Moving to a new city is exciting, but let’s be real: It can also be pretty overwhelming. If you’ve just arrived in Beijing and aren’t quite sure where to start, we’ve got something special for you.

We’re giving away free tickets to our readers for INN’s Beijing Arrival Survival, which is designed to help fresh faces in Beijing settle in smoothly. Whether you’re struggling with the subway system, hunting for affordable apartments or just want to meet other newbies, this event is for you.

Want a free ticket? Here’s how to get one:
Just like this post and comment below with one thing you’ve found tricky since moving to Beijing. Maybe it’s ordering food, dealing with visa paperwork or just missing home. We’ll randomly pick six winners – no complicated rules, just a bit of luck!

Winners will be announced on Wed, Aug 13, so don’t wait! Even if you don’t snag a free ticket, we’d still love to see you there. Let’s make Beijing feel a little more like home.

Images: INN, Freepik

Beijing has been my home for the past seven years, and leaving it is daunting. Whenever I think deeply about what I have done here, how much I have grown, and all the unforgettable memories that I, my family, my friends, and my teachers have made here, I always end up crying. Leaving a school that I have been at for my entire primary and (almost) middle school career saddens me even more. Change is happening. And I have to face it no matter what. The funny thing is that I don’t even know which city in China I am even from, which is a very difficult thing to deal with because wherever I go, if people want to simply know a little bit more about me and ask, “你是哪里来的？” (which means “Where do you come from?” or “Where are you from?”), I always end up answering, “成都.” Technically, my household registration is in Chengdu, so it would make sense for me to say Chengdu. However, I have not lived in Chengdu for a long period of time, which also makes me wonder if I really should say that to people. I was born in Suzhou, and so, also technically, I am from Suzhou as well. This may seem irrelevant to talk about as the place that I am leaving from is Beijing, but a conversation I had with a friend from the summer program I participated in this year perhaps answered the question everyone was asking me. He said that because I have been in Beijing for the longest period of time of my life, I am from Beijing to him personally. I told him my entire moving journey from the day I was born – being born in Suzhou, then after 100 days moving to Zhenjiang for four years, then to Wuxi for two years, then to Hefei for two months, and finally moving to Beijing and staying here for the past seven years as I am about to move to Zhuhai to finish my middle and high school. Perhaps, I am a Beijinger now. Whenever I speak Mandarin, some people say that they hear a distinct Beijinger accent. Once, I tried to learn the Chengdu accent from my dad as he is from Chengdu, and he said that when I spoke in a Chengdu accent, it sounded like a Beijinger or someone from the Dongbei (northeastern) region trying to imitate the Chengdu accent. This really made me wonder what my identity truly is.

G4&5 compilation

When I first moved to Beijing, I felt like I was moving to a foreign region – the weather and climate were different, the streets had a completely different vibe compared to the southern cities of China, and the people seemed to be different from the people I had met before. However, now, when I step on the streets of Beijing, I have this weird feeling of belonging but also not belonging. I feel a sense of belonging because I have spent so much time of my life here and even though Beijing may never feel like a “hometown” for me, it definitely shaped who I am today.

G6 www trip

I still remember vividly what the first day of school was like – the yellow school bus pulled into the driveway in front of my compound, and I was astonished that I was actually going to the school that I liked, not even discussing it with my parents. Now here I am, leaving the school that I have been at for seven and a half years. Every single teacher that I have had at Beijing City International School (BCIS) has given me some extent of encouragement and inspiration that allowed me to move forward with my academic and extracurricular life with ease – my Grades 1 and 2 homeroom teachers opening me up to a variety of sustainability projects, allowing me to find my true passion; my Grade 3 homeroom teacher teaching me how to find my own principles and follow instructions; my Grades 4 and 5 teachers leading the way to let me have a smooth transition into middle school, and the countless teachers I have met in my middle school life giving me confidence and pride to let me tackle high school with a stronger heart.

G8 shorts theatre performance

Every teacher that I have met these few days in the hallways were always saying something along these lines: “I heard that you are leaving us… Why?… You can’t!” This makes me realize how much effort and hard work I have put into my entire time here at BCIS and I simply think that without the community’s encouragement and love, I would never have been able to accomplish so much. I conclude my seven years in Beijing by saying, “Whatever way our stories end, I know you’ll have rewritten mine by being my friend.” Images: Margaret Yang

It’s a typical expat story. I was initially only supposed to be in Beijing for a few months, then I stayed a few more, and now I’m more than two years in, and what was supposed to simply be a footnote adventure in the story of my life has become home…for now.

I learned something important in the first three months I was here: Spend a little time and money making your living space feel cozy and comforting, no matter how temporary it is. Expat life is difficult. Expat life in Beijing can sometimes feel nearly impossible. While it is an incredibly rewarding experience that I would highly recommend, there are days when being an expat pushes me to my physical, emotional, and mental limits. It is incredibly important for your family’s mental and emotional health and well-being that they have a place that feels like home to return to at the end of the day. But when you will only be spending a few years in a place it can be hard to justify spending a lot of money.

I recently changed apartments and discovered a few Beijing life hacks that made my new apartment feel personal and cozy. I hope these tips help you and your family create a Beijing nest you love too!

Start by Up-Cycling: WeChat is your friend. People are always selling or flat-out giving away gently used things as they move on to their new apartment or next adventure. There are tons of second-hand buying and selling groups, including 2nd Hand Beijing Bargains, live LIGHTER live BETTER!!, Moving Sale and Buy, as well as the WeChat app Movin, which is a worldwide expat online yard sale where you can sort search results by country and region.

IKEA–No Assembly Required: I am shocked by how many people have no idea of the bargain furniture area tucked away in the back corner of IKEA. Here you can find floor samples being sold at massive discounts. So an RMB 3,000 wardrobe or couch is now RMB 1,000. Yeah, it’s got a tiny scratch in the back left corner, but that’s going against the wall anyway and you don’t need to do any assembly! Just don’t have IKEA deliver the furniture, or they will charge you to disassemble and reassemble it. If what you’re getting is small enough, pay for a six-seater DiDi and fold down the seats, or reach out to a local moving company and they will usually charge as little as RMB 100 to move a single piece of furniture.

Taobao: Obviously. The furniture on Taobao is extremely reasonably priced. I got a great bar height table that was perfect for my small living space, as well as a beautiful chair for less than RMB 1,000 combined. Be warned, though–you’ll have to assemble it yourself, and the bar cabinet I got came with no instructions, just a video link of someone putting together a piece of furniture that was not actually the same table I was working on… Shout out to my friend and puzzle master Paul for figuring it all out and not letting me give up five minutes in!

Make It Personal: Hang up some art! Get pieces that are unique and personal to you. I hadn’t realized how many of the amazing things I had gathered over the past few years of my travels fit into standard IKEA frames. The incredible watercolor I got in Seoul from a street artist and the leather carvings I got in Thailand pre-lockdown are just two examples. I also have the most beautiful origami postcards from my trip to Japan that have been sitting in a desk drawer for far too long. With a little creativity, a handful of 3M hooks, a hot glue gun, some craft paint, and a 20 kuai multi-frame, all these treasures are suddenly an original art piece!

I got my inner domestic goddess fired up using my printer and a few old boxes to create this next little set during the first lockdown. It took less than 15 minutes, and now the blueprints of places I have visited, lived in, and loved make for a great conversation starter when friends are over, as well as a reminder that we will eventually be able to travel and explore the world again. Get the kids involved too! An old IKEA print on canvas for USD 5 is suddenly cool and modern when finger paint is applied.

Hit Up the Antique Markets: Panjiayuan and Gaobeidian markets are filled with amazing finds that might end up being part of your forever home one day. A big piece of amazing local furniture or even just a few antique drawer pulls to update a modern piece will do wonders for personalizing your place. My old apartment had a wall-mounted coat hook that was so blah until I found a few smoothed-down shards of blue and white pottery that magically transformed it into a piece I loved!

Plants: One or two (or 50 if you’re me) well-placed plants will change your home and help purify the air in your apartment or house. You can find plants at Carrefour or IKEA, but I like to spend an afternoon wandering through the Wangsiying flower market. It has everything from orchids to lemon trees, as well as every sort of cut flower you can imagine at wholesale prices, and you can usually snag deals on pots and vases too. It’s a trek, but it’s worth the drive and the kids will have a blast exploring and running about among the stalls.

It might seem like more effort than it’s worth, but for me personally, being able to come home instead of just going back to my apartment is an absolutely indispensable part of making expat life…livable.

KEEP READING: Gaobeidian: Beijing’s Massive Antique Street à la London’s Portobello Market

Photos: Julie Wolf, Unsplash

When we announced our move to Beijing, the reactions were as vast as they were wide-eyed. You could tell who would never understand and who was jealous, who was inquisitive, and who was in denial (cough cough, my own mother).

No matter the reactions of family and friends, however, you and your family unit must understand what embarking on this adventure means for every single member. What are you giving up and what does everyone want out of it? Even when your kids are young, honing in on everyone’s perspective will go a long way towards maintaining open communication. And truth be told, that is the key to making any relocation run as smoothly as possible: communication. You and your spouse must talk to each other and listen to one another, even – and especially – if they are saying things you don’t want to hear. It’s one thing to jump into an adventure with an open mind and an open heart; it’s another to have completely different expectations of the journey than your spouse.

That goes double for your children. They have the least amount of say in these decisions. Continually check in with them and find out how they’re feeling. Let them know it’s okay to be scared and excited; it’s fine to feel grateful and resentful, sometimes simultaneously.

I know some families who barreled through without telling their kids anything, and others who made decisions specifically based on how it would affect their kids. I know employees who never involved their spouse in the relocation talks, such that they arrived in a new country without so much as an emergency contact in the company or the foggiest idea of how to pay for something.

Many of these questions will inevitably lead to other questions, but it’s a strong start. For the sake of ease, we’re going to assume that the two adults in question are married, and we’ll refer to one as “the employee” and the other as “the supportive spouse,” rather than using the sometimes insulting term “trailing spouse.”

• Why does the employee want the job?
◦ What will it do for their career?
◦ What will the employee have to give up to take the job (friends, extended family, favorite gym or brewery, etc.)
• What will the supportive spouse have to give up to take the job? (their own career, trusted babysitters, friends, social unit…)
• Are there ways to make up for that somehow?
• What will the supportive spouse do while they are here?
◦ Are there chances for them to work in China?
◦ Are there opportunities to work remotely?
◦ Is there a passion project they want to develop?
◦ Are there courses they want to take or higher education to pursue?
• What are the benefits of taking the job and moving that the supportive spouse can enjoy?
• What will the kids give up to move? (friends, a familiar school system, predictable social norms…)
• How do your children adjust to change?
• How can you help them through the process?
• Are you all up for an adventure or just want to “do your time” until the assignment is over?
• How invested are you in learning the language?
◦ How can the whole family stay involved and progress in language proficiency?
• What are the major historical sites you want to see?
• What are the cultural experiences you must take part in?
• Do you want to learn a traditional craft from the host country?
• Who is in charge of the visa processing, paperwork, etc. needed to make this happen? (Even with a company moving you, the paperwork for relocating to Beijing is dense.)
• What are the priorities in choosing a school?
◦ How does that affect where you want to live?
• What are your priorities in choosing a place to live? (location, amenities, services, proximity to the subway, or outdoor space…)
◦ Are your children small and not of school age?
◦ Will you hire an ayi? Full or part-time? Through an agency or referral? (read this article)
• Do you have savings goals from this assignment?
◦ How can you achieve them?
◦ Who is the responsible party in the household for ensuring those goals are met?
• How much travel will the employee need to do once you’re moved to the host country?
◦ Is the supportive spouse comfortable with that solo time?
• Do you own a house in your home country?
◦ Will you sell it or rent it while you are gone?
◦ What are your financial goals for either scenario?
◦ What renovations or repairs do you need to do before that happens?
◦ What does that mean for your return?
• What will you do with any cars you own?
• Do you need a storage unit in your home country?
◦ Who in the home country will have a spare key in the event that you need to get into it?
• Will you need a PO Box in your home country?
• Will your phones work in your host country?
• Does the company help facilitate getting a phone account and setting up other utilities?
• Who is the main contact for the company relocation guide?
◦ Can supportive spouse be cc’ed on communication when necessary?
◦ Can the supportive spouse be the main contact for some areas of the relocation?
• Does the company provide air filters and water filters?
• Does the company pay for international school at any age, or starting at a certain age?
• Who is in charge of the packing and interfacing with the shipment companies?
• Who is in charge of the reimbursements from, and during, relocation?
• Who is in charge of setting up the school tours?
• Are you able to have a look-see visit prior to moving?
◦ Who will watch the kids?
◦ Can the kids come with you?
◦ How much control do you have over the housing and schools that you tour?
• What vaccinations are needed to enter the host country?
• What medical checkups or procedures are needed or preferred before moving?
◦ Any dental checkups?
◦ Is all medical, dental, and vision paperwork in order?
◦ Do you need medical IDs translated?
• What is the repatriation plan?
• Can you repatriate to an area other than where you moved from?

Questions You Don’t Really Want to Ask But Should

• Is the employee or the spouse prone to drinking alcohol in stressful situations?
◦ If so, how will you, as a family, combat that?
• Do you have a support system in place for any medical or mental health emergencies?
• Do you have a Last Will and Testament? Do you need one?
• Does your company have a contingency plan if a close relative passes away during your assignment? Will you be able to return or are the borders still difficult to cross?
• Does your company have a contingency plan if someone in your immediate family falls ill?
• Are the employee and supportive spouse good at making new friends or is it difficult?
• What happens if someone in the family has trouble adjusting to your new city?

These questions are all just the tip of the proverbial iceberg that is relocating an entire family for the job of (most likely) one family member. Every single question here should lead you to other questions, and not all can be answered in one sitting. Moving is one of the most stressful situations any family can undertake together, but it is a journey to take together. It’s important that every family members’ perspective is taken into account and that an understanding is reached. Talk about it over coffee if the morning is the time when you have a clear head, or make a point to discuss one aspect of it at dinnertime for a month. However you go about it, take the time to communicate, and everyone in your family is much more likely to have a positive and realistic attitude towards relocation.

This article appeared in the jingkids 2021 May issue

There are a ton of blogs and ideas for how to prepare your kids to relocate, but what do you do when they were so young during the initial move that they don’t remember your home country? Maybe they remember some people because you’ve done a great job at keeping up video calls with your family. Maybe they know the story of that photo from your home country because you’ve talked about it in front of them.

But maybe when someone asks your child where they’re from, they say, “Beijing.”

It makes sense. They might have moved here when they were so small that any details of their long-term memories from their home country were overwhelmed by the huge change of arrival in a different country.

So what can you do to help your child with the transition back to your home country?

• Treat it like another adventurous relocation. It’s still new to them, after all. You probably had maps and books and colorful guides to Beijing and China before you moved, so do the same thing for your next destination. Even if you know what to expect, acquaint your child with the good parts of their new home that you can travel to safely, the places you used to love, and the places you are interested in seeing again. It’s all bittersweet, so stick to the sweet for a bit.
• Stay connected to their friends in Beijing. I find the easiest way to do this is to have a weekly or monthly “drop-in” time when you connect to anyone they want to stay in touch with. Kids won’t usually need to talk for too long, so don’t worry if they’re done talking after 5 minutes. Online gaming (safely) is a great way to stay connected to friends as well, as is a weekly LEGO build club.
• Visit your nearest Chinatown or at least order from a nearby Chinese restaurant weekly. There’s nothing like the sense of taste to immediately bring back memories and feelings from your time in China. Have a regular dumpling night, or try some of the great recipes shared by Jingkids.
• Celebrate the holidays. You may not want to either completely drop every single Chinese holiday, or keep all the holidays from two cultures simultaneously as I did, but keep the New Year traditions, and use Golden Week as a great excuse to eat moon cakes, or to send your buddies in Beijing a little note.
• Keep up the language, if even the smallest bit. Numbers are an easy way, but just because you leave doesn’t mean you have to drop all your favorite phrases. I was talking with a mom who had repatriated from Shanghai about what it’s like to move back home, and she confessed that she had thought her girls had lost all their Mandarin. They then proceeded to chat with a nearby Chinese woman in the park, fully holding their own in the conversation. Young minds are amazing that way!
• Hang up precious moments and gifts from your time in Beijing. Maybe give your precious gifts their own corner, or choose a photo that captures a favorite memory and enlarge it, and frame it in their rooms. Keep that Year of the Rat stuffy, COVID-19 be damned, and have a special place where your child can hoard any spare change or RMB you find.
• Be honest about the different ways that different countries handled the coronavirus. We started this last winter/spring when we were stranded in Florida, and it really helped all of us to be open and honest. Some countries have not handled the pandemic well, and that is one major way in which your new life may be incredibly different in your home country compared to China. You might not want to dwell on it before you move back, but it’s certainly a conversation to consider having.
• Face your own fears. Moving doesn’t have to be an all-happy or all-miserable endgame. It’s okay to have your own feelings about it and to choose what to share with the kids. But let them know it is okay to have mixed feelings or to miss their old friends and old home, even if they enjoy this new one. Watch Pixar’s “Inside Out” if you need help with that. It’ll work a treat for opening up the conversation!
• Let them know that it feels different to you, too. Maybe a different parent is working in your home country. Maybe the hours are different, or everyone’s home at once. Maybe you miss the view from your apartment here but you appreciate the grassier areas at the place you are moving to. Maybe you’re grateful for milder weather, but would still just kill to be able to walk down your street and try something new from a vendor.

Whatever it is, you can stress how no matter where in the world you may roam, your family is together or working towards the best life for everyone. Your child’s friends will sometimes keep in touch and sometimes lose the thread, but memories will survive. Telling stories to new and old friends, sharing your knowledge of the Great Wall or a Chinese song with grandparents — these are all ways to keep a strong memory of your time in Beijing, while still building a new life together.

And isn’t that what home really means, anyway? For some, it’s a place, for others a feeling. For kids, it’s where their family is together and they are loved. Hold onto that and keep your WeChat account, and you’ll never be too far from your friends here.

KEEP READING: The Expat Parent: How to Clutter Clear When You’re Moving Away

Images: Cindy Marie Jenkins, Canva

We’re about to offer our readers a whole slew of updated information on relocating to and from Beijing, so thought we could start with an area of our lives that always causes stress: preparing to pack.

My family is moving soon, and even though we’re in the fortunate position of the company handling our relocation, the idea of packing is still stressful. What to take with us on the plane and what can we wait 4-10 weeks to receive — understanding that Covid-19 is still delaying nearly all shipments? What have the kids outgrown since we’ve moved here? Should I keep my winter clothes on the off chance we ever need them again or just start over?

Here are just a few of my tricks, having now moved cross country twice in my adult life and internationally twice.

 Start Clutter Clearing at least 3 months in advance of the move.

This is actually an emotional process, to review all your belongings and evaluate their usefulness or meaning in your life. It’s much better to do it one area of your space at a time, rather than think you can just do a full haul clearance while you’re also trying to pack. Start with the areas of less emotional attachment, like cables, cords, and electronics. Use the Rule of Five explained below, and just start.

Rule of Five

My sister needs this reminder a lot. Can’t determine how many stuffies to keep? How many spare charging cords, or empty notebooks? Use the rule of five. Only keep five of everything. If you have more than five, and it’s useful, that’s different. Or if it’s your kids’ collection of LEGO bricks and you have seven bins, well, Godspeed if you’re able to cut these down. But for most things in life, you do not need more than five of any one item.

Move the Cleared Items Out as Soon as Possible

Once you decide to get rid of something, get rid of it completely. I will sometimes call Roundabout to make a collection date before I clear things so that I have a deadline. The worst thing that can happen is you remove a toy they barely touched and put it into a closet, only to find your children dug it out one day when they were bored and now are playing with it again. Arggggggh!

Eat Your Way Through Your Pantry

At least three months before the move, you should also start eating your way through your pantry and freezer. Toss anything that’s expired. Remove items you are never going to use or open take a photo and see who wants those spices you just knew you’d start baking with but never touched. Stack pantry items all together so you understand that you actually have three unopened salsas and don’t need to buy anymore but should probably eat these first. Don’t leave this until the last minute or you’ll waste a lot of food.

Keep a “Don’t Care Bin”

Especially when travelling with children, you need a “don’t care” bin. These are Happy Meal toys, party favor crap, plastic shite you bribed them to stay quiet with one day but would rather not actually keep, etc. These are great for airplane and relocation trips when you don’t care if they break, don’t care if they get lost, you and your kids just don’t care.

Remove the Clothes That Don’t Fit

This one obviously assumes you have the money to replace them, but after two years in Beijing, a lot of my clothes shrunk in the wash. I can handle that tight waistline if I’m just standing at an event all day, but not on a regular basis. Be deliberate and ruthless: remove all items from your closet that simply don’t fit you anything. Take a photo and post it in your “buy nothing” sustainable group, then ship it off to the first person who says “yay”. This process includes the shoes that literally pain you to wear.

Gift Some Artwork

I adore all my kids’ artwork, I really do, but do I love it enough to unpack it in a few months? For some of their less sentimental pieces, I have them write a note on the back to give to their friends as a goodbye gift, along with a photo of them together. I always run these decisions by the kids themselves, of course, because I also don’t want them to ask me months later “Hey, where is that snowman I made at art class?”

Don’t Be Andy’s Mom

You know the mom from the first three Toy Story movies? She picks up the wrong bag for donation and sets into motion the entire escapade of saving all our favorite talking toys from the evil mafia at Sunnydale Day Care?

Don’t be Andy’s Mom. Sure, it was a mistake, but she and Andy could have had a reasonable discussion on which toys to keep and which toys to donate and saved everyone a whole lot of trouble and two hours of escapades. Of course, then we wouldn’t have a movie, but….

I know it feels like it would easier to just remove some items while they’re not looking, and I do totally do that sometimes. But when it comes to choosing their LEGO sets or favorite blankets or Funko toys, it’s best to discuss it with each child in advance. Because here’s the thing. I’d lightly discussed donating some toys with them last summer but they weren’t really interested. Then out of the blue, my son woke up one day after learning about children who didn’t have a lot of LEGO bricks and said he wanted to choose some to donate. We jumped on it and removed a whole bin from our home.

Remove all items from their shelves, containers, etc, then sort them in a neutral spot.

I find this very helpful with books especially. Take everything out of their spot and sort them into three piles: donate/trash, keep, and not sure. Keep the “not sure” items out and available, and if you don’t reach for them in the next month, out they go!

Everyone is going through such emotions during a move, don’t exacerbate them by trying to both get rid of items and also pack everything at once. Start as soon as you can, take it nice and slowly, and involve the whole family!

KEEP READING: Summer Camp Previews: Survival Camp and UK University Prep

Images: Canva

Close to a decade ago I made Beijing my home. But now, thinking back to my first years in this city, there are so many things that I wish I had done differently. If only there was someone to show me the ropes. It would have saved me so much time and effort and I would have had the chance to fall in love with Beijing that much sooner.

Even though there’s still a travel restriction, there are still new families moving to Beijing every day. Well, Beijing newbies, don’t struggle blindly about the city. Make the most of your new adventure here by putting our 14 years of history as Beijing’s go-to source for everything family-related to good use.

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We cover all your family essentials including insights into the city’s international schools, one-on-ones with parents’ most trusted pediatricians, the latest news and regulations, summer camps, apps that make your life easier, WeChat groups to join and meet new friends, all the weekend activities that you could possibly want for your family, plus some lighthearted humor to add a touch of sunshine to your life.

Welcome to Beijing. You’ll love it here!

KEEP READING: Teaching Kids About Finances: The Expat Mom

Images: Pexels

Recently, I decided to move house. And before you ask, or just in case you have forgotten what moving house is really like, let me reassure you that it is still a hellish experience. Beijingkids has covered quite a few topics related to moving, with our 2020 relocation issue exploring everything from renting horror stories to maintaining a healthy relationship with your landlord and more. Thankfully, I have not had any horrible experiences with my now former landlord, and my neighbors were very friendly but we stayed out of each others’ way. But seeing as my contract was running out, I decided not to renew at the same place and find something elsewhere. And thus my adventure began! Buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy ride!

From Agents to Catfishing

Ever watch that show Catfish? If you haven’t then allow me to walk you through the simple concept. A team of investigators and a film crew track down online tricksters catfishing people online, that is, “the process of luring someone into a relationship by means of a fictional online persona” according to the Oxford Dictionary. That will come in handy for this little anecdote. I relied on my friends’ network to try and find just the right housing agent. The right agent could mean the difference between a perfect abode, and a hellish renting experience. I got a few contacts who showed me countless atrocious hovels. So I decided to take the route most traveled by most renters in Beijing by downloading renting apps.

You would think this is a foolproof way of getting a perfect house. But as I discovered on my first outing with an agent from one of the popular renting apps, catfishing isn’t just restricted to dating sites. We agreed to meet so that he could show me an apartment I’d set my heart on, only to be taken to a different apartment entirely. Had it been as good as the one I’d seen, I wouldn’t have had a reason to complain. But it was worlds away from my requirements. For starters, it was smaller, above my price range, and in an area I had explicitly said I did not prefer. My charming agent then proceeded to inform me that some of the so-called houses available for rent on the site are just staged apartments, and are most likely rented or weren’t up for rent in the first place. This is not to say that all apps do this, or that this is true. My guess is that my enterprising agent saw an opportunity to make a few extra yuan without the company’s knowledge. I did have a great experience with other agents from other renting apps who showed me the exact same apartments in which I’d expressed interest.

Show Me The Money!

Renting in a city like Beijing isn’t a cheap affair. You might be one of the lucky few who are in a ‘pay monthly’ arrangement. But for the vast majority of renters in Beijing, the 1+1+3 rule applies especially when you are looking to move in. That means a month’s deposit, a month’s rent as commission to the housing agent, and three months’ rent. This amount of money is likely to leave you and your account positively winded at the thought! But never fear! If you are able to rent directly from the landlord, you are more likely to just pay the three months’ rent plus a month’s deposit upfront. Also, many landlords who directly rent their apartments are open to negotiating and changing terms as you go. You could initially pay monthly then switch to quarterly, or vice versa. Apps like Ziroom also offer a ‘pay monthly’ option. Obviously, this comes at a premium. But it is better than nothing.

Sign on The Dotted Line, But…..

There are a few steps you must follow to the letter to make you a legal foreign resident in Beijing. One, you must have a valid residency permit, then you must have a registered residence as per your housing contract. This involves bringing along your passport, valid contract, and the details of the landlord along to your local police station’s domicile registration section. Beware of sub-letting schemes. In my search for a new apartment, I’ve gotten a few offers to sublet, with promises that it will be well, and the common refrain ‘many foreigners do it.’ One rather shrewd lady took me to two of her three rented apartments in the city, promising me to explain my living in any of the properties as ‘a foreign friend living there while I am away’ to the respective landlords should they have inquired. I declined, of course.

Marie Condo and Taobao Don’t Mix

I will unashamedly admit I am a Taobao addict. I will even wake up in the middle of the night when I remember an item I’d bookmarked to buy on payday. But all of my midnight and ill-advised purchases have been coming back to haunt me during the move. It has been box after box of ‘why on earth did I buy this?’ and ‘I have only worn this once’, and the all-important question – to toss or to keep. It’s made for a wonderful exercise in decluttering my closet, with most of the never-worn and too-small clothes intended for donation to Roundabout, once they are laundered of course. But aside from Taobao being a paradise for hoarders, it is also great for moving resources. You can get great deals on moving boxes, large plastic tubs for things like toys and shoes, and even lifting belts for shifting heavier items and lugging them up and downstairs.

Whether you are considering the big move, please keep in mind that with Covid-19 cases on the rise again in the city, communities might not be as open to allowing friends or movers in to help you shift your stuff. Talk to your current community’s management office to inform them of your impending move, and find out whether movers or moving vans will be allowed into your community. Happy moving!

KEEP READING: Do You Have a Bug in Bag? Be Prepared for Anything

Photos: Courtesy of Ziroom wesbite, Unsplash, Taobao

Spring has sprung in Beijing. And along with it has come the prospect that life could soon return to what it once was. Beijing and the rest of China has slowly been getting back to business, and with the reopening of schools, it will soon be all systems go for Beijing families and professionals alike. However, due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the world has essentially ground to a halt. The peak spring/summer hiring and transferring of schools would normally see old Beijing residents leaving and new ones taking their place. But China’s borders remain closed, in a bid to curtail the importation of the virus into the country.

This does not however mean that Beijingers aren’t taking up opportunities in other parts of China, or looking to relocate to Beijing. With that comes the headache of moving, which can be a pain at the best of times, and a logistical nightmare at the worst. It is important to get all your ducks in a row before embarking on your next adventure into or out of Beijing, by asking yourself what exactly is needed to make a move aside from a few moving men and a U-Haul.

You can choose to do it by yourself, go through the painstaking process of researching, booking, filling the necessary paperwork, check and double-check what you must declare and do all the packing. Or you could choose to use a moving company.

Continental International Moving, based in Beijing, has been taking the guesswork out of moving for international families for over 15 years and wants to make sure you are prepared for the move, long before you even need their assistance. We spoke with their team to find out more about what they offer, and what Beijing expats can expect when they make the move!

Tell us a little bit about your company. When did you start, why, and how long have you been in business?

CIM Movers was founded in 2004 under the name of Continental International Moving. We are located in Beijing’s Central Business District. Our mission is to help connect our customers to their new lives in the most stress-free way possible.

We obtained ISO 9001 certification at the end of 2019. Our moving experts are a bright bunch of people, both foreign and local, and speak Chinese, English, German, and French. Our moving crews are experienced in the moving industry with over 20 years’ experience. They’re all friendly and caring professionals. You can rest assured with such a great bunch of people: your move is in good hands.  It’s no wonder we are a favorite among the expat community in Beijing and the rest of China.

We have been in business for more than 15 years. CIM is also a proud member and co-owner of Harmony Relocation Network in the Netherlands. Our network (founded in 1992) consists of over 140 members in 60 countries, serving 180 countries across six continents, providing the same level of high-quality services, local expertise and personal commitment.

What are some of the most common destinations that your company services?

Most common destinations are Europe, US, Canada and Australia. We basically cover the globe. We have even made it to North Korea despite the challenges.

What are some destinations your company services that clients might not know about?

We work with destinations according to what our customers need. Each client has a different destination and we work hard to ensure that we are able to provide our services to clients, no matter what their destinations are. Even if, due to some circumstances, they change the destination when their shipment is already on the way. We have some particular cases sometimes, but ultimately, we do what we can.

What are some of the new regulations for moving household goods and personal effects into and out of China?

So far, there are no new regulations regarding moving household goods out of the country. When regulations change, we make sure to inform our clients ahead of time.

What can CIM Mover offer an expat moving to China?

Apart from moving services, for most of the destinations within China, we can help clients apply for import permits, and do customs declarations on their behalf. We also provide handyman services in cases where furniture needs assembly or reassembly. When needed, maid services can also be arranged.

How long does the process take?

It depends on the move. For local moves, it normally gets done within a day. Although local office moves can take longer than a day depending on the office size. For domestic moves, it takes about a couple of days to a week, depending on the distance. For international moves, it can vary from between two to ten weeks, depending on the country.

What is the price list?

We don’t have a specific price list. Again, it depends on the volume or weight of the goods, air and sea freight charges vary, same as destination costs. Hence, we normally have to do a pre-move survey at the client’s home to estimate the volume or weight in order to quote.

What are some of the problems commonly faced when trying to export household goods from China and how do you prevent them from happening?

A lot of customers have fake antique Chinese furniture and the furniture needs to be checked by the Antique Bureau office to see if it can be exported. Most of them are fakes so they present no problem with exporting, but still it needs to be stamped by the Antique Bureau. This is to avoid any potential problems at customs. We normally do pre-move surveys, and if we find some antique-looking furniture, we tell the clients about how to get it checked before moving. Besides that, we also provide the clients with a prohibited items list, so they are aware. Last but not least, customers need to have valid documents (work visas and residence permits, etc.) in order to export their goods. Some small shipments only require a passport copy of the shipping party. We would advise clients to check with us before considering moving.

Are all destination regulations the same, or how do they vary?

No, each country has its own regulations. We normally check with our partners abroad so we can inform our customers beforehand. In addition to that, it depends on the customer‘s status as well: Diplomat or not, returning citizen or foreigner, etc.

How do the potential clients contact you?

We get recommended by our old customers a lot, and that’s the best, as they know our services quality already. Apart from that, we get reached out to by our agents abroad and also by search engine.

Can a shipper bring the Chinese-style items bought here abroad?

All Chinese items produced before 1949, or Chinese minority items produced before 1966, are prohibited from exportation from China. CIM Movers can help you to do relic inspections before we start the move or after packing. With a certificate issued by Beijing Relics office, we can export these goods legally out of China.

If you would like some more information, check us out on www.cimmover.com

Photos: Unsplash, CIM