by jamaicahomes 
Moving to Jamaica about four months ago was quite daunting but exciting at the same time. There were thoughts about the different possibilities that living in Jamaica could bring to my family, such as a better family life balance, better lifestyle choices, healthier diet, more family time, and receiving the glorious vitamin D, from the sunshine every day, and fresh air. Fast forward four months, and this is exactly what has occurred, however, there have been a few hurdles and pitfalls which we have discovered and had to jump over in order to survive to this point.
The Government of Jamaica regards its people as its most important asset. Several initiatives have been implemented to galvanize our nationals overseas for the purpose of nation-building. We were therefore encouraged by the diaspora to return to Jamaica to live, work, raise our family and try and start up a business, whilst investing in Jamaica.
Various provisions have been made to facilitate a seamless reintegration into the Jamaican society for returning Residents in several areas such as resettlement. As a Jamaican returning home to permanently reside you are allowed to import a specific quantity of personal and household effects, as well as tools of trade free, of customs duty once you have resided abroad for at least three consecutive years. However, this does not include motor vehicles, which are subject to a different importation regime, which is a negative issue, and am of the opinion this should be changed. Click here for further details.
When people think of the Caribbean, they think of bright skies, warm waters, great stretches of sandy beach, sunshine, and a carefree attitude as if nothing else matters. All of it is present, as well as some unwelcome elements such as various sorts of crime. However, I do find that the media often portrays the worst side of Jamaica, that it is unsafe. Although statistically speaking, most crime in Jamaica is centered around theft, which I have never experienced.
Notwithstanding, since returning to Jamaica, I have found that a lot of times when my husband and I needed to buy certain materials for the construction of our new home, that as soon as the contractors heard our UK accents as opposed to Jamaican Patwah, they saw pounds signs. Jamaican English is different becuase throughout the history of slavery in the United States of America and Europe, slaves were forced to speak English in everyday contexts, resulting in the development of a dialect of broken English.
However, little do they know, we are trying to survive just like them. Because we are from foreign does not mean “we are minted”. This however has led to some contractors overpricing jobs.
What I have realized is that they have different prices for local Jamaicans and foreigners and sometimes price a job by the size of the property.
Jamaica Homes has helped bridge the gap with getting the right contractors and trusted professionals to help complete our building project and prevent any further bad experiences. Jamaica Homes has experienced the pitfalls and has been able to offer a good service to me and my family. I would recommend Jamaica Homes to anyone to avoid going through a similar experience.
