stay in a hotel, although you might bring a few extra items.

If you are moving all your household goods to this country, you or your company will probably have arranged the transfer through a specialist. Large national and international movers have experienced packers and good equipment. You should inventory all your belongings carefully, making separate lists of those items that are going into storage, those being shipped to your new home, and those going to be cared for in some other way.

Inventories should be reasonably detailed, but you can group together and record the number of boxes of kitchen items, children's clothing, desk contents, and so forth. You do not have to itemize down to the last spoon.

Before any packers or movers come, you should sort out your belongings into separate categories as much as you can. Mark storage goods and those to be shipped with different-colored tags or stickers to avoid confusion or errors. You must also carefully supervise the movers as they work.

As the boxes are being packed for your new destination, mark each completed carton clearly in large letters on the outside as books, children's toys, kitchen supplies, and so on. This will help both the movers and you when you finally get into your new home.

When you discover how expensive it is to ship household goods, you will probably agree that it often makes better sense to buy basic equipment, such as dishes, sheets, towels, and saucepans, here rather than to ship your own — unless, of course, your company is assuming all shipping costs.

Furthermore, you may want to think carefully about bringing any pieces of furniture or cherished items, such as a delicate clock, an antique desk, your favorite chair. The best rule to follow is this: if the item were lost or broken, how would you feel? Picture the crate being lifted by a ship's crane and then dropped into the ship's hold or sitting on a dock during a heavy rain. Probably neither of these things will happen, because most goods today are packed well, but think about the possibility of such hazards. You may decide to leave your most valued possessions at home.

What will the climate be like in the part of the United States to which you are going? If you will be in sunny California, hot Arizona, or moist Florida, you should consider leaving heavy rugs, big upholstered chairs, velvet draperies, and the like at home. In hot areas it is practical to use rattan, glass, or wicker and to use louvers or shutters rather than draperies at the windows.