What to Do on Your First Day in Your Overseas Home?

You finally moved overseas. The move is over and you are in your new home in another country. There is a lot ahead of you, but what exactly should you do on your first day in your new home abroad?

Relax

The hard part is over and there is no immediate rush to do anything. You are either waiting for your shipment or already brought it into the country. There are things to do, but the time crunch is not as severe as it was before you got home.

Tour your new home

You most likely had an idea of what your home looked like before renting or buying it, but now that you have a little time, take a minute to search the entire place. You can find new things you like or even find potential things you may want to fix. There could be damage or dirt in places that may be best to know about as soon as possible.

Start unpacking

You don’t need to unpack everything in your home on your first day, but you should open your essentials. It is best not to put off unpacking for long and make the moving boxes become de facto furniture. If your boxes and luggage are well organized, you should be able to unpack essentials efficiently.

Organize your home

As you unpack your things, you should have a floor plan in mind for your living space. Now is the time to organize your new home and put everything in their newly designated places. This is a big step in making your new house feel like a home.

Call your friends and family

Finally calling a foreign location home is a big deal. You will want to share this with your loved ones who may be worried about you. Give them a call if you can. If your phone needs a SIM card to work overseas, you could travel to a local electronics store and purchase one.

Take a walk or ride around your neighborhood

Your new home isn’t just your house– you need to familiarize your self with the entire local area. Take a walk around the neighborhood or ride some public transportation to get a first look at the people and places around your foreign home. You should find the nearest grocery stores, banks, restaurants, pharmacies, and medical centers.

Introduce yourself to your neighbors

Depending on the culture of the country, you should introduce yourself to your new neighbors. Some more xenophobic cultures may yield cold neighbors, but most people will welcome foreign neighbors (that’s you). If you are respectful you may even get some help and advice from your new friends.

Meet with your landlord if applicable

Most moves overseas involve renting space. Your first day in your home could be the first day you will meet your landlord in person. If there are any problems with your home or questions you have for him or her, you should ask right away. Landlords can be elusive after the initial meeting, especially in certain countries without strong tenant protection laws.

Your first day in your home abroad is all about slowing down and taking in what will be your new home in a totally new environment. Try not to fear culture shock and take this moment to reflect on what you’ve done and what’s ahead in your new country.