Episode 44: I Want to Move Abroad, But What Do I Do With My Stuff?

The International Living Podcast

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This week we chat to Suzan Haskins about a subject that comes up often in our mailbag, and at conferences. Understandably so. It’s one thing to pack a bag for a vacation—any fool knows how to do that—but it’s an altogether different prospect when you’re planning on moving abroad for months, years, or decades.
Read Suzan's full article in the September issue of the International Living Magazine: "I Want to Move Abroad, But What Do I Do With My Stuff?"

Suzan, and her husband, Dan Prescher, are experts on the business of moving overseas. They’ve lived in multiple countries, and made numerous moves. Sometimes they pack light, other times they take a more elaborate approach to transporting the possessions they can’t just throw into a backpack. Bear in mind that Dan’s a musician—he’s not going anywhere without at least a guitar. That’s a logistical challenge in itself, but it’s one that Suzan and he have risen to with experience and aplomb.
Shipping containers, transporting animals, hold baggage, import/export agents, paperwork, import duties, and U-Haul trucks…Suzan’s done it all. Over the years, she’s built up a wealth of knowledge, and more importantly, an address book full of contacts. Knowing who to speak to, and who to hire makes all the difference when it comes to big decisions such as whether to bring your own car abroad with you, or if you really need to ship your old bed to your new home.
But perhaps more important than any of the logistics, is Suzan’s underlying question: Do you really want to bring your old life with you when you start afresh overseas…or just the parts that mean the most to you?
Whether you’re someone who moves abroad with nothing more than what you can carry on your back, or whether you want to go the whole hog with a shipping container, Suzan Haskins is just the person to explain it all.
Join host, Jim Santos, as he meets her in the latest episode of The International Living Podcast.
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Chapter

1. Episode 44: I Want to Move Abroad, But What Do I Do With My Stuff? (00:00:00)

2. Chris And Jasmine—How They Got Their Stuff to Costa Rica & What They Left Behind (00:03:18)

3. Tools And Equipment—Perhaps it’s Better to Bring Them Than Buy New Ones (00:06:34)

4. You Want to Ship A Container, How Do You Go About Doing That? (00:08:25)

5. How to Find a Shipping Agent (00:13:29)

6. Sharing a Container—A Good Way to Cut Costs (00:17:55)

7. U-Haul to Mexico—A Destination You Can Drive to (00:20:48)

8. Shipping/Importing Your Automobile, And Great New Laws in Costa Rica (00:25:48)

9. Some Good Reasons Why You Might Not Want to Bring Your Car (00:27:40)