The time has come to leave Singapore and this time, for good. We are moving to London.

With that comes a lot to do. Friends keep saying, “That must be so stressful.” But honestly, it isn’t.

The trick is to stay focused. Google Sheets will become your best friend.

Whether it is making sure your younger daughter gets her second HPV vaccine before you leave and ignoring the voice in your head saying, “Sure, it’ll be easy to do in the UK and free.” Shut that thought down immediately. Because it’s not true.

We made that mistake when we moved to San Francisco and needed growth hormone for our elder daughter. It was all fine in the end, but until you are properly in the system it can be a minefield. A note to anyone relocating: get any important medical things done before you leave a country if you possibly can.

Artfully managing your landlord so he doesn’t try to charge you nearly 18 months’ rent because you do not have a diplomatic get out clause is another skill entirely. Oh, to be a renter in the UK right now. Since the changes on May 1st, tenants have a lot more protection, including longer notice periods, and landlords can no longer operate with the same “out you go” energy. Singapore has many great advantages, but being a tenant here is certainly not one of them.

The most important thing to remember when managing a relocation is that it is all doable. There will be bumps in the road and things completely beyond your control, but you will get there in the end.

Choosing your relocation company is important too, if that is an option available to you. Whether you are being moved by a company or managing the move yourself, having people around you who can help with information, solve problems and sometimes simply lend an ear makes a huge difference when you are trying to work out whether your dog needs another blood test or your daughter needs another vaccine.

And if you have family pets travelling with you, check well in advance what vaccines, tests and paperwork they need. Pet travel rules have become increasingly complicated in recent years, so do not leave that until the last minute.

Then comes the big question. What do you take and what do you leave behind?

You will read everything from “take absolutely everything” to “sell it all and start again”. If a company is paying for your move, you can afford to be a bit more discerning.

In our case, although we are moving to London, most of our belongings are going to France where we have a house, as our London flat is small and furnished. So we are effectively managing two separate shipments to two different countries at the same time. One smaller shipment to London and a much larger one to France. Which sounds complicated because, frankly, it is.

But even that is manageable when you break it down into lists, timelines and priorities.

I find this part surprisingly emotional. Not because the furniture is particularly valuable, it isn’t, but because so much of it holds memories. Some pieces we bought over 20 years ago, others when we lived in San Francisco. Apparently I have passed this trait directly on to my daughters, who also find it deeply difficult to say goodbye to things. A lamp is never just a lamp in our house. And maybe it is because we have lived in so many different homes that what is inside them has come to mean more than the physical place itself.

In the end, it helps to focus on where you are moving to. What will actually fit? What works? What can you genuinely not do without?

In reality, the only things you truly cannot do without are passports, required medication and access to money.

Everything else is just logistics.