Relocation

The purpose of this preliminary overview is to show the client, the area and to gain a better understanding of his needs.
The Change Relocation consultant provides the client with all the information necessary to understand better the local way of life and at the same time the consultant gains insight on the client in order to be able to provide him with a service that is tailored to his needs.

• General information on housing, schools, the cost of living, public transport, leisure and sporting activities.
• Visits to the different residential areas
• Visit to the malls, fitness centres, public swimming pools, shopping centres etc.
• Visit to any areas of particular interest to the client
• Compilation of a brief questionnaire to highlight the client’s requirements

When you move abroad, finding a home can often be difficult for many reasons, principally the difficulty in finding and viewing suitable houses in person. 
Selecting a range of houses meeting the needs of the client is only part of the service offered by Change Relocation, which includes: - visits to the proposed houses, assistance with the negotiation of lease or purchase contracts and the setting up of services such as electricity and telephone connections.

• Filling in of a questionnaire to identify the needs of the clients, during which some benchmark houses are presented to fine-tune the understanding of the client’s preferences.
• Visit to pre-screened houses with the client over one or two days
• Negotiating and drawing up of rental and purchase contracts
• Filling in the forms to record the condition of the house upon entry
• House transfer formalities
• Notification and setting up of electricity, telephone, water etc
• Finding qualified workers to carry out small jobs before moving-in (electrician, plumber etc)
• Onsite support when the furniture arrives
• Compete support for any problems relating to housing

When you move to a new country, you are faced with a new set of legal requirements and a series of steps must be followed to allow the relocation to go well.
Change Relocation will take care of these aspects in accordance with local law, such as assisting you to register with the local commune, informing the post office, contacts with the banks, insurance etc.

• Supporting with the authorities in obtaining residence permits.
• Organization of a meeting with an insurance broker to set up medical insurance (obligatory under Swiss law) and any other insurance required  (e.g. home contents, civil responsibility, car, house, valuables etc)
• Assistance during the registration process with the local commune and notifying the post office
• Co-ordination with the removal company on customs issues
• Presence of a consultant when the removal company arrives with the furniture
• Changing the car number plates
• Converting /getting a new driving license
• Introduction to the Swiss banking system and support to open an account

Sometimes getting the time to supervise the removal can be a problem for our clients
Change Relocation can organize a removal firm who will handle the planning and bureaucratic aspects of the move. In addition, upon request, we can handle the move ‘door to door’. This involves, overseeing the packing, loading and transportation of the furniture and household goods at the old home and supervising their unloading and layout in the new home.

• Bid process with  removal firms
• Organizing and coordinating the removal
• Supporting customs formalities
• Having a consultant present for the arrival of the household goods in the new home
• Final checking of all work
• Supporting the registration of vehicles imported into Switzerland

Feelings of disorientation are quite common when you move countries.
Change Relocation will be with you right from your arrival at the airport or station to help make you feel at home from the start.

• Meeting service at the airport (Lugano or Milan Malpensa) or at the railway station
• Transportation from the arrival point to the new temporary or permanent home.
• Restaurant booking or catering service for the day of your arrival
• Booking a rental car  and transportation to the rental agency
• Advice on driving norms in Switzerland
• Visit of the area surrounding your new home to point out areas of interest, such as shops, banks , post office etc
• Provision of a personalized local guidebook with all the useful addresses and phone numbers ( doctors, dentists, fitness centres etc)

Temporary accommodation is provided if your new home is not available immediately, or, if your transfer is only short term.  Change Relocation will find you a hotel for a few days or a furnished apartment or residence for longer periods.

• Booking of hotel rooms
• Finding short term furnished housing
• Visit to the prescreened accommodation with a consultant
• Carrying out the inventory check prior to moving- in
• Assistance during the registration process with the local commune and notifying the post office
• Setting up electricity, phone etc if required
• Cancelling the temporary housing contract
• Cancelling or transferring the electricity, phone, water contracts etc
• Carrying out the inventory check upon departure.

For families with school aged children, finding wherever possible, the right school with a program in their native language, is a priority.
Change Relocation will find the best schools in Ticino and Northern Italy.

•  Identification of schools
• Organization of a tour of the selected schools and a meeting with the principal.

Learning Italian is an important step in the acclimation process which allows you to interact with people.   In the Italian part of Switzerland in the most important towns it is easy to find people who speak German, French and also English.  But in the smaller villages which abound in Ticino, it is not always easy to find people who speak foreign languages.
Change Relocation will help you find the right way to learn Italian.

• Identification of normal and intensive Italian language courses (individual or group courses)
• Course enrollment

If the house that you rent or buy needs some maintenance or improvement work, Change Relocation will find you the right builders, architects, craftsmen and project managers.
Change Relocation can act as the interface between the client and those responsible for the building works.

• Assistance in finding architects and building firms for major projects
• Interface between the client and the project supervisor
• Visit to the site and check up by the consultant  to resolve small problems
• Finding craftsmen and specialists such as plasterers, bricklayers, electricians and plumbers
• Checking the progress of the project

After moving in and adjusting to your new home, the time comes to start thinking of leisure activities.
Change Relocation will find and enroll you in fitness centres, golf or tennis clubs, as well as helping you to find baby sitters and domestic help if necessary.

• Proposing sports centres according to your requirements
• Visiting the sites with a consultant
• Enrollment in the chosen activities
• Assistance in finding domestic help
• Assistance in finding baby sitters
• Support in carrying out legal and fiscal requirements for domestic staff