For people who may not be familiar with the full range of relocation services, the following description outlines a relocation using all the services [highlighted in bold when the service or service provider is first mentioned] which are available through Relocation Network members. It also gives the sequence of a typical relocation process.

The Example family lived in the U.K. Mr [or Mrs] Example’s company offered a new position with the Australian office. The executive and family were offered information and counselling by their Human Resource Department on the advantages and disadvantages of their projected move. Family issues such as leaving close relatives and friends, children changing schools, and company issues such as compensation and benefits, were discussed.

All these concerns and more were dealt with by both the U.K. Human Resource Personnel, and by various U.K. consultants specialising in providing outsourced relocation services.

This relocation process could also have been initiated by an Australian-based Recruitment Company which recognised the value of full relocation support for their candidates.]

Before making the final decision, the family accepted an offer by the company to make an orientation visit to their new city. [The children were left behind to have a holiday with their grandparents.] Once in Australia, the adults settled into their Fully Furnished accommodation. After a day or two they met and were briefed by the Relocation Company and Consultant who had been carefully selected by the local Human Resource Manager to co-ordinate their transfer, homesearch and settling in. They were taken on an orientation of the city, looking at housing styles and options which would meet the initial criteria they had faxed to the relocation consultant prior to leaving the U.K. During the orientation they met Property Managers who gave general information about areas and rental values. They later met Education, Career Change and Recruitment Consultants [the trailing partner wanted to discuss future employment opportunities, and whether it would be useful to begin further study while in Australia.]

After a few days, the couple felt confident that they had overcome their last reservations about the relocation, and looked more seriously at housing in a few areas they liked. They also decided that they would store most of their own furniture and hire Rental Furniture here. Migration, Visa, Expatriate Tax and Medical Insurance advice was arranged by their Human Resource Manager.

The couple returned to the U.K., full of enthusiasm for their move, yet prepared for the difficulties of leaving their old life. Planning for the relocation was co-ordinated by the U.K. Relocation Company affiliated with the Australian one. A Furniture Removal and Storage company was also selected, and visited the family to assess and advise on the shipment of personal and small household items, and the storage of their larger furniture items. The family was also offered support from other company employees who had made similar moves.

A few months later the family arrived in their new city - back to their welcoming relocation consultant and the familiar Fully Furnished accommodation. They needed a few days to get over jet lag, but there was ongoing contact and support. Then house-hunting began – carefully structured home-search programs showing the best available homes in their chosen areas. Schools too were assessed with the help of the education consultant, not only according to the children’s present requirements, but also to their later adaptation back into the home country’s system. When the children weren’t looking at houses and schools with their parents, carefully selected child-care was arranged.

Finding “the” house was relatively simple – fortunately there was a good supply of housing which met their criteria, and was within the company-determined budget limit. Leases were signed, and Utility Connections arranged.

The chosen house was not available for a couple of weeks, so the family concentrated on making the most of their time in their accommodation, the location of which had been chosen [correctly as it turned out] with the likelihood of the family deciding on that particular suburb. It was an ideal opportunity to focus on becoming familiar with the neighbourhood, and to settle the children into their school.

By the time the house was available, the family’s personal goods had arrived. The removal company’s delivery was co-ordinated with that of the hired furniture, and an Unpacking Service transformed the house into a welcoming home. Home Support services were recommended.

The wife [yes, it’s still usually the female who is the trailing partner!] was booked into a program providing Cultural Training and awareness of the characteristics of her new city. She had already been attending for a few weeks a regular Newcomers Group for additional social networking. She could not believe the stories told by women whose partners’ companies had not provided relocation assistance, and discussed with her husband what their move would have been like if they had had to do it all themselves. They decided they would simply NOT have moved, and he would probably have left the company to find a new career challenge. And they would have checked a new company’s relocation policies before joining!

All these SERVICE PROVIDERS are members of THE RELOCATION NETWORK. All know the value of working together to provide the best possible service for relocatees, and for the companies which move them.