With so many people coming and going these days, we turned to Dominica Darrington, client & community relationship manager of Crown Worldwide, to tell us how relocation companies can help ease the transition

CW: What sort of services does your relocation company offer?

We help individuals and families prepare for a move and settle into their new homes and offer continued, ongoing support afterward.

February seems like it would be a busy moving period.

Actually February is the low season for leasing as it follows Chinese New Year. For expatriate housing, the busy leasing period runs from May to August.

Are there any hidden moving regulations we should be aware of?

The regulations are pretty straightforward. The most important thing is to have all documentation ready before the arrival of any air or sea shipment as you don't want to incur any demurrage, which is a penalty fee assessed when cargo isn't moved off a wharf due to a delay in customs clearance. There are a couple of interesting Chinese customs regulations that apply to personal household good shipments, such as you can't bring in more than 6kg of milk powder in your sea shipment. And, unless your can provide documentation that you are a music teacher, you can't bring in a grand piano.

Interesting. So how can relocation companies help?

Packing your things and buying a ticket is only a small part of what you need to do. You'll also have to contend with changing your address, moving your medical records, filling out visa applications, searching for a new home, schools for your children, domestic help, drivers and more. We provide all of these services and can continue to assist while you’re here and for your next post or repatriation.

Tel: 6250-8820, Web: www.crownrelo.com