Clearing customs for our household items was quick, easy and painless. The only thing they really wanted to know was, if we had any guns, knives, pepper spray (which I think is illegal?), explosives, plants, any type of soil, fruits and food. I told them what food we brought and well, you already saw on my FB post how that conversation went!
Kitchen/Hallway
To the right are some "before" pictures. I'll post the "after" pictures, next time!
The delivery went about as smooth as possible. The movers were very nice and professional. They put together our new couch(which is much smaller than the one we left behind) and Bill's new computer desk - all for the price of a cheap lunch! Then they unpacked and put things in the rooms they were supposed to go in, all while I plugged in each section of my Christmas Tree(yeah, I brought it!)to make sure it worked, which it did! After I tested it all, the movers even re-packed it back in its storage bag - which is a major pain!
Kitchen
There was only one casualty, and that was a 16x20 picture frame and the glass shattered. The frame thankfully, was still intact! I was/am very pleased with this moving company, as we had a horrible experience with another company from way back, when we moved home to Texas from San Francisco! I would definitely recommend them to anyone!
Living Room
Now, the hard part begins; where to put all of this "stuff". We were very careful in our decisions of what to bring, as we knew the apartments here are much smaller than our condo in Austin. We only brought about 1/3 of our things and are struggling where to put it. Even though we have a corner unit, the apartment is not square; it has many strange, odd, angles. One word of advice; if you are going to rent a place here "sight unseen", the pictures on the website are not what you will get...unless of course, you are getting the penthouse apartment! We did tour this property when we were here in June, but we really don't remember it being this small. Another lesson learned!
One thing we know to be a very true statement is; Ikea will soon become our best friend. I'm sure they will love us for life after all of the things we are going to have to buy there, to store our "stuff" here!
We are paying extra for a parking space in the garage, and let me tell you...it's a challenge to get the car in the space. I'll blog about that next time!
Here is a video I took of the end of a 'Flash Mob' ballet performance we saw from our balcony. The La Joute Fountain below our unit is a gathering point for things like this.
We have reached the final week before the movers get here to pack us up and off to Montreal! We are very excited to be starting this new adventure in our lives.
1950 Miles from Austin to Montreal!
We have been thinking about this prospective move since December, when the company approached my husband about working there. The actual moving process started in May, so this gives you an idea of about how long it will take from when the job offer is accepted and the paper work begins, to when the Visa will come through. We were told 3 months and that's what it turned out to be!
There are several books about moving to Canada and they will be helpful, but I strongly suggest doing a lot of your own research, especially if you move to Quebec! They have their own rules and regulations the rest of Canada doesn't have. You will be tired of reading by the time it's all over, but it will be worth it and hopefully, give you some peace of mind. Be prepared to fill out lots of paper work.
Since our move is job related, once the Visa came through, we had hit the ground running - they wanted us up there ASAP
Some things I've found out through trial and error.
If you plan to take your car and are on a temporary work visa, according to the Canadian Gov website, you will not have to pay the import tax and duty on the car. If your car still carries a lien (through your bank or credit union), you will have to bring a letter from them saying it's ok to bring the car into Canada, a copy of the title, and a letter saying it is ok to register the car there. We found out that you must register your car within 6 months after arrival. You will also have to do a driver's license exchange within this same time frame.
This info was not in any book or website I read. I had to read through page after page on the Canadian website to find it. Then I called them to double check. You will have to call the US Customs 72 hours before arrival to let them know when and where you are crossing the border.
Also, make sure to have the all the required paper work you'll need to cross the border before you leave for your move. Pack it so it is easily available when you reach the customs check point. I made a nice package in a bright colored folder!
One other thing that there isn't much info about. Apparently, whatever you bring in the country, you must also leave with when you return to the US. We are not completely sure of what happens if something breaks! I've read we would have to document the date and take a photo and attach it to the inventory list you originally brought in when you crossed the border.
