Moving from Canada....what to bring

IT LARGELY DEPENDS ON WHETHER YOU INTEND TO BUY OR RENT....

Hi,

I've moved recently from US and can tell you that the stereo I brought with me is dead for no apparent reason (tried all kinds of electricity converters), and I was never able to get my flat iron to work. If you do decide to bring electronics, I would suggest to bring a converter with you, as here it is not easy to find the right one. Also, they have some kind of an import tarif here, where you would have to pay a flat fee of 1,200 Euro or so, on receipt of your shipment, which you would only be able to get back after a year, and you would have to prove continuous residency. You might want to research more about it. Also, most rentals come furnished, if you intend to rent.

Good luck with your move!

Irina

Thanks for the advice, keep it coming. 

I have been looking for a good quality power converter to buy before I go.  I think I have it sorted.  I know I am taking a chance bringing anything electronic, but since the whole system was purchased 6 months ago, I'm having trouble letting it go. Mine is a 46" LG.  It has dual voltage, good for 100-240V, 50-60Hz, so in theory I would just need a new LG power cord and it should not explode when plugged into a Malta electrical socket.  That's the theory anyway. We don't watch a lot of tv, mostly just movies we have downloaded, so it should work for us fine since we won't be wanting cable. 

I'm also thinking that the system will be expensive to replace in Malta, and that we will have many other priorities at first...like a car...place to live...bbq, etc, and that if I don't bring the one I have, my partner will put off buying a new one for years and years (he's like that). Can anyone give me an idea as to what the prices are like there for a decent size flat screen? I can't seem to find any websites for furniture or electronics in Malta that actually give prices.

We will be renting at first with an eye to eventually buying a place, so my partner wants to bring his furniture.  2 leather couches, a desk, office chair, bedroom set, and a couple of shelving units. I have read on a blog somewhere that beds in Malta are expensive and uncomfortable when compared to North American standards (is this true?), so we were also thinking of shipping a queen sized mattress and box spring, maybe two, as we are looking for a 2-3 bedroom eventually.

Other than that we will only be bringing 'special' kitchen items, and a few paintings & decorative items, (maybe 3 big boxes full), and personal items and clothing which should amount to about a trunk each.  This is the 2nd time I have moved overseas.  The first time I just went with two suitcases, and I really don't want to do that again.

Any thoughts about what we should or shouldn't bring?  This is a long term move for us...probably for life.

Hi, i bought a flat on malta last year. There are some big shops, you do not need bring everything from your country.
Only if you need some specialities goods...

Hi mjbelle,

welcome to the forum !

It's a long term move ? Are you that sure that you can switch from Canada to Malta ?-)) Have you sorted out work and residency issues?

It might be difficult to find an unfurnished flat in Malta , especially at the beginning! It could be hard to store your furniture somewhere on the island without paying a lot too !

Bringing electronics from Canada will always be a risk. It might work or it might not, especially for the more complicated things.

Do you have EU-citizenship? If not you will both need residency on your own accord unless you are married!

There are many things to consider -))) Most important is to bring the right clothes.

Cheers
Ricky

Yes, don't believe the statistics that Malta has the best climate in the world! The winter here is not fun. It's freezing, rainy and windy, and inside is colder than outside. Warm socks and fur slippers are a must! Account for no central heating as well.

electrcals are ALL expensive here for sure, about double  - but it is 240v and 50/60hhz ----- as for the winters here being cold its still warmer outside than the uk winter 100%...yes its colder inside than out but thats humidity and the fact that maltese stone retains water in winter making it feel colder and conversely in summer it retains heat making it feel hotter indoors...catch 22

Thanks for the comments everyone.

Yes Ricky, it is a long term move.  My fiancee is a British citizen, so has EU citizenship, and we will be getting married here before we come.  Nothing like a quickie wedding!  Maybe we will fly down to Vegas for the weekend and get it done by Elvis.  What could be more tacky than that??

We will be renting a furnished place at first, as we know it will probably take at least 3 months for our stuff to arrive.  We will be looking for a private garage to lease or a storage facility for our stuff once it gets there, and then will be looking for a flat or a house to buy.

Colin's work will cover most of the moving expenses.

I have been told that with EU citizenship, neither of us will need any further work permits to work and reside in Malta.  Is this true?

I have been reading up on the Malta winters, and I'm not really looking forward to it.  I will be buying some thermals here before we go.  How do you all heat your houses/ flats in the winter?  I lived in Australia for about 4 years, and they don't believe in central heating or insulation either.  It's crazy!  Insulation keeps out the cold and the damp, and also keeps out the heat in the winter.  Maybe we should look at trying to find some land to build on rather than buying a house there, and then we can make it to our specs...like in floor heating and double glazed windows and insulation.  Something to think about I guess.

I think I am going to take my chances on the tv...sounds like it will be expensive to replace over there, and I think I have found a way to make it work.  Might be shipping it for nothing, but fingers crossed.

Now I'm just in the process of trying to get my qualifications recognized by the council for Professions complimentary to medicine...so fingers crossed on that one too!

How are you all surviving the winter?  Colin has just come back from Malta, and didn't find the weather there too bad, but he was staying in a nice hotel with central heating.  What do you do to stay warm?

i think the views expressed on the climate here are a tad harsh - it does of course depend on what you are used to in your home country - as far as I am concerned i know id rather be here in winter than the UK for sure. Yes it does feel colder indoors but then after a while you acclimatise to the climate here (especially if you arrive in summer) then the winter here comes as a shock..we came here over three years ago in winter and we fine it fabulous. so you pays your money and takes your chance.

Bottles gas heating is still the cheapest method )no pipeline gas here - elec is expensive - but thats subjective and emotive - as some people dont think it is expensive. Heavy curtains over archways and big windows help to keep the heat in - but then you end up with condensation and dampness from that - so its a constant battle to balance it all. good luck with your trip and no doubt its a big adventure,

Hi mjbelle,

I wish you all the best for wedding and future life. Yes, your finance being British will make things much easier and you will get the same rights as an EU citizen and ,for example, not need a work permit.

The rights are laid down in the 'Free Movement of European Union Nationals and their Family Members Order 2007'. You can work as employed,self-employed and start your own business.

Your husband will apply for residency in Malta for himself and for you as a 'family member(spouse)' and you will receive a sticker in your passport showing your status.

I would take my time before even considering buying property in Malta.Prices are very high and it is easy to buy but nearly impossible to sell as there are so many properties for sale and not many buyers around.

A decent garage for storage could cost up to 80 or 100€/month depending on where you rent

This winter has been on the cold side. Staying in a hotel does not give you any insight into the cold and dampness of private homes. Keeping the place warm is a matter of how much money you want to spend on AC heating or gas bottles for the gas heater/s.

Outside can be very nice and mild but inside it just keeps on getting colder until about March.

Cheers
Ricky

I'm from Canada...it's warmed up to about -7C here, but last week the temperatures were -33C with a wind chill that made it feel like -45C.  Anything will be an improvement! Trust me!

When I was living in Australia we had an ancient oil heater that plugged in.  It was on wheels, so we used to drag it from room to room, and have a flatmate fight over it come bed time.  I also had an electric mattress and found that helped a lot, although the temptation to go to bed at 7pm just to get warm was hard on my social life.

I am sure we will adjust, and if it gets too cold we can always cuddle up in bed.  We will be newly weds after all!

Would anyone mind telling me how much the electricity bills usually run? Is it paid quarterly?

m

For heating, we use a gas heater, halogen heater, fan heater, oven heater, and a/c heater all at the same time. And it feels like all the heat is just instantly evaporating as soon as you turn them off, because there is no such thing as insulation. I'm not sure I'd like to see my first electric bill But, I used to live in South Carolina and California, so it is an adjustment. I've been to Calgary, Alberta once and froze to death, so you might actually love the winter here. There are some nice sunny days. We actually managed to walk on the beach barefoot in December, so not bad. Good luck on the Vegas wedding! Mine was in LA, wearing jeans

Electric bills obviously depend on usage, no if consumers, number off registered users in the house and lifestyle. But the average bill would be somewhere in the region of between 50-100 euros per month....thats an average over the year...for example we are a household of three adult users, one who works and two who are retired...we have the eco discounts based in consumer registration at the supplier and our elec bills in the warmer months average 50-60 but in winter average 75-90 per month.....as for gas for heating cater for at least a 1-1.5 bottles per week at 16.50 per bottle...mind you ours is on from 6am till 10pm each day...most days for about 3 months

thanks toonarmy,

Are you in a house or an apartment?  The electricity rates don't sound too much more expensive than what I am paying now.  I usually pay about $100 a month for a three bedroom townhouse with two  adults.

we are in a three bedroom penthouse apartment - we dont think theyre too bad to be honest and still cheaper than the UK...but remember if you dont register as consumers you will pay another 25-30% more....for sure - also to get the eco discounts you must keep within the allowances i,e 1750 units per yr for each person same applies for water 33 cu m (33000 litres per year each)

and if you do breach the allowances the rates sky rocket.


NB we are borderline....

We are from Canada and used icargocanada.com and they also organized Malta receive, Be aware that you will need to pay security deposit in customs (1000euro and 50 euro for each TV )for  1year. To get back deposit you need to proof to customs that you are not working anymore in Canada. Letter from your job is must to have...

Has anyone else arriving from an EU country experienced this 'security deposit' in Customs that mishellp mentions? Does it perhaps link to non-EU country arrivals?

The Security deposit is only for non-European

thanks mishellp;)

Can anyone else recommend a good shipping company?  We aren't bringing that much, but one company has quoted us $14000 for their smallest container.  Yikes!

like i said before we used icargocanada.com

Hi,

Some really good advice here.

Things I've learnt from travelling and shipping our stuff way too much!

1. Don't bother shipping electrical stuff, more hassle then it's worth at customs and probably won't survive the travel.

2. Pack and store in your HOME country, it will always be cheaper then here, space is at a premium, think carefully about what you're going to NEED in a suitcase, then pack what you'd like sent initially in a few boxes and place CLEARLY MARKED at the front of your storage unit for easy access so someone can send it on to you, then pack everything else as if it could be there for a while and is essentially extra.

3. On a flight you're packing for weight but with shipping you're being charged by VOLUME, pack tight and don't worry about the weight as long as you mark it as heavy so whoever picks it up doesn't do their back in.

4. You'll be suprised at how much you don't need and it's so important to really get rid of stuff. Do a massive sort through, dump stuff, then do another one, then another one. We always end up with what we call a crap box, stuff that we have no idea why we still have it cos we can easily live without it.

5. Don't ship until you've been here a while and you're absolutely sure you want to stay. It's an expensive and time consuming exercise and if you arrive and find out you hate it or it's not going to be as permanent as you thought you'll have thrown money down the pan and extra baggage you don't need.

6. Never ship beds or wardrobes waste of space. It costs more to ship a bed or wardrobe in volume cost then actual cost. A bed's a bed you can buy them everywhere, if you have a special headboard or frame then store it, you don't need to bring it.

7. Bring unframed photos, posters, momentos for the walls in your suitcase for the short term and as soon as these are up it starts to feel a lot more like home.

Basically it's nice to have all your stuff with you but it's really not necessary, we travel as a family and my son's so used to the suitcase, send or store routine. Things are things and there's a lot we think we need but we don't. You guys are starting out on married life together don't waste money now that you could use for your future.

Most rental places here are well equipped with furniture and electrical goods it's really hard to find an empty or even part-furnished place.

So good luck and get sorting!

Price for moving from Montreal to Malta
4200 USD in Canada for 20 feet container (moving , container shipping )

approx 2000 euro with deposit , customs and moving to floor 3 in Malta

mmm.. i just lost my answer to your question... summary..
we moved from Canada (BC) in 2010 (for just a 3 years tough) so we left our big belongings in Canada...
Tip... just bring your laptop and if you have something you like a lot like your Entertainment System you can bring it...but no furniture...

Yes, furniture and appliances are expensive here but if you need to buy a lot you can go to Sicily... I have a Maltese friend that just went to buy furniture and appliances for his new home and he saved thousands of euros... also, yo can find furnished apartments to rent for the first few months if you like.

In case you want some addl details just send me a message Good Luck!

Regarding winter...I agree with the comments made by the "colleagues"..the difference is called INSULATION... in Canada with the heating you can be at home literally in shorts and t-shirt...I don't see myself doing that here in Malta...

Alf007 is right bring your laptop, it's second nature to take it carry on so I completely forgot!

As for the weather, yep bloody freezing at the mo but other extreme in summer, bloody baking. Just use the right clothes and you'll be fine in both cases.

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all the info.  My partner really wants to bring a lot of his furniture, but we are quickly finding out that that it might not be worth it.  I will be leaving almost everything of mine behind, except for clothing and a few items that I don't think I can find there.  We are still waiting to see if he gets a job offer, so we might be jumping the gun a bit here, but I like to be organized and not have to run around frantically at the last minute.  We have had some outrageous quotes for shipping a container (one company wants $14,000.00 CAD for a 20 ft container).  I will check out icargocanada.com , so thanks for the tip mishellp. In the mean time, I will keep trying to convince my man that he CAN part with his precious leather sofas, and I will try to come to terms with parting with my super comfie bed and my awesome entertainment system.
It's really hard leaving everything behind. 
M

n allways find the stuff you want its just a question if you to pay the price for it......O I M