Why don’t you allow us in assisting you to move to Costa Rica! No, we are not a moving company but we help you move to Costa Rica.
The American European Real Group with over 25 agents in Costa Rica, from coast to coast, has helped thousands of people from all over the world to relocate to Costa Rica.
Our MLS not only offers over 1,500 up to date properties in Costa Rica but also hundreds of articles and Costa Rica real estate blogs that help you do your due diligence before you buy a home in Costa Rica and move here.
Moving to another city is not easy but the move to Costa Rica or any other country is much harder because of the distance and because everything is done in another language. You might need to have some documents translated and others notarized.
Once again, we offer a blog that might help you make your move to Costa Rica much easier. First, you should read up on the Guidelines on Moving to Costa Rica.
Then, please read the following:
11 Things That Need Attention before you move to Costa Rica
1. Your Valuables
If you’ve any valuables around the house, be sure to collect them before leaving. You should carry valuable items such as jewelry with you or keep them in a safe deposit box instead of packing them on the moving van. When packing your safe deposit box, leave it open or else it might disappear before it is installed in your new house in Costa Rica.
2. Old phone numbers
Most of you have phone numbers and email addresses on your computer or your phone. Don’t forget to back it all up on the cloud. If you still do things the old-fashioned way, pack phone books from your existing residence to take with you.
You may think you’ll remember the numbers you frequently call now. But you will be surprised how fast you will forget those ones. Many numbers will be stored in your phone, which will not work from another country. Make sure you know how to contact your Costa Rica real estate office.
3. Medical records
Obtain copies of your medical records, dental records and vaccine/immunization information, as well as any veterinary records for your pet. You will need to fill your current prescriptions and you may need to check if your medicine is available in Costa Rica or if there is a replacement.
As soon as you become a resident in Costa Rica, you will have to register in the local social security system and you will be able to get your prescriptions filled through the CCSS, so you will need to see what they have available at no cost.
4. School records
If you have school going children, another record you’ll want to be sure to have in hand is your child’s permanent school record. School records are usually required when registering your child at his/her new school. Often, copies are not sufficient and require a raised seal. Before you take the decision on where to live, first check out Costa Rica schools.
5. Your new mailing address
We have no real addresses with street names and house numbers in Costa Rica, so ask your realtor in Costa Rica for your new address in English AND in Spanish. Keep your new address handy in your wallet or purse. In the flurry of preparing for a move, you may forget your new address. Do not forget to forward periodicals, mail and credit card bills to your new address.
6. Your email address
If you have an email address that is from a local service provider, change to your new email address sometime before you move to Costa Rica and send your change of address to everyone in your address book.
Don’t send more than 30 emails at the time as they might be seen as spam by your provider.
Make also sure to use the right subject in the email because some providers detect spam emails by the subject so your friends might never receive your email.
Ask them to confirm when received and keep track of them.
In Costa Rica, you will have several options to get a new email address but it’s always easier to use a Gmail.
7. At the cleaners
Remember to collect all items that are being cleaned, stored or repaired (for example, dry cleaning, shoes, watches, etc.) and remember to return library books, movie rentals and anything else you may have checked out.
8. Spic and span
Remember to leave out cleaning supplies for the final “once-over” before closing the door for good. Or make arrangements in advance for a service to clean for you. Don’t send any cleaning products or chemicals in the container to Costa Rica as they will take them out in customs.
9. What to pack and how to pack
If you hire a professional crew to pack your household or do it yourself. Also, make sure you have enough cardboard boxes and packing materials. Make them pack room by room put the name of each room on it and number the boxes.
Put it on an inventory list and put on the list what each box holds before they close it. At customs in Costa Rica, they will check the inventory list to charge you the import tax on it. If you show an organized inventory list, they will only open a few boxes as a sample.
10. Banking
You cannot open a bank account so easily in a Costa Rica bank. Ask your attorney or real estate agent in Costa Rica to help you open a bank account. Make sure you send money well ahead of time.
You need to be at your bank to wire money to Costa Rica. If the amount you wire is higher than $10,000 it might be frozen until you prove where the money came from.
11. Your car and furniture
Do your research on what you should do about your car and furniture. Send it to Costa Rica and pay taxes on it or sell it and travel light so you can buy a new car and new furniture in Costa Rica.
Your old furniture and car might not even be the right ones for the place you are moving to.
Where
Make sure you find out where you want to live before your move to Costa Rica. Please do your homework on the different areas that Costa Rica has to offer to live. That is the reason for the existence of the American European Real Group. It also is your opportunity to take advantage of an incredible amount of knowledge and experience. Totally FREE of any cost.
Our 28 real estate agents will share this wealth of knowledge in return for being loyal to them when you purchase Costa Rica real estate. Contact us now.
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While we’re at it, I DO want to remind our readers that we appreciate any referrals you can send us. Finally, please remember the American-European real estate Group’s agents when you refer a real estate agent. Because we DO appreciate your business.