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/

1 month before you move - get your tips here

Hello, how are you?

I’m really happy! At last, it’s cooling down in Cyprus and I can sleep again at night. Yesterday, we had a lovely breeze and even some cloud, it was absolute heaven. I know this is hard to relate to when you don’t live in a very hot climate, but how I long for rain. A really good downpour to clear the air, the dust – and clean my car!

OK. Since my blog last week, I’ve had quite a few emails about more horror stories when shipping. They really are quite shocking.

One story included someone paying in full for all their shipping and when it arrived at the other end; none of the port fees had been cleared. So their goods were held at the docks – and of course, each day they are being stored, the bill increases. What happened next? I bet you’ve already guessed. Yes, the customer had to clear the debt before anything was released to them. So they paid twice!

Here’s what to do to avoid this happening. Make sure you deal with a reputable company. Check the company out yourself; look for regulatory bodies which they say they belong to. Phone these organisations (such as BAR and FIDI) to check their membership and credentials are valid.

Very important: Check forums, ask for reliable shippers. The same names will come up again and again if they are good. Likewise, the same names will come up again and again if they are to be avoided!

Also, remember you can always deal with a UK company for your shipping wherever you are going in the world - and pay in sterling too. If you have any doubts, you do not have to initiate your contract with a local company overseas. And, if you pay by credit card, you have that added degree of protection. Be wary of anyone who asks for cash and says they will handle everything for you – go elsewhere!

Let’s not forget though, that thousands and thousands of moves overseas are successful. For instance mine, over to Cyprus. No problems whatsoever – but I used a very reputable company. They weren’t the cheapest, but you get what you pay for.

Anyway, I promised some more helpful hints and tips as to what you should be doing prior to your move.

What should I be doing 1 month before the move?

• Cancel any club memberships
• Notify schools and colleges
• Notify doctors and dentists
• Obtain copies of your medical records
• Arrange for your mail to be re-directed
• Organise to transfer/close any bank accounts
• Make a note to cancel milk, papers and pay any local bills
• Contact your local council for any rebate due council tax
• Clear out your loft, garage, greenhouses and sheds
• Dismantle sheds if you are taking them with you
• Take down any fixtures you are taking with you
• Contact your electoral office so you can continue your right to vote and ask for the relevant forms to be sent.


Remember the more organised you are, the easier your move will be.

See you next week, keep smiling!
Best wishes
Jackie

What to do prior to moving overseas

Hello again!

I hope life is treating you well.

A few weeks ago I talked about one of my readers who had a problem with shipping from Cyprus – they appeared to have no trace of where their personal possessions had gone. Well, the good news is that everything finally arrived - but the bad news is that most of it was damaged. Needless to say my reader was very upset about this.

I’m told the damage was due to the packing. It’s really important that you get someone to pack who knows what they are doing – a true professional. A good sign is a shipping company who advertises that they deal regularly with antiques, works of art, valuable china, and chandeliers. While this isn’t a guarantee that nothing will get damaged, usually packers for these companies are pretty good and have been properly trained.

Also, remember to check the packers are employees, not casuals. You don’t want someone packing your goods who has very little experience, that’s a recipe for disaster.

I think I mentioned before that I shipped over some porcelain roses I made in an evening class. They were fine when they were unpacked. Mind you, the size of the box they were in was mind-blowing! I remember watching the gentleman who packed them. It was amazing. He told me he was used to packing very valuable antiques, so they would be safe in his hands. And they were.

Anyway, I promised some helpful hints and tips as to what you should be doing prior to your move.

What should I be doing three months before the move?

• Obtain quotes from several removal companies
• Confirm your moving date as far in advance as possible
• Make a list of the fixtures and fittings you are leaving behind
• Make a list of all the main items you are taking with you
• Organise your vaccinations for the country you are moving to
• Make sure your passport and any visas you need are in order
• Look at the tax implications of moving to your new destination
• Make sure your driving licence is valid for your new destination
• If taking your car, check your insurance/road tax will be valid
• Arrange for export of your pets

Next week, I’ll continue with the countdown to moving with more hints and tips. Forward planning really does work!

Enjoy your weekend.
Best wishes
Jackie

Storing Your Shipped Goods

Hello again!

OK. So you’ve shipped all your goods to your destination. But what if you don’t have anywhere to store them?

What if you are renting a fully furnished property before you buy? There might not be any (or enough) space. This is where a good storage facility comes in. Of course, your original removal company will more than likely be able to help, but you may as well shop around. My readers tell me they’ve often found it’s cheaper to go to a storage specialist.

How about costs? Well, this varies around the world so you will need to spend some time researching. And again, I cannot stress enough - make sure you deal with a reputable company. You might want to look at self-storage too (this is the cheapest).

Before you sign up for anything, make sure you check where your possessions are going to be stored – remember the rogues are still out there! I heard of someone who put their trust in a “company” who turned out to be rogue traders. You won’t want your precious possessions stuck in a leaking container in the middle of a muddy field which you struggle to get to with your wellies on! Yes, you’ve got the message … this happened to one of my readers.

Ideally visit the site and check it has 24-hour security. A good storage company will always welcome this and be happy to show you around. You might also be able to check it out on Google Earth too - I find this absolutely brilliant!

Once again, you will need insurance, so don’t forget to check what this covers very carefully and remember to add it on to the cost of storage.

Right. That’s your possessions dealt with.

But what if you are shipping a car? Well, cars can easily be shipped. It’s quite normal for a 40-foot container to be split into two – one side for possessions and one side for a car. Your removal company will organise this for you, along with all the paperwork needed to clear customs.

Next week, I’m going to give you some helpful hints and tips as to what you should be doing prior to your move. It’s all too easy to forget something – but not if you plan ahead!

Ok. That’s it from me for this week.

Have a great weekend - be nice to someone.

Best wishes

Jackie
http://www.cyprusbuyingguide.com/

Marine Insurance Continued...

Hello again!

This week I’m continuing to talk about marine insurance.

As I mentioned in my last blog, the vast majority of removal companies who are not FSA regulated have to rely on their own standard or extended liability insurance. They can make a claim against this should the worst happen.

Important: This type of insurance covers the removers and not the customer.

If something does go wrong, you as the customer may have to pursue legal action against the remover in order to gain compensation. This can be very costly, take a lot of time and even if successful, may not result in appropriate compensation. Beware!

So what are the benefits of using an FSA authorised removal company?

Your possessions are comprehensively insured

• Policies are underwritten by major insurers providing complete peace of mind
• Professional policy documents are written with easily understood terminology
• Claims are professionally handled and promptly settled
• It is you, the customer who is insured – not the remover
• Claims are settled direct with the insurer
• Your goods are covered no matter where you are going
• The insurance is authorised and regulated by the FSA

Anyone shipping without their own quality marine insurance policy is asking for trouble.
Let me tell you why.

If the ship is in danger of sinking, the Captain often has to make a decision to offload containers. His priority is his ship, and he is thinking about the cost of replacing the ship versus the cost of replacing containers. There really is no contest; a Captain will always save his ship. So it’s not unusual to hear of this happening. What I am trying to say is there is a possibility your container could end up in the sea. If this happens and you have no personal marine insurance, you may have lost everything.

Also, be careful about which policy you choose. You should always have “Total Loss” which will cover you for the circumstances mentioned. Don’t underinsure either; it’s a big mistake.

Marine insurance isn’t cheap but I strongly advise you to purchase it. If you are using a professional removal company who are FSA regulated, they will already have good policies in place or access to them. Just be careful about what you are buying – read the small print closely and ask questions.

Ask your removal company what happens if you suffer a “Total Loss” and see how they answer you. How are claims handled? What happens in the meantime – you’ve lost all your possessions. Are claims settled direct? How long does the insurance company take to pay out? The list goes on.

I strongly advise you not to ship without a good insurance policy unless, of course, you are prepared to take a high risk.

Next week I’m going to cover putting your possessions into storage and moving cars.

Until then, keep smiling!

Best wishes

Jackie
http://www.cyprusbuyingguide.com/

Marine Insurance

Hello!

It’s hot, hot hot! The heatwave has returned to Cyprus, so I am on total meltdown yet again.

Let’s change the subject and continue with more about marine insurance. I stressed last week that you should never ship without this.

Not many people are aware that new rules were introduced in January 2005 by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), which mean that the UK’s removal companies have to be authorised by the FSA if they wish to provide bespoke removals and storage insurance; or they have to become an Appointed Representative of a firm who is authorised.

Make sure you check this carefully; otherwise you could end up picking up the bill if something goes wrong during your move resulting in your most valuable and cherished belongings being lost, damaged or destroyed.

The vast majority of removal companies who are not FSA regulated have to rely on their own standard or extended liability insurance. They can make a claim against this should the worst happen.

Important: This type of insurance covers the removers and not the customer.

So, if something does go wrong, you as the customer may have to pursue legal action against the remover in order to gain compensation.

This can be very costly, take a lot of time and even if successful, may not result in appropriate compensation. So beware!

Next week I’m covering the benefits of using an FSA authorised removal company.

See you then!

Best wishes

Jackie

Shipping Security, Insurance and Paperwork

Hello again

Amongst my emails in the last few days were a few from readers of this blog about shipping. Two of them are quite worrying.

In a nutshell, both readers used a local shipping company in Cyprus to return their personal possessions to the UK. They contacted the company to find out why their goods have not arrived. Apparently this company were unhelpful - and don’t appear to even know where their consignments are.

Worst of all, these trusting customers say they handed over cash and were given no paperwork.

OK. There are a few burning questions here. First and foremost, I have only one side of the story. But why wasn’t any paperwork issued if they were a “reputable” company? More importantly, what about the inventory and insurance documents? And the most worrying thing of all – did the goods actually get shipped or have they “gone elsewhere?” Who knows? Your guess is as good as mine, but I hope it all gets resolved soon for their sakes.

This brings me nicely onto talking about shipping security, insurance and paperwork.

Apart from making sure you are shipping with a reputable company, always check your removal company has a tracking procedure in place. They should be able to tell you where your goods are at all times.

Sometimes ships do get diverted for various reasons and this can delay your shipment. So when you are given the arrival date for your container, please remember this is always “estimated”.

We waited an additional 3 weeks for our container to arrive in Cyprus as the ship was diverted at the time due to the war in The Lebanon – but we always knew where it was.

We were concerned, because at the time this was such a dangerous zone, but we made sure our insurance covered all eventualities by purchasing a “total loss” marine insurance policy. So worst case scenario - say the ship had been bombed - we would have received the sum we insured our goods for.

Let’s move on to marine insurance.

Should you buy this type of insurance? Definitely! I cannot stress this enough. Thousands of people ship their personal possessions without appropriate insurance. What does this mean? Quite simply, you are putting everything you own at risk and you could lose it all.

Please remember when you are moving house, things can - and do - go wrong.

I’ll talk more about marine insurance next week and reveal some information from an insider who works in shipping that shocked me!

Until then, have a great weekend.

Best wishes

Jackie
http://www.cyprusbuyingguide.com/