#Collaborative post
Moving abroad is something most travel-lovers give some serious consideration to from time to time. After all, if there’s one thing better than spending a fortnight in a fascinating new haunt, it’s setting down roots somewhere that you’ve always dreamed of. Not to mention that if you move to a new country, it’s often easier to travel to a whole bunch of other new countries that are nearby!
Once you’ve decided where you want to live, it’s time to get searching for that home you’ll love. Maybe you’ve already seen it, while on a holiday to your dream destination. Maybe you’ll need to get looking online for properties in your price range in an area you’ve researched. But once you’ve found that place, that’s when the real work starts…
Confirm all the legal points
There’s a lot of paperwork involved in buying a house anywhere. When you’re buying abroad, that will be multiplied. First of all, you need to know if you can even legally buy property in your dream destination – it’s bad news if you want to set up a home in Thailand, where foreign nationals are banned from owning property. Vietnam, Mexico and holiday haven Greece also have strict restrictions, and there are other regulations in other countries. Once you’ve figured out if you can buy, you then need to set about finding the necessary documentation and get it legally translated. You’ll also find things easier if you can set up a bank account in your new country – but that might need to wait until you’ve moved.
Make the home fit to live in
You can look at photos and even video of your new dream home and get a good general idea for what it’s like. None of this is a substitute for actually being there, however, and many of us will buy a place in need of a little TLC just to bring our dreams within reach. Now, you’ll need to clean inside and out, get the garden in condition and bring the home up to “everyday living” standards. You can hire a project manager to oversee this while you’re off-site, but be aware that you’ll need to account for everything from major structural work to parts for outdoor power equipment. It can all add up, so hire someone you trust and stay in regular communication with them.
Research the area
You probably get to know most of your destinations pretty well when you go there on holiday, finding the best restaurants, the most iconic relaxation spots and where you can find a supermarket that’s open 24 hours. When you want to live there, though, the priorities change.
If you have kids, then you’ll need to find a school for them – potentially an English language one. You’ll need to know how to pay bills, whether you can get shopping delivered, where the nearest doctor is and even whether you can get your regular prescriptions. Imagine your average week where you are now: now, think about all of the things you do throughout that week, and figure out how you’ll do them in your new country. When you’ve got that figured out, it goes a long way to preparing you for what is undoubtedly a big, but rewarding step.