Moving to Panama – tips and hints
Bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, Panama is nothing short of a paradise! With year-round hot temperatures and plenty of vitamin D, it is understandable that you would find yourself wishing to pack your bags and move to Panama. But before you make such a decision, reserving a plane ticket and opening a Panama traveling guide would be a good idea. After all, you must get to know a country and experience life in it if you are to leave everything you have known so far. And after making the final decision and concluding that moving to Panama is the right choice for you, all you need are a few tips we so selflessly provide to get you settled into your new home.
Think about where you want to live after moving to Panama
Deciding on the place you want to call home is not something that should be done on the spur of the moment. When you are buying a property, you are making an expensive investment, one you really don’t want to regret. Besides, your city will be the place where you will spend years, if not decades, so you want to make sure you are enamored with it. For that reason, taking your time to choose both the city and the house of your dreams is the first thing you should do when moving to Panama.
Choose your city wisely
Choosing the city that has everything you are looking for should not be too difficult. Since Panama is a zone that is almost completely free of any natural disasters (except for occasional earthquakes), you won’t have to fret about your safety in that department. However, just like any other country, Panama is not all sunshine and rainbows. Each city has a crime rate that you should explore before deciding to buy a house in it. While we can’t nor want to influence you on choosing a city, we can give you a few valid options.
- Bella Vista
- Costa Sur
- Punta Pacifica
- Altos de Panama
Buying a house in Panama
When buying a house before relocating to Panama, you have a chance to do what your heart wants and likes. You can buy a home you have always dreamed of, as long as it suits your budget. But beware – a house is not an investment you can easily get rid of. You need to make sure your home is strategically well-placed, meaning that it is close to your place of work and the necessary amenities. Also, think about your present, as well as you future situation. If you are moving with a family, you must buy a property that can comfortably accommodate all of you. Moreover, if you plan on having kids in the future, make sure your house allows any upgrades or already has a sufficient number of rooms.
It would be a good idea to rent a place for the first six months to a year.
Let’s say you have visited Panama on numerous occasions, and you decided you will love living here. While that will most likely be the case, you can never be sure before you try it. If after moving to Panama and buying a house you decide that you cannot get used to the new lifestyle or you miss your family too much, what do you plan on doing? Will you go through with selling the house and potentially losing money or will you stay in a place that does not make you happy? That is why, in order to be happy and save all the money you can on your long distance move, you should first rent a place for approximately six months. Six months are more than enough for you to experience the Panama lifestyle and decide whether it’s the right fit for you!
Think about shipping your items
Have you given a thought to how you plan on transporting that heavy piano or your master bedroom? You have two options – either ship your belongings or hire reputable movers to take care of everything. But be careful – reputable movers might not be so easy to spot, and you definitely want to prevent complications by avoiding fraudulent movers. In the days leading up to your relocation, scams are the last thing you need. So, depending on where you live, whether in South America or some other continent, think about how you want to transport your things. If you need to use sea freight or air freight, shipping companies are the best solution. If you can transport your items by land, ask around for reputable moving companies.
Brush up on Spanish
In case you love watching Telenovelas in your spare time, we have good news for you. After moving to Panama, you will need to have at least basic knowledge of Spanish, since it is the predominant language. Crossing the language barrier and learning a new language is not something that can be done overnight. You will need months, if not years of hard work in order to learn the everyday language. To get to the intermediate level, you will need at least a year of daily practice, which will make learning faster. So, long before moving to Panama, enroll yourself in a Spanish course in case you don’t already speak the language. You will learn something new and prepare yourself for the new life that awaits.
Remain positive
There will come days when you will regret moving to Panama. You will feel nostalgic for your country, especially if you make a long-distance move. As experts in the real estate world who work with people, we see this happening all the time. But this is an integral part of the moving process. You just have to remind yourself of all the reasons that prompted you to move to Panama and of everything good that is yet to come. You better believe that your new life in Panama will be an amazing, sun-filled adventure!
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