This is the same timeline Florette walks every international client through. It works for moves from Malaysia to anywhere — adjust the destination-specific items based on your route.
This is the same timeline Florette walks every international client through. It works for moves from Malaysia to anywhere — adjust the destination-specific items based on your route. The eight-week structure isn't excessive; international moves involve documentation that takes time to process, paperwork that has to be filed in specific windows, and decisions you can't make at the last minute. Print this, screenshot it, or work through it digitally — whatever helps you stay on top of it.
One project manager runs every move from survey to settled-in, with three workstreams in parallel.
Book your mover and confirm the move date. Get written quotes from two or three movers, confirm the scope (packing? customs? destination delivery? insurance?), sign the agreement.
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Begin sorting and decluttering. The cheapest cubic metre is the one you don't ship. Sell, donate, or discard items you don't need.
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Confirm the survey with your mover. If you booked Florette, the home survey happens around this point — PM walks the property, finalises the inventory, confirms packing date and time, and locks the written quote.
Get a quoteDisposal of restricted items. Hazardous items (paint, chemicals, fuels, aerosols) can't be shipped, so use them up or dispose of them. Food items for moves to Australia/NZ/USA: discard or eat. Items that won't be in the shipment go in the carry-luggage list now.
Set up forwarding address for mail. Pos Malaysia mail forwarding service for Malaysian addresses. Update important addresses (bank, government, employer) with destination address.
Inform schools and childcare for children. Confirm last day at current school, request transcripts and reference letters in writing.
Cancel ongoing services. Gym memberships, magazine subscriptions, monthly delivery services — cancel or pause.
Final inventory walk-through with your mover. Confirm what's going, what's staying, what's going to storage. Adjust quote if scope has changed.
Buy travel essentials. The first week at destination is hard if your shipment hasn't arrived. Buy: 2 weeks of clothes, basic toiletries, important medications, kitchen-basics if you'll need to cook. These go in the carry-luggage.
Request employment letters and salary records. Some destinations require these for residency setup, school admissions, or tenancy applications.
Driving licence. Get an International Driving Permit if your destination accepts it. For permanent relocations, plan local-licence conversion at destination — some countries require new tests.
Pack your "first 7 days" carry-luggage. 7 days of clothes (work-appropriate plus casual), 7 days of children's clothes, basic kitchen items if you'll cook (1 pan, 1 pot, plates, utensils, kettle), basic toiletries, important medications, family documents in a single folder.
Confirm packing schedule with mover. Time, crew arrival, expected duration, what you should keep aside (carry-luggage items), where to be during the pack-out (most clients stay home and supervise; some go elsewhere and let the crew work).
Empty and defrost the fridge. 48-72 hours before pack-out for empty-fridge shipping. (Most international moves leave white goods behind.)
Confirm flight details. Print or save the boarding passes. Confirm transit accommodation if needed.
On move day: be home at the start, walk the crew through the property, point out anything fragile or special, then let them work. Stay accessible for questions. Confirm the inventory before container sealing or truck departure. Sign all paperwork.
Final walk-through after pack-out: check every room, every closet, every drawer. Items get missed in last-minute corners. Take final photos of the empty property for the deposit return.
Hand over keys. To landlord, building management, or new tenant.
Arrival logistics. Airport pickup if arranged. Transfer to temporary accommodation. Local SIM card. Transit card. Cash in local currency.
Connect with destination services if applicable. If your move package includes settling-in (Florette's standard for inbound corporate moves), the destination team meets you on Day 1 and walks you through the area, answers immediate questions, and starts home/school search.
Buy 7 days of essentials at destination. Even with a carry-luggage you'll need: groceries, basic cleaning supplies, toiletries you didn't pack, sleeping pillows if not provided in temporary accommodation.
Confirm shipment ETA. Your mover should give you a destination-port arrival estimate. UK ToR1 should already be approved by now. India TR documentation gets submitted to customs.
Visit destination schools (if children). Final enrolment confirmation, uniform purchase, supplies list, first-day arrangements.
Open destination bank account if not already done. Bring passport, visa, residence permit (if available), and proof of address (utility bill or tenancy agreement).
Start home search if you arrived on temporary accommodation. View 4-8 properties in the first week. Lease decisions usually happen in week 2-3.
Apply for local driving licence if you'll drive. Some countries take weeks to process — start early.
Customs clearance at destination port. ToR1 (UK) / B534 (Australia) / TR (India) processed. If documentation is correct, clearance typically takes 2-7 days depending on country. Florette's destination partner handles this in our standard service.
Door delivery. Crew unloads, places furniture, reassembles items disassembled at origin. You sign the delivery note — flag any visible damage with reservations on the note (this is critical for any insurance claim).
Unpacking sequence. "First 7 days" essentials first (you should have these in carry-luggage already). Then bedrooms, kitchen, bathrooms, living areas. Decor and non-essentials last.
Insurance claim if needed. Visible damage flagged at delivery. Concealed damage discovered when unpacking — submit written claim within 14 days. Photograph everything before unwrapping further.
The questions clients ask us most often before booking.
For international moves, yes. Visa timelines, school placements, customs paperwork, and pet relocation each have their own multi-week processing. Compressing all of these into 4 weeks usually fails on at least one.
Possible but stressful. The compressed-timeline version: book mover and confirm visa first, then prioritise pet relocation (if applicable) and customs paperwork, then the rest. Florette accommodates short-notice moves where possible.
Both. Origin room (where it was packed) helps the mover; destination room (where it goes) helps the destination crew place it correctly. We do this on every Florette pack-out.
Underestimating customs paperwork lead time. UK ToR1 in particular — clients assume it can be filed close to move day, but HMRC approval takes 4-6 weeks. Filing late delays the shipment release at destination port.
Yes — slightly different scope (employer-billed services, RFP responses, framework agreements). Email [email protected] if your move is corporate-sponsored and you need the corporate version.
Yes — that's most of what international movers handle. Visa and immigration is yours; everything from packing through customs through delivery is ours. Settling-in services available on top.
Free survey, written 24-hour quote, single project manager — insurance bundled by default.