u/gonedancingagain

The single most important thing I would recommend doing before starting your move to Mexico, is doing the work to truly know who you are and want you want out of life. This can sound simple on the surface, but it took me a couple of years of therapy and work on myself to figure this out. 

I want to acknowledge that the privilege of all of this came from going through cancer and the loss of three close family members in a short two year span. I was angry, and scared, and massively depressed, often wrestling with not wanting to live. I had only the faintest glimmer of hope for my life. But I fought back with lots of help from my medical teams, friends, and my own tenacity. This loss also helped me have the funds to follow my dream of moving to Mexico. I am proud of myself for taking some of the worst things that life can give, and moving from survival to building a beautiful life.

I am also choosing to move and am moving towards something, and I acknowledge that some of you reading this are in a situation where you are forced to move, for a variety of reasons.

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Do not be entirely aspirational. Know who you are, your capabilities, your limitations, what you like and don't like, what brings you joy, your goals, your level of patience, etc. Be honest. When you move to Mexico, everything about you will also be moving - your past, your trauma, your ideals, your faults, your awesomeness, your current body, your relationships with friends and family, your current skills - all of it.

I did make a few aspirational decisions, but I did so consciously. I want to be healthier and get in shape. So I chose a walkable location and bought an e-bike. I told myself I could buy a car after a year if I still wanted one. But I know myself, and if I started with a car, I would not later become someone who walked and biked. I also made a promise to myself not to go to the bar that at home would have been my "hang", until I had lived here for three months. I have gone once when my neighbors invited me there for dinner. Flexibility is important too! It's important to be able to acknowledge mistakes, and opportunities, and move keep moving forward.

I also released some aspirational ideas. I thought I wanted a rooftop deck, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I would not use it, just like I rarely used my finished basement. I have a lot of outdoor space in my complex and in my larger community, so that works for me. Plus I don't have to personally maintain any of it, which is not an area of interest or expertise. I also thought I wanted to be in the heart of town, but after reflection I realized that part of the goal of this move was increased peace, and downtown is busy and noisy. So I moved close enough to walk or bike, but far enough that it is tranquil and quiet - as tranquil and quiet as it could be living in a condo in Mexico. haha! 

I would have thought you were crazy if you told me I would live in a gated community, but here I am and I love it. Not for the "safety", but for the diverse community of people who live here as snowbirds and also full time (there are some tourists, but they are not the majority), including many Mexican Nationals. My small condo complex - less than 20 units, is occupied by people from Mexico, Germany, Italy, and the United States. And that is only the people I have met so far.

I also love the greenspaces, the walking and biking paths, the ease in terms of maintenance, proximity to the beach, proximity to medical care, proximity to shopping, restaurants, etc.

I ended up buying a less expensive than budgeted, older re-sale fixer-upper, which feels insane to me, as I have never renovated anything in the two homes that I have owned in the past. However, the things that could not be changed - the floor plan, the square footage, the view, the number of windows, the location, the floor level, and the direction the rooms faced were all things that I wanted. So I hired a local interior design team (first time doing this as well) to help me source furniture, materials, and tradespeople. They will manage the entire project. I am having them do a full re-design, and then based on my budget and my priorities after living here for a bit, I will decide what to do now and what can wait. My main priorities are safety, energy conservation, and functionality for eating, sleeping, and working.

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I have been visiting Mexico as a tourist for 20+ years, and have traveled to many different states, cities, and towns. In 2016 I started doing longer trial runs in various places to see what I liked, and how it would feel. I made the decision to move in 2025, and made the move about a month ago. For context I am middle-aged woman. I own my own business and work from home. My Spanish is Level 1 at best, but I always try, and I will be taking an intensive course and continuing with lessons, once I get settled enough to allow that in my schedule. I can read and understand spoken language much better than I can speak.

In the process of deciding on the location of where I would live, as well as the particular home I would buy, the information about who I am was invaluable. I believe it saved me time, money, and loads of stress. I have not doubted my decision to move, the place I have moved, or my choice of home on single time. This is a huge relief. 

Has my move been perfect? No, of course not. Have I been lonely, and frustrated, and scared, and irritated, and all of those things? Yes, many times. This is totally normal, but nothing in life is perfect and those are simply feelings that I can acknowledge and let pass. The foundation of my move is solid. It's not easy to move to another country, but this does make it much easier.

Other things that helped on my move:

1. If relevant to you, start the canje process in your country ASAP,. Get your temporary or permanent residency. This is good peace of mind, and your CURP will unlock access to things for you like a Mexico phone number, among others.

2. Book your flight for your move. Once you do this, it all starts to get real fast. This gives you a deadline, and informs the rest of your decisions. Once you have your flight, also figure out scheduling your INM appointment in Mexico and get it on the calendar as soon as you can.

3. I brought a large amount of pesos that I had ordered from my bank in small bills. Not having to go to the ATM initially or worry if my cards would work or be accepted, has been a big relief. Because of course all of my cards have been jerks at one time or another during my move.

4. I checked 12 bags which was much cheaper than shipping. If you don't have a credit card or status to get two free checked bags, consider flying first class. On most airlines you will get two free checked bags and the weight limit per bag will be 70 pounds. The math for first class might math for you, when you consider the checked bag fees and weight limits 😄

5. Being organized and prioritizing what is important now, and what can wait. I made a packing spreadsheet and each bag had a purpose. One for cats, one for clothes, one for home goods, etc. I also made a giant "to do" list in a spreadsheet and included the last possible completion date. This helped me prioritize what needed to be done sooner, and what could wait. It also allowed me to get the stuff out of my brain. I have it online so if I think of something while I am out, I can add it. Once tasks are completed I hide the row, so it doesn't look overwhelming. And if I get frustrated I can unhide everything and have proof of how far I have come and all I have accomplished 😄

A few things I have learned:

It is impossible to prepare for every scenario or even wrap your heard fully around an international move. These are things that seem a bit "duh" in hindsight, but they didn't occur to me until I got here.

1. I do a ton of laundry. I end every day sweaty, covered in sunscreen, and bug spray. There are no clothes that end up in the pile of things can be worn again. 

2. I shower every night. I am going through shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc. like crazy. The same for laundry detergent, oxygen bleach, etc. The other factor contributing to this is that the water here is incredibly hard, so more surfactants are required to get myself and my clothes clean

3. Showering every night means I run out of pajamas quickly, and need to do laundry more often. 

4. I didn't have a bike previously, so I am realizing that I need more shorts and skorts. I usually wear skirts and dresses.

Hope this was helpful! Feel free to ask questions.

My mom (a trustee) is allowing me to take a trust distribution to purchase a primary residence.

The third trustee, my sibling, wants me to sign a promissory note saying that when our mom passes, the trust will be distributed equally, less the amount of my distribution plus interest on that amount.

Is this standard? I keep getting hung up on the interest part as it seems like it should be tied to inflation, or some other marker. But maybe interest would be better?

The timeline for the trust splitting is likely within 1-4 years.m, but of course hard to know for sure.

Any insight greatly appreciated.

I have recently purchased a condo and the majority of household goods (e.g. kitchen items, bed linens, towels, cleaning supplies, etc.) are not things that I will be using.

Some are basically trash - broken small kitchen appliances that cannot be fixed, chipped dishes, etc. But some could be useful to someone in need.

I am also going to be replacing the furniture so that will need to be removed as well.

Is there a place where items can be donated? Is there any sort of junk or large item removal service?

I am not comfortable selling items on FB Marketplace for safety reasons, and most of the items are not worth much anyway. I would rather get then in the hands of someone who is in need. I don't have a car here, not do I have someone to help me move stuff.

Any ideas would be appreciated!

I moved into an older resale condo that I purchased two weeks ago and I wanted to personally recommend some folks who have been incredibly helpful to me during the process. As an FYI, I am middle-aged, my Spanish is Level 1 at best (I will be taking lessons!).

I prefer to support small local businesses, local artisans, minority owned businesses, etc. whenever possible. I am a "buy once, cry once", BIFL, kind of person. I prefer (and have the privilege to be able to) pay for expertise that I lack when very important, and as needed, so that I can focus my time on energy on other things.

Would love to know your favorite services, business, etc. if you'd like to share! Also happy to answer any questions about my move, or any of the services below.

Hope this helpful to you, and to the businesses and people that have helped me so much during my move :)

Here are my faves so far, in no particular order:

OCD Cleaners

I saw someone post about them in one of the expat Facebook groups. I had a good feeling so I reached out and scheduled a deep clean of my condo. They came out to give an estimate and were able to start a couple of days later. Andrea (Paola) and Alex were AMAZING!

My condo had been an AirBnb and everything was so dirty. It took them two straight 8 hour days to clean it (16 hours total!). They removed the toilet seats, got rid of gunk that I thought was permanent, polished the wood, cleaned the window wells, the fan pulls, and probably 100 other things that I never even saw get done - every single thing in my condo was cleaned.

I cried when they were finished. I have never cried and hugged my cleaners before! I felt totally safe leaving them with my half unpacked belongings (all that I now own - so it feels a little more tender than usual) and my cats. They were kind and gracious and worked incredibly hard. I am going to bring them on to do regular cleanings.

Giant Playa del Carmen

I got the wild idea to buy an E-Bike in the US and bring it as checked luggage in the original box, disassembled. I couldn't find what I was looking for in Playa, and I knew this would be cheaper than importing later.

I reached out to Giant, I think on Messenger and asked them if they would be willing to assemble it. I sent them a link to the bike. They do not sell this brand, and I am not sure if they sell E-Bikes at all. They said sure! So I hired a sprinter van for a few hours (running other errands after) and we dropped it off at their shop.

They messaged me several days later to say it was assembled. I wasn't sure the best way to pick it up, and they offered to deliver it to me. I paid for both the assembly and delivery, and was so happy to have two wheels so that I could more easily explore.

The bike battery is still in the US. I am having to use a dangerous goods shipper to get it here. I could not start this process until I received my RT card and CURP. This is quite expensive, but since I am not gong to be buying a car here, I felt like the savings on that end (e.g. car, insurance, gas, registration, etc.) would more than make up for the shipping cost. I will be curious to see the new regulations about E-Bikes when they get released. I can ride it without the battery, which is what I am doing now.

Uly Savchenko - Living Riviera Maya Real Estate

My real estate agent extraordinaire! A couple of colleagues had used Living Riveria Maya Real Estate and recmmended them to me, so I filled out the online form about a condo I was intereted in seeing during my upcoming visit. Uly responded, and the rest is history. She has been such a great fit for me. Incredibly intelligent (she has a Ph.D,) knowledgeable about the local market and the general area, multi-lingual, patient, caring, kind, and fun.

She has been there though every step of the process - and still ongoing as we have not closed yet. Her guidance helped me feel completely comfortable in the process, which was incredibly important given that I am a first time buyer in Mexico and this is the first place in any country that I am buying alone. This level of ease freed up space for me to focus on the million other tasks I had to complete to make the move.

Milly Arcero - Legally in Mexico

I messaged Milly on WhatsApp and asked for assistance with my RT appointment. She responded promptly and I was able to get an appointment during the first week of my move. Things went a bit sideways when the INM biometric system went down, so I ended up having to go back - which is not their fault at all, obviously. I messaged her to see if I could go back the following week, as I didn't have a time constraint, and a lot of people that week had to fly home so I wanted them to have priority.

My second visit went much quicker and I left with my ID card. Everything about the process was clearly explained, the staff was incredibly kind, and they even brought us water when the wait was getting LONG. They were ready for me both times and all I had to do was find a way to pass the time waiting for my name to be called. Worth every penny! Getting this done allowed me to get a Mexico phone number, import my bicycle battery, and a bunch of other stuff - so it was important to me to get it done correctly the first time, and sooner rather than later.

SIAMO Design

I have never hired an interior designer before (nor done any renovations), but I bought an older resale condo and I knew it needed some work to make it functional for me. I did some online research and came across SIAMO Design. I felt like they would be the perfect fit for me and my vision for my project. We had an initial Zoom call, and they sent me a proposal and an outline of the process. Since I hadn't yet spent more than maybe 7 minutes in my condo, I asked them to design pretty much new everything - kitchen, bathrooms, and all new furniture - and then based on cost I would decide how much I can do now vs. later.

I met the team in person when they came over to measure. It was such a great experience - for them to meet me and see the actual space in person, and how that aligns with the requirements and inspiration pics I already sent. And for me to get to know them better and share my enthusiasm for my new home. Fun! I am so happy to have help designing the space, but also sourcing local materials, furniture, art, tradespeople, etc. I would be lost doing this myself, and it would take me so long that I probably just wouldn't do it. They gave me the confidence I needed to buy an older condo that needs work, but that had the perfect layout and incredible light - the two things that cannot be changed, either ever or at least not easily or cheaply.