The U.K economy isn’t great right now, which is why heaps of folks are heading to pastures new throughout Europe, be it on a temporary basis or more permanently. Here are five of the top reasons behind some of our recent customers’ relocations to some of the most glorious (and unexpected!) spots on the continent.

1. Career change/job prospects
Travelling for work used to mean moving to the city or adding an hour onto the daily commute. These days, we meet hundreds of folks relocating to France, Belgium, Spain and loads of other promising European locales for work reasons. Contract work and international experience are becoming more attractive to prospective employers. A stint overseas could set you in fantastic stead for a position back home in due course.

2. Quality of family life
According to a 2011 article in the Guardian, the U.K has the worst quality of life in Europe based on cost of living, average holidays per year, number of sunny days, working hours, life expectancy and about ten other deciding factors. One in ten Brits are seriously considering emigration or temporary relocation to another country to access a better standard of living for themselves and their families.

3. A change is as good as a rest
The idea of someone living the same life for their whole life (as most of our parents did) isn’t practical anymore. We don’t typically work for the same company in the same role living in the same house. We travel, we live, we work, we explore and make changes that previous generations couldn’t have easily made. A year living in Bruges – why not?

4. The world is getting smaller
Just a hundred years ago it took two days to get from London to Bristol on a fast horse. The option is still there today, but at less than two hours the train seems more appropriate! The great age of travel has made every corner of the world more accessible for us all, so why not make the most of it?

5. Retirement
It used to mean heading out to pasture in the potting shed, but these days retirement can be the best years of your life! A 2010 article in the Telegraph set Spain high on the list of retiree destinations. In fact, the Mediterranean in general ranked high in terms of affordability, ex-pat integration and quality of life.

Fun in the sun, a great career move or just more time to do the things you like – what’s stopping you? Our removals service extends far and wide over the European continent, making it as easy as possible for folks just like you to pick up, pack up and head off hassle-free!

•    Teach Yourself
Prior to moving to Berlin, Munich or anywhere else in Germany, teach yourself as much of the language as you can. Read a few beginners books and listen to some audio to give you an idea of pronunciation and intonation. You should also try to learn some grammar as this will help you to structure sentences.

•    Take Some Classes
Before you move, aim to take some German classes, both one-on-one and as part of a group. One-on-one classes will enable your tutor to focus on aspects of the language that you need to, or areas that you may be struggling with. Group classes will give you a feel of real world German conversations and knowing other learners will help to keep you motivated.

•    Befriend a Native
Only by talking to a native speaker will you get an indication of how the language is used in the real world. Use the internet to get in contact with native German speakers, and aim to converse via email or via Skype before you move. This will give you a chance to practice your German in a low-pressure environment.

•    Have accommodation prepared before you move
Not having some accommodation ready when you arrive in France will only add to your stress. Book some temporary accommodation for when you arrive and look for something permanent once you’re settled in the area.

•    Bring your furniture
Once you’ve found somewhere permanent, you can make it feel more like home by bringing over all your furniture. A company that provides furniture removals to France can have it with you in just a few days, and that familiarity should help curb any homesickness you may be experiencing.

•    Act like a tourist
If you don’t have to work when you first arrive, take the time to get to know your new area as best you can. Imagine you are a tourist and try to take in all the major areas in just a few days. This will help you to find your way around and you may even discover some hidden gems.

•    Meet the locals and other expats
After moving to France, aim to talk to someone new every day. Meeting the locals will help you fell more at home in your new area and meeting other expats will help you to see how other people have settled in.

Belgium is quite unique in that it has many long, straight roads, so many people choose to move by car. However it’s a long, tiring and arduous journey if you choose to do this yourself, and you’ll have several borders to cross and customs declarations to complete if you set off from the UK towards your new home .

Removals to Belgium can be made less stressful and more productive if you use a specialist removal company. You can leave at the last minute as your belongings go ahead of you, rather than having a stressful time packing and then launching yourself at a new job.

Another consideration is that most people live in small apartments in Brussels in the main cities, and you may need to scale down your belongings so it all fits. If not, you’ll be paying for storage on top of removals, which only adds to your costs in addition to the fluctuating Euro. At least by using a specialist removal service to Belgium, that’s one piece of the move puzzle already solved for you.

Insurance can become a worry – removal firms have a reputation even when moving furniture from street to street in the same town, so it’s understandable that if you’re dreaming of moving to France, you’ll be worried about who takes care of your belongings as it crosses not only streets, but continents. Not to mention that this means you’ll also end up dealing with extra hassle in customs as you prove that you’re living in the country rather than importing goods.

Not to worry though, there are specialist companies – like us – that can help when you’re relocating to France or any other European country. If you need peace of mind by someone who understands the logistics of the international removals market, then it would be wise to choose a specialist over a regular moving company.

If you want to say Allo Allo to your new home without waving au revoir to some of your valuable belongings, then a specialist removals company will give you the safest and most secure way of moving to France.

Language
Although many people on the Continent now speak English, there are just as many who do not (or will not). Therefore, you will find it very beneficial to learn the language spoken in your destination country as it will allow you to eat in restaurants, shop in markets and generally mingle with the locals with much greater success.

Climate
Although Western Europe’s climate is not drastically different to that of the UK; there are some parts of the Continent which frequently experience quite extreme weather conditions. Certainly some areas of France, Spain, Portugal and Italy can be very hot in the summer months, so you will need to be sure that you and your family will be able to endure such extremes before you move.

Moving
Regardless of whether you’re moving to France, Germany or wherever; perhaps the most important consideration of all is that of how you will move your furniture and belongings. Thankfully, we here at Europe Remove can help greatly in this respect as we specialise in moving people’s belongings from all over the UK to countries in Western Europe.

So, if you think you might be needing furniture removals to France or beyond in the near future, look no further than us here at Europe Remove.

Certainly, few people would say that packing, notifying banks and utility companies of your move, organising the re-direction of your post to your new address and registering your children with new schools is that much fun. However, it needs to be done and, if you’re moving abroad, there are probably many more things that will need to be added to that list as well

At least if you’re relocating to Germany, Spain, France or indeed any European country; moving your furniture and other possessions doesn’t have to add to your worries. Here at Europe Remove, we specialise in facilitating household and business removals to Continental European destinations so we can take care of all the stress of moving for you.

If you’re looking for removals to Germany, we can provide you with door-to-door deliveries to and from a wide range of German destinations such as Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne and Stuttgart. Similarly, we can provide comparable services to locations in Spain, France, Italy and beyond.

So, if you want one less stressful aspect to deal with when moving to Germany, France or wherever; look no further than us here at Europe Remove.

1.    Culture is obviously the first thing that springs to mind. Think of the difference between Edinburgh and Devon, Liverpool and Oxford, Rowen (a tiny village in North Wales) and London! Experiencing different culture can open your eyes to the world in a unique way.

2.    Expanding your career horizons. Experiencing different cultures isn’t just for students and the super-rich. With a little planning and dedication it’s possible for pretty much anyone to find a job abroad. It may even be a step down the career ladder, but in terms of adding interest to your CV, living abroad depicts a superb strength of character.

3.    The thrill of the unknown. Call it “fear” if you like. The thrill/fear of relocating to Germany etc. is something that can be incredibly beneficial in life. Not everyone is OK with getting out of their comfort zone, but even something like a few months relocating to Belgium can have an astounding effect on confidence and mindset.

4.    Culinary exploration. Maybe you’re already a well-fed food aficionado, but if you’re more the pie ‘n’ chips type, living another culinary lifestyle can be a wonderful adventure!

5.    Appreciating home. Sure, it rains a lot in the UK and our sports teams are frequently embarrassed, but true appreciation for all things British is certainly a wonderful side to living abroad. You’ll be surprised what you miss most!

Here are a few tips we’ve picked up over the years for relocating to Amsterdam, rural Spain or a host of other fantastic European destinations.

• Personal accountability is a huge part of studying abroad. Look into things like living costs, set a weekly budget, find out if your U.K bank card will work in an emergency, can a non-resident buy a mobile phone? Etc. Most foreign study positions are well-informed and organised, but make sure you understand all the ins and outs involved as much as possible. Don’t wait around for someone else to hand you a “How To” guide!

• Safety is obviously important. Each place holds different challenges, for example, moving to rural Italy will likely be a much slower pace than relocating to Paris. Seek advice from past residents or even local police websites.

• Keep records; not the boring kind like tax returns, but fun things like photos and journals! They’ll prove invaluable later on.

• Learn at least a little of the language. Aside from simply being good manners, knowing the basics can help you feel more ingratiated in the area.

Relocating to France is not an easy task, however. While it may be just across the water, there is still a lot to organise and the French administration system is notoriously difficult even when fluent in the language. You should never decide to relocate to another country without first doing some research. Just because you enjoy going on holiday there does not mean that you will have the same great experience living there.

If you have done your research and decide that moving is definitely for you, then we can help organise your furniture removals to France and take some of the hassle out of the experience of moving. Once considered an expensive country, the UK is now actually a lot cheaper for buying furniture and other belongings than a lot of the countries on the continent, so organising a furniture removal will work out much cheaper than buying new items when you get there. It also means that you can feel more comfortable in your surroundings by having familiar things around you. At Europe Remove, we aim to make the process of moving as easy as possible, and deliver your furniture on the date or dates you specify.