Moving places abroad as a Digital Nomad involves much less effort than moving while being in a conventional life. You can do your jobs from anywhere, and the luggage is limited to a few suitcases instead of a truckload of moving boxes. But especially when you’re moving as a family, it’s still a lot of work. What needs to be planned in advance? Are there decisions you can make on the spur of the moment? What does a family have to consider to start a new life?
In the past few years, we have experimented a lot. I have compiled the perfect procedure, including checklists for you here. Let’s dive into the optimized way of moving places abroad!
1. Choosing a new Place Abroad
The first step sounds easy, but it’s not. Because when choosing the next place to live, the interests of all family members come together. For example, when we lived on the Thai island of Koh Phangan for a long time, my husband was drawn to the snow, and I wanted to stay warm. In the cold countries of our choice, the cost of living is very high. So we had to find a compromise: Vacation in Finland and Switzerland, then go back to Southeast Asia.
You should ask the following questions when choosing a place:
- What are the cost of living and rental prices?
- What are the current climatic conditions (rainy season, dry season, etc.), and can all family members cope with them?
- Are there enough childcare facilities? If so, are they good?
- Are there coworking spaces? If not, how could you set up a workday on site (e.g., a bigger house with room for your own office)?
- Do you even come to the country with your nationality?
- What about the general security in the country? Of course, you do not want to travel with children to a war zone.
Once this initial research is complete, you can compare your favorite places and weigh the pros and cons. If still no place has emerged as a clear winner, then see how it stands regarding the flight or travel costs there. This actually helped us once when we just couldn’t decide.
2. Preparation for the Change of Location
Some things you should plan in advance. Because even though the nomadic life is much more flexible, you will make your life much easier with some preparations. As a backpacker couple, you went door-to-door after a 20-hour flight looking for the cheapest hotel room. Today, with two toddlers, more luggage, and fewer nerves, that’s no longer an option!
Necessary planning for moving places:
- Apply for a visa, if necessary.
- Join Facebook groups for local families as well as rental properties.
- Book a hotel room for the first night after arrival, including transfer from the airport (order baby crib or other amenities from the hotel if necessary). This only applies if you are landing in a city a little further from your future home. Pro tip: Pack so that you only need one suitcase/bag for this one night. This will save you from rummaging around in different suitcases.
- Book childcare – choosing the perfect school significantly impacts the location of your future home (we avoid having to drive more than 15 minutes to the daycare). So far, posting in the respective Facebook groups and asking for recommendations have helped me with the choice. The same goes for nannies and babysitters. Interview online and get to know the people or institutions.
- Book or reserve a house/apartment. And this is where it gets tricky. Because no one wants to commit to something for several months they’ve only seen in photos. Embark on a new journey with Moving for New Life! Our family-friendly moving services make relocating with kids a breeze. Especially not in an unknown place in a country you have never been to. Pro tip: Rent something nice from a reputable platform like Airbnb for the first 2-4 weeks. You need a base to get to know the new place first and recover from the travel stresses. In parallel, check Facebook groups or broker sites for rentals and contact landlords. We had the best of luck with making appointments to view the properties in advance and then looking at and choosing them on the spot.
- Book or reserve air/train/car/boat for the trip. Travel costs can go up quickly these days. I recommend watching ticket prices, for example, with Google Flight Tracker.
One of the significant advantages and, at the same time, disadvantages of nomadic life: Nothing is forever – therefore relax! If you make a terrible decision that can’t be reversed, it soon will be over!
Airfares can skyrocket these days – so it’s wise to keep an eye on prices in the medium term.
3. The Move – Start into the New Life
When you arrive in the evening, rest for the time being. Let the new culture, the environment, the people, and the climate work their magic on you. If you arrive during the day, then you can start right away. From now on, it’s better to get your new life up and running in 24 stressful hours than to spend weeks moving from one temporary solution to the next.
The following approach has worked well for us:
- Arrange with the nanny you’ve chosen online in advance to come over shortly after you arrive (about an hour after your scheduled check-in). This way, you have the onboarding and getting to know each other right behind you and can decide if it should really be this nanny. In addition: If it works out well, you can unpack in peace and perhaps even do everything else without children.
- Do you know which means of transportation is best for you in the new place? Good, then head to the next rental with good reviews! As a rule, the prices are always better if you rent long-term. So take the risk and pay for the first month in advance. Mobility is now guaranteed!
- Now it’s time to look at the houses/apartments you are interested in. In the best case, you can already make a final decision.
- You need a place to work. Visit coworking spaces and choose the one that offers the most advantages. Try out the new office for at least one day before you sign up for a monthly subscription. After all, essential things like good Internet, comfortable chairs, good table heights, a pleasant working atmosphere, and a good community must be tried out. Pro tip: No matter where you are newly arrived, ask the local people! “What’s it like here?”, “What are the pros and cons?”, “What’s your favorite restaurant nearby?” You’re guaranteed to get the best insights.
With these extra tips, the first day will go smoothly:
- Unpack only a few things! Today is not when every piece of clothing has to find its final place. It’s all about the essentials.
- Buy some groceries. Because nothing is worse than hungry kids (except tired kids, maybe). Make it easy on yourself and order snacks, fruit, water, and toilet paper through delivery services like Grab or Foodpanda.
- Split up! We’re doing great with this tactic. Because not everyone has to be involved in every little decision. One goes shopping, and the other chooses the coworking space. Then you meet again for lunch.
- Mark important places on Google Maps. These include Daycare/school, current home, coworking space, nearest grocery store, restaurants you want to visit, and attractions on your bucket list. This will not only help you get your initial bearings but also allow you to spontaneously visit places you happen to be near.
Moving day is also a day of rewards. Are the kids craving fries? Are your feet hurting? Feast together and treat yourself to a massage afterward!
4. The Comfort Zone
Congratulations, you have successfully settled in a new place. The kids go to daycare, you go to the office, and you’ve already found the best coffee shop. But one crucial point is still missing: social contact. As a Digital Nomad Family moving abroad, you are not as dependent on other people as a single traveler. But after a particular time, everyone needs other people around him. I will go into this topic in detail in another blog entry, but here are the most important tips:
- Post in the leading Facebook group of your new place of residence that you are there and interested in contacting. Sounds weird, but it’s not. As a parent, you can easily ask for kids’ playdates. You will be amazed at how many people will respond! We met a lovely couple on our first post, and they still belong to our closest friends today.
- Could you find someone nice and imagine a friendship could develop? Jump over your shadow and exchange contacts. The world of digital nomads is fast-paced. Nothing is more annoying than ruining your chance for a meaningful friendship because you’re too shy to ask. Unfortunately, that happened to us a lot in the beginning.
Have I forgotten anything? What are your experiences moving abroad with kids? I look forward to your comments!
Thank you for reading and for making me part of your day! Yours, Lulu
