Pros and Cons of Taking Your Home Decor with You When Moving Internationally

by Betty White · August 9, 2024

Moving internationally presents a unique set of challenges and considerations. Among these is the important decision of what to take with you, particularly regarding your home decor. The pros and cons of taking your home decor should be carefully weighed to ensure a smooth transition to your new home. Familiar items can bring comfort and a sense of continuity. On the other, shipping costs, potential damage, and compatibility with your new space must be considered. Evaluating whether your cherished pieces will fit and complement your new home is crucial. Taking the time to assess the pros and cons of taking your home decor will help you make an informed decision.

Pros of Taking Your Home Decor

Moving internationally is a significant life change, and taking your home decor with you can help make the transition smoother. Familiar items provide comfort, save money, and create a welcoming environment. Here are some tips for creating tranquil spaces with mindful decor after moving into your new home.

Sentimental Value: The Emotional Comfort of Familiar Items in a New Place

Bringing along your home decor items holds great sentimental value. Familiar pieces can evoke memories and feelings of comfort, helping you feel at home more quickly. Photos, artwork, and cherished furniture can make your new space feel like a continuation of your old home. In addition, these items provide emotional stability during the transition, making it easier to settle in and adjust to your new environment.

Mother and daughter playing with markers

Cost Savings: Avoiding the Expense of Purchasing New Decor

One of the significant advantages of taking your home decor is cost savings. Furnishing a new home from scratch can be expensive. This is especially important when moving internationally, where the cost of living may differ significantly. Transporting your decor might incur some costs, but these are often lower than buying everything anew. You also avoid the time and effort needed to shop for new items, allowing you to focus on settling into your new life.

Immediate Comfort: Creating a Sense of Home Quickly in a New Environment

Setting up your new home with familiar items can provide immediate comfort. This sense of familiarity can be crucial in reducing the stress and anxiety of moving to a new country. Your personal items create a safe and inviting space, helping you adapt more quickly.

Cons of Taking Your Home Decor

While taking your home decor with you when moving internationally has its benefits, there are also notable drawbacks. High shipping costs, the risk of damage, and potential space and compatibility issues are key considerations. Here are some tips to safely pack your home décor for the move and mitigate these challenges.

Shipping Costs: High Expenses Related to International Shipping

One of the primary drawbacks of taking your home decor is the high cost of shipping items internationally. Shipping fees can add up quickly, especially for large or heavy items like furniture. Additionally, there may be customs duties and taxes to consider, which can further increase expenses. To mitigate these costs, it’s essential to plan and research shipping options. Consolidate shipments when possible and get quotes from multiple shipping companies. Also, consider whether the sentimental value and utility of the items justify the shipping costs.

Potential Damage: Risk of Items Getting Damaged During Transit

Another significant concern is the potential for damage during transit. Long-distance moves can be rough on delicate or valuable items. Even with careful packing, there’s always a risk that items could break or get damaged. To minimize this risk, invest in high-quality packing materials and techniques. Use bubble wrap, sturdy boxes, and packing peanuts to protect fragile items.

Space and Compatibility: Differences in Home Sizes and Decor Styles Between Countries

Space and compatibility issues are also important to consider. Homes in different countries vary significantly in size and style. Your furniture and decor may not fit well in your new home, leading to clutter and a mismatched aesthetic. Measure your new space before deciding which items to take. Consider the local decor styles and how your items will fit in. If necessary, be selective about what you bring and be prepared to purchase new items that better suit your new home.

Considerations for Specific Items

When deciding which home decor items to take with you during an international move, it’s important to evaluate the practicality and significance of each piece. Here are some tips on handling furniture, artwork, and personal memorabilia and how to incorporate memories into your home decor after a move:

Furniture: Evaluating the Practicality and Cost-Effectiveness
Size and Weight: Consider the cost of shipping large, heavy items versus purchasing new ones.
Fit and Style: Assess whether your furniture will fit and match the style of your new home.
Value: Determine if the sentimental or monetary value justifies the moving costs.

Artwork and Fragile Items

Packing: Use high-quality packing materials to protect delicate items.
Insurance: Insure valuable pieces during transit.
Climate: Check if the climate in your new location could affect the condition of your artwork.

Personal Items and Memorabilia

Sentimental Value: Identify items with high emotional significance.
Space: Consider the amount of space available in your new home.
Utility: Decide if you will use the items or display them effectively in your new space.

Logistics and Preparation

When moving internationally with your home decor, thorough logistics and preparation are crucial. Start by researching shipping options to find reliable and cost-effective solutions that suit your budget and needs. Look for companies with good reviews and comprehensive insurance coverage. Packing is a vital step; using quality packing materials (moving boxes, bubble wrap, and packing peanuts) ensures your items are protected during transit. Label boxes clearly and prioritize fragile items for extra care.

Cheerful couple talking about the pros and cons of taking your home decor

Understanding the customs rules and regulations of your destination country, alongside the pros and cons of taking your home decor with you, is also essential. Be aware of any restrictions on certain items and prepare necessary documentation to avoid delays or additional costs.

Weigh Personal Preferences and Practical Considerations

Deciding whether to take your home decor when moving internationally involves weighing several factors. Consider the sentimental value, cost savings, and immediate comfort of bringing familiar items. Balance these benefits against high shipping costs, potential damage, and space and style compatibility issues. Making an informed decision requires careful consideration of both personal preferences and practicalities. Take the time to assess the pros and cons of taking your home decor, ensuring a smoother transition and a comfortable new home.

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I think you'll agree that we all love our homes and love to improve them as much as we can. While the percentage of people who regularly do DIY has fallen in recent years that doesn't mean we are not interested in how our homes look – we are just less keen on doing the hard work ourselves. But whether you are a DIY fan who can turn their hand to anything or someone who prefers to sit back and let the decorator or interior designer work their magic we hope you will find some inspiration here.

If you are keen on colour or prefer neutrals, love natural beauty and texture, or super perfect finishes; whether you are an upcycler on a budget (I think that's many of us really) or able to splash out on designer items and beautiful unique art we are all drawn together by our love of all things in the home (and the garden too).

And if you are moving house we love to talk about that too – the excitement of a new place – new colours and finishes to choose, maybe some new furniture. And just the excitement of a new outlook from the windows, new plants sprouting in the garden (if you are lucky) and a new area to explore are reason enough to go through all the stress of the house buying process, packing up our things, entrusting them to a removals company or even shipping them off to self storage, and then unpacking all over again at the other end. But it is definitely worth it if you are fortunate enough to have found a better house for your needs and wants. And our pro tip about self storage if you do choose to use it for long-distance moves or simply to help with the logistics of the move is to use one that has a collection and delivery service. Whatever method of moving all your household possessions you choose to use don't forget to compare removals and storage prices and services from several different companies.

So why not read some of our posts and better still get involved by commenting and sharing…

It seems that Brits are still obsessed with owning their own homes even though the level of home ownership is now at its lowest level since 1986. We Brits love updating and improving our homes and you can’t really do that in a rented property – the most you can do if your rent is add some cushions and new bed linen. It’s also one of the reasons why 97% of older people want to stay in their own home and have either homecare or live-in care rather than go into a care home. However, “Generation Rent” is growing as more and more people are being forced to rent privately because they cannot save the level of deposit required as a down payment on a home of their own.

The large deposits now required by banks and other lenders make it hard even for those on a good salary and with sound personal finances to buy a home. Since the desire to own our own homes is still strong many young people are turning to parents, according to financial experts at Solution Loans, who will often act as guarantors for guarantor loans to raise a deposit. Or they will lend the cash for a deposit in order to provide their offspring with the security of home ownership

When you're updating and improving your home remember to consider your own health and the health of our environment and planet. This is the expert advice from my pal Eric over at Eric Land Mentoring and he knows his stuff about all thing eco-friendly.
Factor in easy ways to recycle, for instance; have a large compost area in the garden and rig up a water butt for watering plants. Make living healthily and in an eco-friendly way esier for yourself. Maybe even grow some of your own fruit and vegetables if that rocks your boat (have to say that it's hard work but ça vaut la peine)
The vast majority of people want to create a home for life, if they can. That's why so many older people want to stay in their own home (see www.liveincarehub.co.uk)and not move into a care home. So think about the future when creating a happy, healthy home.