Process and Procedures for Expat Relocation from the time of arrival in Mumbai to entering into your apartment.

Day 1	Meeting at the Hotel or Your office as required Understanding the Budgets and reconfirming the same with you and you can in turn check with your Company so that all is clear Showing you around the 2/3 shortlisted locations and a few apartments as a warm up Basic Orientation of Schools and office locations Understanding any of your specific need
Day 2	Taking you out for nearly the entire day, we would generally start by 10 AM however, this can be later or earlier depending on look and see trip
Optional	Trip to School/s if required with you or else you can do this on your own as we are technically not needed for this.
Optional	Arranging paper work for your FRRO registration if you want us to get involved with this. Ideally, if your Company is taking care of this then we are absolutely easy.
	Showing you apartments in the budgets and preferred/suitable locations We usually cover anywhere from 15/20 apartments in a day with breaks for Coffee/lunch etc. Very easy going and no rush at all.
Day 3	Revisiting the short list apartments and any other left over apartment from the list etc. Usually, you will be able to firm up your mind by the end of Day 3 that which location suits you the best and we usually recommend you to shortlist 3 top apartments which are in your budgets and which fit all the parameters If you are sure then we can set up a meeting with the owner to negotiate and close this meeting could be happen next day or the same day as convenient to all.
Day 4	Visiting Showrooms for White Goods and Furniture in case the same are required to be purchased, this exercise can also be done on Day 2 or Day 3 to understand this more clearly. Meeting with the property owner, depends if you still wish to continue to look at properties. In 90% of the cases, we have experienced that the clients have chosen the properties we have shown either on Day 1 or Day 2 as we would show those properties by default on Day 1 or 2. It is best that you evaluate all the options then decide in any case. Meeting with the owner and finalising if the same is not done then jumping 2 option 2 or 3 as the case may be.
Day 5-8	If we get clarity of the terms and conditions concluded then we start initiating the paper work. Typically, we put all the terms and conditions together and call it a “Term Sheet”and that further gets transformed into a Letter of Intent/offer which both the parties sign. This Letter of intent becomes the guiding letter for the agreements to be entered into and it is like a formal confirmation. All the list of works etc. Or furnishings required as agreed between the parties are placed in here leaving no grey area for any party.
Day 9-15	Depending on the legal department, finance department and your admin department and the owner it can take anywhere from a couple of days to a few weeks to get this agreement signed. The moment you engage external lawyers who are not part of your company, you can definitely say good bye to at least 7 days.
Day 15-22	Sometimes, this period is a blessing as the apartment is getting ready etc. And the paper work simultaneously on.

So in ideal conditions, you should be able to move into a home in a fortnight and most of your works done.

Check List before moving in:

• Internet Connection - This you need to apply – 7- 10 days. We recommend to pick up a pre-paid dial up connection or a USB Based Internet Wireless Modem before you get settled so that you are no off line.
• Telephone - If there is an existing line, you can continue to use that and pay the bills as they come or you can apply a new one. Applying a telephone line and that too a new connection needs a lot of documents and it can take upto 1 month to get one. If you need an outgoing international dialling facility, then you need to apply for this and this takes at least 15 days.
• Cable - You should ideally have one which is already existing in the building as a basic one for one of the rooms and for the main television you can apply for Tata Sky depending on the feasibility to get it installed and the wiring done etc. This is not a very easy process for older blocks. The newer buildings have wiring done for this.
• Gas - A lot of buildings in Mumbai have piped gas connections and if your apartment has one then you are fortunate as this saves you an extra cupboard in the kitchen and it is on tap connected with your cooker. Else, you have to apply for bottle gas which needs to be changed periodically depending on your usage. The owner may have some spare ones but not always. Getting these costs around Rs.2500/- plus regulator and each bottle is for Rs.350/- nearly and if you cooking 3 times a day it will last you a month and as such you would need a back up bottle all the time this is LPG.
• Check on the list of the furniture provided and match with list in the agreements.
• Check on plumbing and all AC connections and if they are all working

You will surely have teething problem in the first week or weeks of moving in and you need to be patient. Do not get hassled about it and be patient, it happens in your own home as well. Make a list of things which need attention and give it to the owners and ask them to get them rectified within reasonable time.

We usually arrange a Pre Delivery Inspection with you of the apartment and ensure that most of the issues are sorted prior to your moving in but we understand the saying. “Only the wearer knows where the Shoe Pinches” so sometimes only when you use you know what happens.

In Mumbai, electricity is extremely expensive, we recommend you to save the same and use your Air-Conditioners and water Geysers only when you need them. It will save you a lot of money if you do not leave them on. Besides, the geysers and air-conditioners get spoilt very fast if you use them for long hours each day and the owners do not want to take responsibility of specially these 2 items.