I still use the duvet, computer monitor, and air purifier I brought from Korea. The humidifier and pillow, on the other hand, have seen little use, and I’ve worn my heavy winter clothes much less than I expected. After more than two years in Hanoi, what I thought I would need before moving and what has stayed useful haven’t quite matched.
If I moved to Vietnam again, I’d bring fewer clothes and household items—and check what the apartment includes before packing. There’s an important caveat: my employer provided my home, and it already had basic furniture and appliances. Someone furnishing an empty apartment would have a different starting point.
The duvet, monitor, and air purifier are still useful
These are the three things I brought that I continue to use after settling into everyday life. They weren’t just useful during the move.
But something being useful to me doesn’t make it something everyone needs to bring from home. I’m not saying these items are difficult to find in Vietnam. In my case, they simply continued to have a place in my life.
For bulky items such as bedding or a monitor, start by separating what you already own from what you would need to buy. Shipping an existing item and buying a new one specifically to take abroad are different decisions. Check whether the apartment already includes it, then weigh transport costs and the risk of damage against buying locally.
Clothes are the first thing I’d cut back on
In my everyday life, I’ve spent a long part of the year in lightweight clothes and done laundry frequently. I felt my clothes wore out quickly, and I ended up buying replacements locally.
Rather than packing enough clothes to last for a long stay, I’d start with the things I actually wear often and add what I need later.
Heavy winter clothes, in particular, took up space out of proportion to how often I used them. In my case, I wore a parka only once or twice a year. If I were packing again, I’d limit myself to one or two.
That doesn’t mean Hanoi requires no winter clothing. What I’d reduce is the number of bulky pieces I brought compared with how often I wore them. Think about the city you’re moving to, trips back home, and travel elsewhere before deciding how much to pack.
Towels and dishes were easy enough to buy locally
Towels and dishes are things I felt comfortable buying locally. For my needs, I could find usable products at prices I was happy with.
My employer-provided home already had kitchenware, so I didn’t need to bring it from Korea. In conversations with other foreigners, I’ve also heard about people moving into homes with furniture and appliances included. For someone in a similar situation, it may make more sense to focus on personal belongings and clothes than to bring a full household setup.
Still, don’t let the phrase “fully furnished” decide your packing list. Before packing, ask the landlord or accommodation contact about the actual items provided:
- Are bedding and pillows included?
- Are towels provided, or do you need your own?
- Are there pots, pans, dishes, and cutlery?
- Are the supplied items in a condition you can use as soon as you move in?
Ask for an inventory and current photos to avoid bringing duplicates. For anything that isn’t provided, separate what you’ll need immediately after arrival from what you can buy later.
I barely used the humidifier—but would consider bringing a dehumidifier
The humidifier and pillow are among the items I brought but rarely used. When it came to my indoor environment, humidity bothered me more than dryness.
In the conditions I lived in, I felt mold appeared quickly during humid weather, and the room felt more comfortable with a dehumidifier running. If I moved again and already owned a dehumidifier, I’d consider bringing it.
That’s a change I would make next time, not a claim that I brought one from Korea. Nor is it a recommendation to buy a new one before leaving. First check whether your accommodation provides one; if not, compare the cost of transporting your existing appliance with buying locally.
For another move, I’d sort my things into three groups: what the home already provides, what I keep using, and what I can buy locally.
Employer-provided housing let me leave much of the household setup out of my luggage. Rather than follow someone else’s packing list item for item, I’d start by finding out what is—and isn’t—in the home I’m actually moving into.
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