Moving always seems like something big, serious and even scary. Especially if there was no such experience before. The matter is doubly serious if a person changes their country of residence.
Moving to Cyprus or across Cyprus is not such a terrible two-headed hydra as some impressionable people imagine it. If you have proper preparation and budgeting, then the whole process takes a minimum time, effort and nerves.
Moving to Cyprus from another country
The most exciting thing is to finally collect your stuff, move them to Cyprus as well as yourself. To say goodbye to your motherland for a long, long time, or even forever. To reduce costs and risks, you need to take the very minimum things with you, distribute or sell the rest, and you need to do all this in advance.
What is definitely worth taking with you when moving to Cyprus:
- Summer and autumn-spring clothes and shoes. Review your wardrobe carefully and leave only what you plan to wear.
- Laptops, tablets and other electronics. It is also worth grabbing small household appliances like blenders, irons, hair tongs. In Cyprus, all this is not very cheap, so it is easier to transport these things from your home country.
- All more or less valuable documents. Even if you still have non-Cypriot citizenship and documents from the country you are leaving, then bring them with you.
- The minimum set of household items to be enough for the first time: a couple of sets of bedding, a few towels, if you have expensive dishes (pots, pans, kettles), you can also grab them.
- Items of high value: musical instruments, jewelry, antiques, expensive items (handmade, gifts, etc.). Their transportation needs to be taken seriously: most likely, you will need the help of the shipping company and customs clearance.
It turns out that the list isn't that long! The first reasonable question is how are you going to be without everything else? It's simple: you need to sell and distribute things as much as possible, and buy new ones on the island. In the overwhelming majority of cases (if we are not talking about rarities) it is cheaper and easier than transporting all belongings.
What you should definitely not take with you:
- dishes and kitchen utensils, only if they are not of high value
- blankets, pillows, lots of bed linen, curtains, carpets, tablecloths as all textiles are best purchased in Cyprus
- the whole wardrobe and a lot of winter things as in Cyprus in the cold you will need a demi-season down jacket and shoes, and no more
- small household items: stands, hooks, hangers, lamps, etc.
- furniture (if not antique) and large household appliances
- a lot of memorabilia like old postcards, school notebooks, etc. - if you want to take a piece of something familiar and pleasant, then let it be at a minimum.
It is better to start selling things in advance so you can be sure that you will receive the amount you expect before you depart.
If you don't yet know your final place of residence, it is reasonable to arrange the move in two stages. First, you need to move only the most necessary things: clothes for the season, small important electronics, some home textiles, and other things.
The rest will be sent by acquaintances or friends after you finally settle down and find permanent housing. This will save energy and money that would have been spent on renting a warehouse where things can be stored.
Is it realistic to move to Cyprus with one backpack?
It sounds strange, but in Cyprus you can really move with a couple of suitcases for one person. If you do not have children, pets and large valuables (musical instruments, sports equipment), the idea is doable.
The most valuable things (electronics, money, documents) are taken in hand luggage, as the rest goes in luggage: clothes with shoes, other necessary items. It is reasonable to take a ticket for a plane in a higher class: so that the luggage should include from 30 kg. Then it will be real to take away everything in one go.
This option is most acceptable for people who are planning to rent an apartment in Cyprus for the first time or have already bought a fully or partially furnished real estate. For large families, families with children and pets, such a “light version” of moving is hardly suitable.
International shipping
The easiest and most inexpensive option is to send boxes in the mail. Make an inventory and feel free to send your belongings to Cyprus. Of course, it is better not to move fragile and oversized items this way as their registration is expensive (sometimes more than in a transport company), and it's more dangerous.
When is it worth using the service of an international carrier company:
- There are a lot of things (for example, a large family), from 100-150 kg.
- You have decided to send bulky items like furniture, bicycle, piano, etc.
- The list of things includes those that must go through a special customs procedure: as a rule, these are a large number of jewelry made of precious metals and stones, antiques, art objects and so on.
In all these cases, it is worth contacting professionals. For example, EuropaDelivery carries out transportation of any scale to 170 countries, including Cyprus. If you do not trust the mail or you have bulky items, then contact the company as they can consult you for free and help you calculate the approximate cost of delivery.
Moving from one city of Cyprus to another
Moving within the country, especially for short (up to 100 km) distances, is much easier, at least psychologically. But here you can obviously take more things and this complicates the intercity moving.
If you are moving between rented apartments, everything is quite easy as you do not need to take furniture, but just to pack your personal belongings. One person without furniture can easily transport everything at one time in a passenger car. It is easier for the family to hire trucking around the island as this can save time and budget.
If there are no big things, but everything does not fit into 1-2 cars, then send parcels from the old city to the new place by mail or a local transport company. You can move by car only the most necessary things, and at the new place you will receive your other things. It will be cheaper.
Moving from one apartment to another across the same city
If you don't have furniture to be moved (not counting chairs and a folding table), you can move on your own. If you have the time and desire. A family of 2 needs 2-3 trips in a car. You will pay only for petrol, but save on freight services and loaders.
If you have a large number of things, furniture and oversized items (for example, several bicycles, sewing machines, etc.), cargo transportation is the best option. You will take everything from the old apartment to the new one at a time, while the movers will lift weights to the desired floor.
How many kilograms of stuff does usually a person have? The family?
This is an important question, especially if there is a need to send things by mail or a transport company. Of course, someone moves often, and their belongings fit into one travel suitcase. Other people have been living in one place for decades, and the move turns into a large-scale sorting of necessary and unnecessary things.
Except for furniture and household appliances, if you calculate personal belongings (clothes and shoes, laptop, books, a small set of dishes), the result is the following: about 30 kg of things per 1 adult. A child from 3 years old, as a rule, has about 20 kg of things, and a schoolchild is equated to an adult.
That is, a family of 4 people, where two are children, may well 'own 100 kg of property'! Of course, these numbers are relative. Someone takes only what is necessary, and someone moves everything, including lamps and small decorative elements.
6 rules for packing and transporting things
Nobody likes fees, especially if they are chaotic and disordered. The vast majority of things can (and should!) be collected in a couple of days. The main thing is to adhere to certain rules and act according to the plan.
Rule # 1. Training
Find boxes, fragile screen protectors, and other packing materials.
You will definitely need:
- garbage bags
- clean bags (to preserve clothes and dishes)
- adhesive tape
- scissors
- thick bright marker
- twine
- paper for laying dishes, shoes and other things.
One medium box can hold 2-3 kg of items. Therefore, one person needs from 10 to 15 boxes of 30x40x50 size. For large items (blankets, pillows, boots), it's best to find large boxes. But trying to pack everything in a couple of giant boxes is a bad idea as they are inconvenient to carry, put in a car, and then unpack.
Rule # 2. Get rid of unnecessary things!
Even if you move every six months, a certain number of unnecessary and useless things accumulate in your arsenal. What to say about if your relocation is the first or second in your life!
Surely everyone knows the "one year rule": throw away an item that has not been used in the last 12 months. There are, of course, a number of exceptions to this rule. Try to use your common sense.
Put unnecessary items on sale or exchange, or pack them. They can be taken to charity centers or thrown away. For these purposes, trash bags are needed.
Rule # 3. Kick off with unnecessary things
It is OK to kick off the collection with those things that the family rarely uses. For example, if you're on a summer move, start packing your winter clothes first.
You should pack essential utensils, household chemicals and cosmetics, food (if you plan to take them), electronics, and everyday clothes at the last stage.
Rule # 4. Marking is important!
When packing boxes carefully, be sure to indicate what is inside. Use a marker on top of the box, but not very large. Write: “Kitchen. Towels and tablecloths ”. Or “Bedroom. Linens".
Make big marks on all boxes with fragile and valuable things (and on several sides).
It will not be superfluous to indicate the preferred position of the box in luggage. Mark the top with "Up" and the bottom with "Down". If your things cannot stand strong shaking, sign "Not shake".
Rule # 5. Take measurements
When transporting large items, such as furniture or household appliances, be sure to take measurements and write down the results in a notebook. Keep it nearby as when you move into a new apartment, you will save a lot of time and will be able to put the sofa or refrigerator in the right place right away.
Rule # 6. Protect your valuables
Money, passports, laptops, smartphones, jewelry, essential medicines should be packed separately in a small bag. It should always be at hand, and it should not be lost during the relocation.
How to move out of an old apartment
If you do not delay moving out of the old apartment, your relocation is much faster. The longer the tenants try to get rid of their old home, the less time and energy they have left to arrange a new home.
After you have collected absolutely all things, walk through the empty apartment, look into the closets and check everything. Examine walls, floors, and door / window handles. People often do not see that they have forgotten something in the old apartment.
Clean your old home as it will be pleasant for new tenants, and you will still have a sense of completeness. Do not forget to pay all bills and notify the necessary organizations about the change of address.
How to move into a new apartment in Cyprus
Arrange large-sized things first and in the places where they are going to be constantly. Put boxes with less necessary and durable things further. Boxes with essentials should be closer.
First of all, try to disassemble the mess in the kitchen and in the bathroom as the whole family visits these places several times a day, they should immediately become comfortable and cozy. After arranging most of your items throughout the house, do a wet mop.
Use aroma candles or sticks: this way you will create a feeling of comfort in the very first days of check-in. Do not postpone unpacking the boxes for a long time - the sooner you decompose everything, the sooner you will begin to consider the new home your home.
Are you looking for a new home in Cyprus such as an apartment, house, villa for rent or to buy? Contact the DOM real estate Cyprus. The company's specialists are ready to help you find the perfect home for free. Follow the link.
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