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Packing Up Our Home to Move Overseas

April 6, 2022

After moving internationally 4x, hands down the most stressful part of expat life is PACKING UP OUR LIVES. I don’t know if it’s just me, but seeing strangers take apart the life that I so carefully & mindfully built up gives me anxiety. But it doesn’t help that we’ve had some negative experiences in the past too.

When we were moving from Berlin, it was so stressful seeing how packers handle our stuff, that I hid in the bathroom with our then newborn for the 2day pack out. Here’s the story:

I came out for 2 mins because a neighbor was inquiring about buying our plants. In the 2mins I was out I saw a guy packing up a trashcan that still had trash in it. And when we arrived in Manila, I saw that they threw away chocolate wrapper inside one of the boxes. Strange!

LEARNING THROUGH EXPERIENCE

For me experience is really the best teacher & when it comes to moving we’ve had so many “learning experiences” in the past that we did not want to repeat:

  • A mover who didn’t give us boxes ahead, so I ended up packing then unpacking our stuff to repacking into their boxes.
  • Mover who came with too many packers for the space, that it was too overwhelming for us.
  • Caught someone packing a valuable that magically appeared outside the off-limits area of our home
  • I’ve caught packers packing rice into a trashcan
  • and (as mentioned above) wrapping a trashcan with trash inside it

I wasn’t as anxious this time because Team Leader Beng was just so on top of how they were packing everything. He would even correct or teach them if he felt they could do it better.

PACKING UP OUR HOME DURING A PANDEMIC

I think it’s worth noting that we were moving in the middle of a pandemic which is a unique & difficult time. What’s the difference between this & packing out during a regular time?

  1. During this time that is essentially a lockdown, it was important to know the rules of the city & of each building.
  2. How many movers are allowed to come in? CROWN RELOCATIONS came with a Team Leader + 2 people. Perhaps if it wasn’t the pandemic, there would be more.
  3. I think at that time our building required them to shower in the building’s pool bathrooms before coming in. And they were required to have masks on.
  4. We also kept some windows + main door open even with the AC on because we wanted them to be cool & comfortable (not too warm) with fresh air circulation.

Strangely enough, despite the stressful conditions – pandemic + lockdowns – TD & I agree that our packout from Manila to Switzerland with CROWN RELOCATIONS has been THE LEAST STRESSFUL PACK OUT WE’VE EVER EXPERIENCED. Why?

HIGHLY SKILLED & KNOWLEDGEABLE TEAM

CROWN RELOCATIONS‘ staff are courteous, organized, HIGHLY-SKILLED and diligent in ensuring the safety of every item they handle. We could feel their passion for what they did & see THEIR EXPERTISE throughout the 3 DAY PACK OUT.

I think one of the reasons for this is that they invest in their people. CROWN RELOCATIONS‘ staff have been with them for years & this means that they take care of their people & this gives them the experience & expertise to know things that they learned through experience – the best teacher!

  • Team Leader Beng was so knowledgable & he was really guiding the packers so that they did BEST PACKING PRACTICES.
  • We could feel the LOVE & CARE the Crown packers put into packing. They were so careful!
  • They didn’t come with too much packers – even less than normal because of the pandemic – so it wasn’t overwhelming for us.
  • Yet despite only having 3 people for a large condominium, they were amazingly FAST, DELIBERATE & VERY CAREFUL with out stuff.
  • Beng regularly updated us HOW MANY CUBIC METERS we were at, so we could decide what items to prioritize.
  • Even the way they organize stacked the boxes that were done was so well-thought out!

You guys know HOW MUCH LOVE, CARE & THOUGHT I put into creating a beautiful #diplohome for my family, so having PACKERS THAT SHOW AS MUCH CARE FOR OUR BELONGINGS matters. I never knew how good packers could be until we tried CROWN RELOCATIONS. They were really a cut above the other movers we’ve tried.

Because of all the the above TD and I did not experience the ANXIETY ATTACKS we did during previous pack outs. I didn’t feel stressed watching them handle our belongings.

Glad I listened to my bestie @talallulah – also a trailing spouse – who told us that she could really see & feel the difference of CROWN RELOCATIONS compared to other movers that she used.

RESPONSIVE MOVE MANAGER

Aside from the team packing up our stuff we were constantly in touch with our MOVE MANAGER, Steph, during pack out. If Beng was unable to answer the question, Steph was easily accessible.

  • CROWN RELOCATIONS was very RESPONSIVE to questions about what we could include in our sea shipping & what wasn’t allowed.
  • This is super important because there are SO MANY DIFFERENT RULES depending on the destination country.

With a quick 3 day pack out, we had to decide on things rather quickly so we really appreciated how easy it was to coordinate with them & how quickly they got back to us.

SAFE & ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PACKING OF ITEMS

You guys know that I try to go for more sustainable options whenever I can and God knows that moving uses up a lot of resources. So I am so happy that CROWN RELOCATIONS uses environmentally-friendly packing materials that are still of the highest quality so our possessions were properly protected for its journey.

I was pleasantly surprised that they did not use bubble wrap like our previous movers. Only thick brown paper & tissue. I always tell everyone, the best wrapping for FRAGILE ITEMS is paper, not bubble wrap, if you know how to do it.

The only thing that was not biodegradable was the packing tape, but not using bubble wrap is already a huge thing!

E-TRACKING SYSTEM

I think this was the MOST AMAZING upgrade to moving! I could hardly believe it. I remember when it was so manual. TD would hold his laptop and type on an spreadsheet the box number and what it contained. Or my BFF would literally write down everything on a piece of paper! How far technology has come!

With CROWN RELOCATIONS‘ E-TRACKING SYSTEM they would scan the barcode in each box & the contents would be recorded so if you want to know what’s in the boxes you can check it online.

Another thing is that you can also check online where exactly your shipping container or boxes are. How convenient is that?

We were SO happy to say goodbye to manually writing/typing the contents of each box!

LOADING OF BOXES IN THEIR OWN TRUCKS

I think one of the coolest things about CROWN RELOCATIONS is that they have their own branded trucks for both Manila & Switzerland. They do not outsource trucking so we can be sure of the security of our items & they are able to reduce transport costs.

I went down to check on how they loaded our belongings & was happy to see that they were loading it as carefully as they packed it. Beng went through the process with the team loading the truck so that they knew where to pass from the service elevator to the truck & how to carefully load from the trolley to the truck.

SAFELY STORING OUR PERSONAL BELONGINGS

It’s important that the mover has the FACILITY TO SAFELY STORE OUR BELONGINGS while we:

  • Wait to fly to Geneva (we were delayed because of COVID lockdowns for 2 weeks before we could fly)
  • Look for a home to move into in Geneva (We always wait to get our ADDRESS before having them ship the items because if our SHIPPING CONTAINER arrives to the new location before we have our new address, we will be charge DEMURRAGE which is super expensive)

Demurrage refers to the charge that the merchant pays for the use of the container within the terminal beyond the free time period. 

– UNCTAD

CROWN RELOCATIONS gave use FREE 30 DAYS STORAGE in their facility in Laguna.

OTHER MOVING RELATED POSTS

I’ve also written about my 13 TIPS ON HOW TO CHOOSE A MOVER DURING A PANDEMIC and CROWN RELOCATIONS’ PRE-MOVE CUSTOMER SUPPORT so please check out these super informative posts!

OTHER MOVING RELATED POSTS:

What is Unaccompanied Air Baggage or AUB
Delivery of Our Shipment & Unpacking Our Lives
The Importance of Getting Transit Insurance #CrownCare
What is a Mobility Advisor?

CROWN RELOCATIONS

Get a quote today!

MANILA

+63 28 822 1123 • manila@crownrelo.com
Mon – Fri 8:00am – 5:30pm • Sat 9:00am – 1:00pm
Lot 5 Block1, Phase 7-A,
Laguna Technopark – Special Economic Zone, Binan, 4024 Laguna,Philippines

CEBU

+63 32 520 7206 • cebu@crownrelo.com
Mon – Fri 8:30am – 5:30pm
Warehouse 9 Forestview Realty Development, Kapaz Road, Brgy. Catarman, Liloan, Cebu

I hope you find this post helpful for your future moves! Please feel free to share it on Social Media & with friends who might need to read this too!

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Welcome

Hello! I’m Ayessa, trailing spouse to a diplomat, mama to DiploBaby and DiploDog and founder of Declutter MNL. I love talking about how to achieve a minimaluxe lifestyle one step at a time.

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GOOD TO KNOW GUIDE

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @UNDIPLOMATICWIFE

I love Halloween because it’s super fun for @dip I love Halloween because it’s super fun for @diplobaby. I love how his eyes light up. Before I was a parent, there was no reason to decorate.

Glad there is now a @gifi.ch near us with affordable HALLOWEEN DECOR & COSTUMES. 🧛‍♂️ 

I hope you enjoy seeing what they have in this short video! 👻 

It’s not lost on me how much plastic is used during Halloween, from the polyester costumes to the decor elements. 

ECO TIPS:

🎃 I usually slowly built up my Halloween decor. I buy 2-4 pieces each year

🎃 I take good care of them & store properly so I can reuse for years to come. It’s never singe use!

🎃 I also don’t throw away as much as possible. If there is damage, I repair.

🎃 If i dont use something anymore, I pass them on to others by selling it for a fraction of the price on Marketplace.

🎃 If it doesn’t sell, I pass them on the Pay it Forward Nyon group or place them in the donation pile in our dechetterie where others can take them.

🎃 if it’s not repairable, I take it apart so that the materials can be recycled.

🍭 As for TREATS, I hate the PLASTIC wrapped candy 🍬 so we usually give PAPER wrapped mini chocolate bars.

⛑️ HEALTH TIP:

If a piece of decor or costume SMELLS STRONGLY OF PLASTIC, DO NOT BUY IT! That’s toxic VOCs leaching into the air. It’s not good for you!

What about you? How do you try to have a sustainable Healthy-ish Halloween?🤪

I usually go in the same costume every year. Change is overrated lol. What about you? Do you know what your wearing this year?

#UDWinGeneva #udwholidays #udwhalloween
HOW NEAR IS @geneveaeroport? We are very lucky th HOW NEAR IS @geneveaeroport?

We are very lucky that the Geneva Airport is very near because it is located 4 km northwest of the city centre. It takes us less than 15mins by car & is easier to get to than airports outside the city.

BUT also means that many of the Geneva residents suffer from AIRCRAFT NOISE POLLUTION. 

In some parts of Geneva, like Vernier, Meyrin, Bellevue, Versoix, etc will have the airplane pass on top of you or very near you. This is something to consider when you are MOVING TO GENEVA & looking for a home.

When we were in @bioparcgeneve recently, it felt like airplane after airplane was going overhead every few mins. The poor animals were screaming each time.

A  report by the European Environment Agency(EEA) in 2017 said that 12% or 73,500 Geneva residents have their hearing disturbed by aircraft noise. Probably the figures have risen with the natural increase population & travel?

“The EEA describes noise as a pervasive pollutant that directly affects the health and well-being of humans and wildlife. Populations exposed to high noise levels can exhibit stress reactions, sleep-stage changes, and clinical symptoms like hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. All of these can contribute to premature mortality. The World Health Organization (WHO) reckons that humans exposed to noise levels above 40 decibels at night experience adverse health effects.

Across Europe it is estimated that noise contributed to at least 900,000 additional cases of hypertension in 2011.” - @le_news_ch 

DID YOU KNOW that owners of homes affected by the noise can request for soundproofing to be paid for by GVA? 

Check if your home meets the conditions for FREE SOUNDPROOFING c/o Genève Aéroport here:

https://www.gva.ch/en/Site/Geneve-Aeroport/Questions-Reponses-FAQ/Bruit#

SAVE or SHARE this now with someone you know who might be moving to Geneva or is already suffering from aircraft #noisepollution. 

#UDWinGeneva #UDWgenevagoodtoknow #expatingeneva #diplofamily #expatlife #genevaswitzerland #expatingeneva #filipinoingeneva #pinoyingeneva #movingtogeneva #movingtoswitzerland #movingtogeneva #genevaexpats #switzerlandexpatlife #geneva #genevaswitzerland
MERCADONA HAUL Whenever we go to Spain, we love t MERCADONA HAUL

Whenever we go to Spain, we love to go to @mercadona. It might be small but has a good affordable selection. It’s my thrifty Spanish MIL’s favorite.

We were so lucky that we had a @mercadona right beside our hotel Marina Badalona. Very convenient.
Our favorite things to bring home are:

☕️ frozen porras (bigger than churros)

🐑 baby lamb chops (the only lamb I eat coz it’s not malangsa & all you need to do is fry till crispy in olive oil with S&P) it’s called Chuletas Cabrito but TD calls it lechal 

🐽 chicharon or crispy pork rinds

🥔 Homemade potato chips. The best potato chips for me are from Spain. I don’t know how it’s so much yummier! The olive oil???

🎣 canned Sardines & tuna for me and Yaya B

TIPS:

🧊 For frozen items, we usually ask the hotel before we buy if they can put it in their freezer until we fly.

✍️ I usually bring different sizes ZIPLOCK BAGS, MASKING TAPE & MARKER when we travel so we can put everything in, label with our name and room number.

📸 then I take a photo so we can just show it to the staff and they can easily find it in their freezer.

✈️ When it’s time to pack, I placed our beach towels around the frozen packages coz I know they will SWEAT & I don’t want our other things to get wet 💦 

What  grocery do you usually like to shop for when in Spain? Where do you buy them?

#udwinbarcelona #udwinbadalona #udwtraveldiaries #udwtraveltips #udwtraveltip #diplofamily #filipinotravelblogger #pinayblogger #diplowife #diplomatswife #filipinoabroad #tdwtraveldiaries #takekidseverywhere #travelblogger #travelvlogger #travelvloggerph #filipinoblogger #filipinablogger #filipinavlogger #filipinoineurope #welltraveledkids #expatwoman #pinayblogger #familytravelblog
FREE GEAR RENTAL @boxup.app + OUTDOOR GYM at ISW C FREE GEAR RENTAL @boxup.app + OUTDOOR GYM at ISW Calisthenics Park 

📍Chem. des Tuileries 140, 1293 Bellevue

After the lovely BIOPARC we headed across to this chill park with ample PARKING that had so many things for kids & anyone who wants to move & work out:

⚽️ The kids wanted to kick around a football so we borrowed a ball from @boxup.app (they also have pumps, 🏓, 🏐, 🏀, etc) just download the app & turn on your Bluetooth & follow instructions! Return after 3hrs.

👟 Outdoor gym - this was a huge hit with the kids

⚽️ football - this too!

🏀 basketball court

🏓 Ping-pong 

🏐 Beach volleyball court

🤸🏻 Monkey bars

🛝 small playground

Thanks for the wonderful afternoon guys @lidia_otilia_botezatu! 
How lucky are we to have these beautiful, clean open spaces. And the free rental gear is AMAZING! so convenient.

This is in Geneva, about 15mins drive from where we live.

SAVE THIS on your list of PARKS to visit!

⚠️ WARNING

it’s in the airplane path so there will be loud noise from that. It’s not as close as the bioparc but bring earplugs/earphones if you are sensitive.

#udwingeneva #genevaswitzerland #genevaforkids #diplobaby #diplofamily #filipinotravelblogger #pinayblogger #diplowife #diplomatswife #filipinoabroad #tdwtraveldiaries #takekidseverywhere #travelblogger #travelvlogger #travelvloggerph #filipinoblogger #filipinablogger #filipinavlogger #filipinoineurope #welltraveledkids #expatwoman #pinayblogger #familytravelblog
BIOPARC GENÈVE Yesterday was a holiday in Switze BIOPARC GENÈVE

Yesterday was a holiday in Switzerland (except for Geneva). It was raining & miserable so I wanted to take @diplobaby out for a few hours. Thankfully midafternoon it stopped raining.

We met with our friends @lidia_otilia_botezatu in @bioparcgeneve and had a lovely time in this volunteer run zoo.

TIPS💡

🆓 It’s free for families on your FIRST visit!

🦢 you walk inside animal enclosures so wear shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty/stepping on poop. We wore boots & happy we did

🅿️ there’s parking inside on wood chips, if it’s full there’s another pavement parking (free up to 4hrs) across the roundabout 

🦔 Do not feed or touch the animals no matter how cute they are

🗺️ There are 2 routes (purple & blue) and 1-1.5hrs #diplshould be enough 

❎ Park closes at 4pm

SAVE THIS NOW if your looking for a fun & not too you can do in well und2hrs. It’s nice that you can go inside unlike most zoos so it’s quite unique.

⚠️ WARNING

it’s in the airplane path so there will be loud noise from that. @diplobaby who is super noise sensitive did not mind as much as I thought he would because he was so entertained by the animals.

#udwingeneva #genevaswitzerland #genevaforkids #diplobaby #diplofamily #filipinotravelblogger #pinayblogger #diplowife #diplomatswife #filipinoabroad #tdwtraveldiaries #takekidseverywhere #travelblogger #travelvlogger #travelvloggerph #filipinoblogger #filipinablogger #filipinavlogger #filipinoineurope #welltraveledkids #expatwoman #pinayblogger #familytravelblog
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