I made the move by myself from Australia to the US 9 years ago. I strongly strongly recommend that for at least the first 6 weeks - take a sublease if possible, or if you have a favorite hotel - talk to them and see what rate they can give you for an extended stay. Not having to take care of little things such as furnishing a new place can be an absolute godsend - especially if you are also going to start a new job at the same time - and if you are really busy with starting a new job (or transfer to new location) staying in a hotel may add to costs, but it also means you can spend lots of time acclimating to new work environment and any downtime you have - spend looking for that new apt / house.

I cannot stress enough the importance of having your worldly possessions safely stored and sent to you when you are feeling more settled.

Irrespective of how organized you are - moving overseas is stressful - the last thing you need is to have your boxes of family china either go missing or get damaged while you try to find your feet in a new city.

Good luck!!

Based on our experiences a couple of additional tips:
1) M-bags, the post office offers this slow boat service for printed materials. A great and cheap way to take your most precious books with you.
2) Don't necessarily trust overseas real estate agents. In some countries they are extremely untrustworthy (think used car salespeople). We found a temporary place for the first couple of months which allowed us to check out the area, see what the going rates really were and ensure that the place we ended up in suited our needs.
3) Bank accounts. US banks do not allow you to have an oversea address so you will have to close all of your existing accounts and get new ones in your new country of residence. The paperwork takes a special process and the rules are different depending upon where you go but you have very little choice in the matter.

I'd add making sure you've packed your important documents or copies thereof. Never know when you need to whip out last year's taxes or a birth certificate.

Also, I would place extra emphasis on paring down. I watched a girl drag an entire case of Dr. Pepper with her to rural Japan, insisting that the stuff couldn't be found anywhere in the country. Sure it was tough to find, but not impossible. Moving countries is oftentimes about letting go of some creature comforts and finding new replacements.

Find out what all you need to do to be able to move your pets with you! Moving your pets to the UK takes six months BEFORE you move (six months after their final rabies vaccine).

1) if you want to keep your US bank accounts, you can simply change your address to a permanent address in the USA, like your parents or whomever you will count on to be Your Person in the US when you need something shipped or documents found etc.
2) Pets coming from the US (and some other countries) do not need to be quarantined in the UK anymore, but as 'gleaming hardwoods' says, it takes at least 6 months to get your pet passport in order. Coming into the US with pets is easy, though. It cost us just over $100 to bring our dog from the UK and all the customs wanted to know was whether we had any dog food with us. The rabies shots etc are apparently part of state or local regulations.

Also, be aware that your credit score doesn't move with you. Buying a car or a home, or even getting a local cell phone can be difficult.

If you are moving to Africa (or any other developing country) I would suggest bringing some kitchen basics like good knives and a quality can opener (your housekeeper/the locals will love you if you have one that leave an edge that isn't sharp). The other thing that is generally impossible to find in Africa is absorbent towels.

For furniture it is easy to have things like tables, chairs and shelving built, but it may be harder to find a mattress or upholstered furniture you like.

As part of an internship I once had to equip and decorate a hospital guest house and I can assure you that couches in Nairobi are hideous and expensive.

@ Redsmurf and Dulcibella: I live abroad, have a US Bank account, AND have a foreign billing address.

Good to read this post and what everyone has to say about moving overseas. I plan on moving to Portugal in 5 years and I'm already researching the heck out of it. I know time will fly and I want to be as organized and savvy as possible.

Other than the language and Visa issues - This advice really is not that different from moving to a different city, is it?

Bear in mind that most First-Tier countries will not allow you to move there unless you already have a job and a place to live lined up - You'd only be able to go on a tourist Visa otherwise.

I've lived overseas for 3 years, in 2 different countries. I recommend paring down your household goods, but keep things to make your new place feel homey such as pictures of family and friends. It really helps to have that connection to "home" if you're moving by yourself. Make sure your loved ones are set up with Skype before you leave so you can talk for free and even see them if they have a webcam. Send yourself a few boxes of essentials to your new address in advance of your departure (your landlord or place of business should be able to take delivery of them). Pack important documents in your carry-on. Most of all, enjoy! Living abroad has been tricky at times, but it has been an amazing experience.

I would also emphasize the "don't rent an apartment until you get there" advice. Unless you're moving somewhere you know well, you really have no idea how trustworthy the agent is or what the apartment or neigborhood is going to be like.

I would also research how to open bank accounts and credit cards in the new country. Not having a local credit card or account for a few weeks can be a real pain, especially as you're trying to rent apartments.

Finally a word of caution when you move back to the U.S.: quite a few banks (even huge ones like HSBC) will only let you close accounts in person. Plan ahead if you don't want to leave leftover bank accounts in foreign countries.

I second CMU's advice on bringing kitchen knives and kitchen stuff to Africa. I've lived in four countries in Africa and have never found cookie sheets that bake evenly or knives that cut well. Maybe South Africa, but if you like cooking just bring them with you!

And check with other expats what you should bring; when I moved to Malawi, my future coworker informed me that shower curtains were impossible to find. I was really happy to have one with me!

Stupid and trivial advice: If moving to Europe, stock up on linens if you're bringing your bed, pillows, duvet, etc. And, if bringing lamps, buy a clean shade. In Europe, we use a different fitting (as opposed to the spider fitting on American lamps), so finding new shades is an impossible task!

@bepsf: exactly like that, at least for us. We have lived in Brazil, Italy, Sweden, England, Taiwan, USA and Canada and we needed to get work visas sorted out and a place to stay beforehand. A hotel/apartment hotel did it for us for some time.

I agree with those saying that if possible, hold off on finding a place until you've been in country for at least 2-3 weeks, spent time in the neighborhood you want to live in, and have found out what the locals pay for similar homes.

I agree with LaurelJRyan - get rid of as much as possible before you go. When you think you've done that, do it again. You won't miss the things you left behind at all. Once you're settled, you'll figure out where to get most things you need, or find alternatives.

I moved from the UK to the US 3 years ago, i still have my UK bank account over there (yay thanx mum and dads house) but its my incase of emergency fund or "omg the exchange rate is amazing lets shop" fund.

i had 2 suitcases packed full of clothes, a few books, sketch pads, portfolios, ornaments (wrapped in bubble wrap), and even limited edition prints (all pre-appaised and insured, strapped to a slim bit of hardboard at the bottom of the suitcase), also all documents in hand luggage. i took my pc apart and removed the case to make the shipping in a smaller box cheaper and sent that before i left, and beat it here as it went by boat. everything arrived in tact, might move back to the UK in a few year tho.

i'd recommend living abroad.

I went to Tallinn, Estonia on a sort of Peace Corps for MBA program way back in 1994-1995. I knew it was only for a year or two at most, so all I really needed was two extremely large bags full of clothing.

I was housed with a local family for the summer and then my company found and paid for my furnished apartment so I packed very little besides my camera and an atlas.

I went before Amazon and the internet were common everywhere, so my cohorts in the program and I suffered from a severe lack of English reading material despite sharing everything we could get our hands on. Books are not cheap outside the US. Nowadays I'd get a Kindle and stock that baby up with an endless supply of books before leaving the US!!

Agree with juliekohler, other expats always know what oddball things are hard to find and/or expensive. Shower curtains were rare and bizarrely overpriced in Estonia too ! Kitchen implements seem to be hit or miss, I had to have my Mom send me a potato peeler and pot-holders.

In reference to the Dr. Pepper - the Dublin style is *very* hard to come by even in Texas.

We found one machine with regular DP in Akihabara and another near Sunshine City.

For overseas, when my partner's parents were overseas, it was uniquely American staples they wanted the most. Irish Spring soap, Jell-O, shelf stable bacon.