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The vacation was fabulous - you have decided to buy property or
relocate completely to the new
country you have just visited. Most people who decide to relocate
abroad begin by enjoying a holiday
that evokes wonderful emotions that
may be recaptured only by moving
lock, stock and barrel to that destination.
Moving to another country or buying
property abroad is a weighty decision
and must be treated accordingly. Before you embark on either course of
action, you are invited to consider a
number of issues listed below.
The first obstacle many fail to take
into consideration is the difficulty of
learning a foreign language. Unless
you move to a country the language of
which you already speak, you will soon
discover that not knowing the local
language creates a lot of frustration,
even despair - if, for instance, you are
ill and try to explain the problem, but
no one understands!
Many native English speakers erroneously
believe that they will “get by”
just about anywhere, as “someone
must surely have a smattering of
English!” To their surprise they often
discover that English is not nearly as
widely understood as they imagined. Taking some language classes before
going to live in another country and
indeed attending classes while abroad
is strongly advised. Having the basics
of vocabulary and grammar will make
you feel far more self-reliant and confident.
Another reason why a move abroad
may not go according to your wishes is
that not enough research regarding the
new destination was done. Living in a
small town in Sicily may seem quaint
and romantic, but after a while you
may find the call of city life growing
stronger and stronger.
Before relocating abroad, list the
things that are important and necessary
to your happiness and for you to
have a meaningful lifestyle. This may
range from enjoying plenty of fresh air
to having a well-stocked shopping
mall or a sports complex nearby. It is
wise to reside on a trial basis in the
new destination for at least a month,
before taking the major step of packing
and moving. This provides opportunity
for a more realistic evaluation
of what it may be like to actually live
there permanently. The more information
you gather and the more thorough
your research on the destination country
you do the better. You can never
know too much before going to live in
another country! It is very helpful to
attend a course on cross-cultural orientation
on arrival in your new destination
- for the unprepared, culture
shock may be far greater than was
anticipated.
Many who relocated abroad, found
that they were required to work harder
than in their former country. Again,
this results from lack of planning. For
a person of independent wealth, moving
abroad will be easier in certain
aspects as they do not have to work. If,
on the other hand, you must work to
survive, how do you intend to do this?
Initially one may believe that any job
whatsoever can be done when living in
the new country, but soon it becomes
painfully obvious that lack of career or
job satisfaction creates problems. For
this reason, it is imperative that you
take into consideration the job market
of the country where you wish to live. It is also wise to research average
salaries, available work contracts, and
the cost of living in the chosen country. Remember - these vary considerably
from one country to another.
While there are great deals to be had
when purchasing property abroad,
caution should be exercised in order to
fully enjoy the move. With care and
attention to details, the process can be
smooth and without difficulty. First -
never sign a contract that you do not
understand. If the contract is written
in a foreign language - seek expert
assistance and avoid unpleasant surprises
later. Hiring a lawyer who is fluent
in both your language and the
local language is a good idea. He will
be able to guide you through the
labyrinth of seemingly endless scenarios. For example, in many countries
the total taxes levied on property can
often add a considerable amount to
the asking price.You need to know the
amount of these taxes up front so as to
evaluate the actual expenditure
required. If you need a mortgage, try
to establish repayments in the currency
that you earn, thus avoiding currency
exchange fluctuations. If you are
considering buying a vacation property
abroad, think about combining
your financial resources with friends
or family. This could mean being able
to buy a villa with a swimming pool
instead of just a simple apartment. Some vacation property may be purchased
that will be managed on a
time-share basis for you and earning
you income when you are not using it. Again, knowledge of the local language
comes very much into play
when maintaining a property abroad. Unless you contract an agency to take
care of your property - how will you
communicate with a plumber or an
electrician if you do not speak the language?
A relocation company can provide
expert assistance both in seeking
a suitable property at a fair price and
negotiating contract clauses according
to local laws, also in managing your
property whilst you are away, if so
required. A charter that guarantees a
high standard of quality service for all
clients, both corporate and private,
governs EuRA member companies.
Those planning to relocate with children
need to look at locating suitable
schooling for them. If your children do
not speak the local language, enrolling
them in the local school system could
be very stressful for them and for you. One solution is to enrol them in an
international school, if one is available. Keep in mind, however, that the
tuition fees of international schools
can be quite high and must be calculated
in your budget before relocating. Moving abroad has to be a collective
effort, if your children are not really
sold on the idea - brace yourself for the
inevitable problems that will follow.
Living abroad or buying a property
in another country for your vacations,
is an enriching experience, but it is not
prudent to just leave your country of
origin on an impulse. Many things
must be taken into careful consideration
before making the final decision
to move indefinitely to another land. The most important thing is the
obtaining of legal immigration status -
permission to live and work in your
country of choice. Living in a country
without legal status is breaking the
law - fines, imprisonment and deportation
may result. It is well worth the
time, energy and effort to obtain all
the necessary legal documents and
permits before departing.
The more persons affected by the
decision, spouse, children, and parents
- the greater the need to plan. Will
each member of the family be happy
and content in the new destination? If
you need to work, can you find appropriate
employment in the country of
choice?
The bottom line is that a well planned
relocation to another country
has a far greater chance of success
than of one made in the heat of the
moment. Take the time to do research
and to speak to people who have relocated
or bought property in the land
that interests you and try to get objective
feedback (there is no need to reinvent
the wheel). This thorough preparation
will pay enormous dividends
when you do move!
Alex Ellis is Vice-President and next
President of the European Relocation
Association (EuRA).
Damien O’Farrell is Marketing &
Sales Manager at Relocation
Enterprises and an experienced public
speaker lecturing regularly on topics
such as culture shock, relocation and
immigration issues. Relocation
Enterprises is a member of EuRA.
The European Relocation
Association (EuRA) is the industry
body for relocation professionals in
both Europe and Worldwide. Relocation Service Providers are
required to abide by EuRA’s Rules of
Conduct. EuRA was launched in
Brussels in May 1998 and to date has
over 236 members internationally. For more information please visit:
www.relocationenterprises.com.
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