What happens when your goods arrive in Cyprus

A huge thank you to everyone who visited me at Channel 4 Place in the Sun exhibition at the Birmingham NEC, it was really great to meet you at last! I’m so glad I could help with plenty of advice about moving to, living and working in Cyprus and renovating properties over here. As soon as I’ve finished talking about shipping, I’ll be covering the renovation project John (my lovely hubbie) and I completed in Cyprus.

Remember, I’m always looking for extra snippets to share, so please don’t hesitate to email me with your own experiences, hints and tips - I’d love to hear from you.

Before I carry on with shipping, I want to share some news about flights to and from Cyprus – it’s time to “bag a bargain” so there’s no excuse now for not visiting this beautiful island! Here we go:

Low-fares airline easyJet has just announced it will launch another brand new route from Edinburgh to Paphos later this year. Flights to Edinburgh, available from November 3rd (running twice weekly, Wednesdays and Saturdays), have fares starting at £31.99 (one-way). easyJet now flies from Paphos to London Gatwick, London Luton, Bristol and Manchester and from Larnaca to London Gatwick. All flights are available to book online at easyJet.com

Jet2.com has announced the launch of a brand new service direct from Manchester to Larnaca and Paphos airports. Jet2.com now operates six routes including East Midlands, Newcastle and Leeds to Paphos and from Leeds to Larnaca. Seats are on sale now for summer 2011 for all routes. Flights from Manchester to Paphos will begin operating on 6th April 2011, flying every Wednesday and Sunday during the season. Flights from Manchester to Larnaca commence 14th May 2011 and operate once a week on Saturdays.

British Airways spokesman confirmed they are suspending the Gatwick to Paphos route for the coming winter season as part of the airline’s strategy to reduce costs and remain competitive. Their summer schedule 2011, from 27 March-31 October will not be affected. Flights to/from Larnaca are not affected at all.

Right. Let’s carry on with shipping. Last week I said I’d talk about what happens when your goods arrive in Cyprus.

When and where do my goods arrive?

In Cyprus, containers arrive at Limassol (also known as Lemesos) docks. Your removal company will be working in conjunction with an agent in Cyprus. The agent will call you when your container arrives and arrange a mutually convenient delivery time.

What about customs?

The Agent will handle all the documentation needed to ensure your container clears Customs.

Prior to entering the EU, Cyprus Customs Officers often used to accompany the containers to their final destination - in other words, your new home. The seal would then be broken in front of them, and they would inspect whichever boxes they chose and usually you would end up with a bill.

Thankfully, this doesn’t happen now. Customs clearance in 99% of cases occurs at the dockside with the agent. The process is very straightforward - but you will sometimes still get a bill, so be prepared for this. Try to obtain details from your UK remover about how much this is likely to be before you leave, then at least you will have an idea.

Delays do happen, so be prepared. Your container may dock on say, a Tuesday, and you may not get clearance for over a week. It depends how busy they are.

The secret here is to stay relaxed about everything; people here work in their own way, at their own pace - and they will not be rushed. You will quickly learn that patience is always a virtue!

Next week, I will talk about what happens when your container is delivered.

Until then, keep smiling and be happy - it’s infectious!

Best wishes

Jackie
http://www.CyprusBuyingGuide.com

Preparing for the Big Move

Hello, how are you?

Well, I’m really excited! I’m back in London with my colleagues for a couple of weeks. It’s been ages since I’ve seen them.

What’s even more exciting is that I’m going to be at “Channel 4 Place in the Sun LIVE” in Birmingham at the NEC, 1st-3rd October. I’m on a panel in the seminar theatre at 11am each day answering questions about Cyprus. You can get free tickets, just call The Overseas Guides Company on 0207 898 0549 or go to http://www.blogger.com/www.aplaceinthesun.com. If you are around, come and say hello - I’d love to meet you!

Let’s get back to shipping and preparing for the big move. Remember to check forums for reliable shippers – forums are great sources of information and should help you to make the right decision.

I cannot stress enough that there are plenty of rogues out there – just take a look at my previous blogs to see where it can all go horribly wrong!

Right. Here are some more hints and tips to help you along the way:

What should I be doing 2 weeks before the move?

• Dismantle furniture that is not designed to be moved when assembled
• Organise gas, electricity and water meter readings on the morning of the move
• Arrange to have your telephone disconnected
• Ensure bills are forwarded to your new address
• Return any items that are rented, for example your TV and video
• Run down the fridge and freezer
  
  What should I be doing during the last week?
  
• Gather all your important documents, for example, birth and marriage certificates. Keep them safe in a wallet. Photocopy them all several times and carry them with you
• Check with the removal company that everything is going according to plan
• Organise some foreign currency for immediate use on arrival
• Empty any safety deposit boxes
• Pack suitcases with everything you need for your journey including things you will need to use prior to your goods arriving
• Keep all your valuables with you
• Don’t forget emergency supplies, such as medicines – make sure you have enough with you until you register with your new doctor
• Defrost fridges and freezers
• Disconnect kitchen appliances

I hope you find these useful. Next week, I’m going to talk about what happens on the big day – and I’ll be sharing my own experiences with you.

That’s it from me for now; hope to see you in Birmingham!

Have fun

Jackie
http://www.cyprusbuyingguide.com/