Buying a home overseas – some tips for you

This week I thought I would give you a few tips on buying a home overseas.

Become an information hog

There are countless sources where you can learn more about your overseas destination – books, magazines, the internet, property shows and so on. Seek out people who have made the move before you and gather as much data as possible on what to do and what not to do. Expat forums are a great place to start. Let the community know that you’re about to embark on a new journey and you could use all the help you can get … soon you’ll get the opinion of every member! Just remember to take some suggestions with a pinch of salt – if anything worries you or seems odd, seek out the opinions of others.

Decide on an area/region

This may or may not be predetermined. If you are relocating for a job, it may make this matter very easy. If you have free rein, keep your list of intentions close to hand while researching various areas.

Fine-tune your objective

By now you’ll have quite a bit of information under your belt. Write down brief details about your preferred area, type of property, number of bedrooms, maximum budget, climate, geography and every possible element you can think of. Do you want a pool, patio, garden or garage? Once you’ve nailed down your ideal home, you can then elicit the help of professionals to find it.

Contact the professionals

Contact the necessary people who can help you achieve your objective. These may include a developer, agent, private vendor, accountant, financial adviser & international payment specialist.

Book a viewing trip

Some people do not have the luxury of viewing properties before they relocate. If this is the case for you, I strongly suggest that you move overseas into rental accommodation to begin with. By doing so, you can get a feel for the various areas, listen out for potential noisy neighbourhoods and ask around as to what area will suit you best. If, however, you can get overseas for a viewing trip, make the most of your time. Prior to arrival, have the agent/developer send you the details of the properties you will be viewing. You can eliminate any properties that don’t tick all your boxes.

Research the agent/developer

The internet is a very good device for detective work. There are quite a few crooks out there, so it’s very important that you work on referrals from previous buyers, who often post their experiences online. Buying a new home in the UK is a massive project, but buying one overseas is even more momentous. Spend time making sure that you’re dealing with good, reliable, trustworthy companies. When meeting the agent/developer, ask them if you can have the details of a few previous clients to call, or wait at their offices and ask any buyers who walk in.

Analyse properties, areas and the financials

The OGC Resource Centre has an excellent worksheet that will allow you to analyse each property, area and the costs involved in purchasing a property. Just call them on 0207 898 0549 for more information.

Read the contract of sale

Don’t ever sign anything in a language you do not understand and take the time to read everything. In some countries, lawyers are not very efficient. You will need to make sure you take responsibility and ask questions. If something doesn’t seem right, find out if you can change it.

Retain an independent solicitor

This is the single most important piece of advice. Please do not fall for the developer/agents attempts to “help” you by introducing you to their lawyer, or their friend who is a lawyer. In fact, find out who your agent/developer recommends for the sole purpose of knowing who not to use. If possible, get a recommendation from someone independent.

Send money through a specialist

I’ve seen people lose huge amounts of money due to fluctuating currency exchange rates. The story is always the same … the buyer decided to buy a property in January, budgeted at a rate of X and then when they went to pay for the property a few months later, they had to find £10,000-£50,000 extra. Don’t let this happen to you!

Kim

The Overseas Guides Company

http://www.emigrationguide.com/

Moving Overseas – I can’t make that happen…can I?

What is the difference between people who make their dreams come true and those who don’t? It’s not the act of making painful decisions, nor does it have much to do with having loads of money. People who live their dreams didn’t get what they wanted by selling their soul, struggling against the tide or gaining a windfall from the lottery!

Achieving the dream of living overseas is possible for anyone. Like any big project, it takes a vision and small steps that take you closer and closer to living that dream. People who have successfully made the move overseas didn’t wake up one day and think, ‘It’s official – I’m moving overseas today!’ Instead, they started with a niggle in their stomach. Something inside them felt excitement at the thought of the Mediterranean view from a Spanish villa, a field of wild flowers behind a cottage in France or a condo in America with a BBQ grill big enough to cook 100 hamburgers. And from that niggle, tiny actions were taken – one leading to another.

Sooner or later, if small actions towards a vision continue, the momentum starts to build and the vision becomes more and more achievable. Looking on the Internet for properties on Monday could lead to emailing an estate agent on Wednesday. After a phone conversation with an agent, a fact find regarding visas might follow. Then perhaps a few hours on ex-pat blogs (web journals) a month later and you will understand how to find employment. Perhaps the next step will be to visit a property show and discover finance options that you never knew were available.

When faced with a large project or massive change, many people tend to freeze and think, ‘I’m nuts. How could I actually follow that dream? I don’t have enough money…I don’t know the language…I don’t ’. These are usually the same people who have had the same job and the same complaints (about the same job) for years and years and years. These are the people that want more, constantly complain about how they deserve more, but never actually get up and take action. These are the same people who react to life and bumble along letting life take whatever course it puts on their path. Are you a bumbler? I hope not!

Why not make 2011 the year that you start taking tiny actions? Search the Internet, go to an exhibition, book an overseas visit, buy a book or create a journal outlining everything you want. You have a choice – you can focus on how miserable living in the UK is or you can put your attention on how great it will be when you are sitting in the sun, eating fresh fruit and watching your family play in the garden.

When I first had the thought that an overseas life was calling, it scared the pants off of me. I was £30,000 in debt, had no assets, no job and my destination country made it almost impossible for me move there. Added to this, there was no easy way of obtaining a visa to work - let alone stay. Objections aside, my first action was to write in my journal announcing my niggle. I wrote something like this: “I would like to meet a handsome prince [from my country of choice] who will marry me, buy me lots of clothes and pay off my debt.”

A few months later I met a guy during a networking event – he almost fit the bill. The guy was wealthy but he wasn’t a prince nor did he have all his teeth. Needless to say, within 6 months and taking a lot of small actions I sold my possessions and moved overseas. That was over 14 years ago and to this day, I can confirm it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Not only am I living my dream, but I’ve applied my small step approach to all things in my life – I now have overseas homes (yes – more than one), an amazing husband (who has all his teeth), no debt and an all round wonderful life. So – don’t be a bumbler. Start taking some small steps and discover what life abroad has in store for you!

Kim

Kim Brown
The Overseas Guides Company
Visit my website at: http://www.emigrationguide.com/

Check out your estate agent or developer before rather than after buying

If you need to buy a property during your emigration process, one of the most important elements is to ensure that the estate agent or developer that you're buying from runs a reputable and honest establishment.

Often buyers get caught up in the excitement of the purchase and fail to do the necessary homework. My in-laws decided that since their developer was German, he was an efficient and trustworthy builder. That couldn't have been further from the truth.

If they had simply asked around or even done a search on the Internet, they would have found complaint after complaint about this man. And with a bit more digging they would have discovered that he's been taken to court on several occasions.

Don't let this happen to you!

Many buyers feel like they are beholden to the developers or agents – this is NOT the case. You should be in control…and to be in control, you’ll want to take responsibility and determine if the particular developer or agent is going to service you in the best possible way.

Listed below are ways that you can check up on your developer or estate agent.

1. Enter the developer or agents name into the Google search engine. Sometimes you'll get the best results if you put the name in "quotes" such as "XYZ Developers"

Click through every link that mentions the developer in question. You might come across articles or postings that report problems or issues that other buyers have experienced. On the other hand, you might also find testimonials or good reports.

Within Google, you can also go to Groups and enter 'Greek Property' or check out Yahoo! Group. This is a place where people post information about experiences, questions or issues they've experienced.

Check out any chat rooms, forums or message boards that discuss your location or area of choice.

Bad developers/agents cannot hide when it comes to the Internet...If people are upset, they will go to any lengths to help other people to avoid the same problems.

2. If you're buying on an estate that has people who have moved in already AND you have the ability to visit the estate, why not post little flyers through the door saying:

"Hi! We might be neighbours soon...I'm interested in buying on this estate, however before I make my decision, I am interested to know if you've experienced any problems with the developer or agent. If you wouldn't mind, I would be so grateful if you could simply answer the following questions and email them to me at:

* Was the property completed on time?

* Is the quality up to standard?

* Did you have any issues?

* What is the traffic noise like?

* Add more questions that interest you...

Thank you in advance,

HOWEVER, keep in mind that people that have purchased have egos and in some circumstances they will feel compelled to give you the rose coloured picture rather than tell you what truly happened.

As with all your research, don't listen to just one source.

3. Ask for referrals from your agent and if they don't have any, treat that as a major warning sign.

4. Ask the locals what stories they've heard. If something bad happens, the word often spreads quickly. Don't be afraid to ask your waiter/waitress or a news agent.

As with everything, take what you hear with a pinch of salt. You might happen to ask a relative of XYZ builder about them and they'll say that they're the best...

Or perhaps you're chatting with someone that considers XYZ Estate Agent to be terrible, however if you dig a bit you'll find that the owner is an ex-boyfriend. Hell hath no fury and all that!

You know what I'm trying to say...so I won't harp on about it. Just keep your wits about you...

Kim Brown
The Overseas Guides Company
Visit my website at: http://www.emigrationguide.com/

How to successfully adjust to your new home overseas! (excerpt taken from Emigration Guide)

It is only natural to feel strange and a little alienated initially. If you have children you will have a distinct advantage: you can volunteer to help at school, offer lifts to your child’s classmates, take children to activities and get into conversation with other parents at the school gates. If you are able to find work, even if it’s just part-time, you’ll find adjusting to your new environment and making friends far easier.

Joining a club – tennis, golf, bird-watching or whatever takes your fancy – is a wonderful option and you’re likely to meet like-minded people if you follow your hobbies and interests.

Here’s an example of the kind of activities on offer to help you settle into your new home, courtesy of one of our readers in Cyprus, although it could apply to expats in any destination:

“If you like dancing, there’s ballroom and Latin, rock ’n’ roll, line dancing and country to name but a few – and of course, karate, judo, tap dancing, jazzercise … the list goes on. Football is the country’s favourite sport and rugby is available too. You can also learn to sing by joining one of several choirs, or maybe even learn how to build a traditional stone wall. If you don’t want to join a club, then it’s worth putting your time to use as a volunteer - anything from helping in a charity shop to assisting with building a new playground for children at the general hospital, or taking disabled people shopping.”

I love the enthusiasm shown by this reader – I can only believe that she has made a whole group of new friends with an attitude like that.

Sources of information and support

Check out the Embassy, Consulate or official website of your new country before leaving the UK.

Make contact with the UK Embassy when you arrive in your new country. They sometimes plan get-togethers for expats at various times, such as to celebrate the Queen’s birthday.

Try to meet other expats from the UK who will be able to give you the low-down on the local area and help you avoid the pitfalls they ran into when they first moved.

A few more ideas to help you settle in

Access to a telephone is a must. Just to hear a friend or family member’s voice from back in the UK makes such a difference. Mobiles are all very well for local calls, but become expensive when making calls abroad, so do check when you rent or buy that there is an existing land line. This is also essential for internet access.

You should also try to create a comfortable home as soon as possible, with all your familiar bits and pieces around you, plus familiar possessions for your children, if you have them.

If you’re not moving to an English-speaking country, learning the language and familiarising yourself with the culture can go a long way to making you feel at home. Indeed, taking language lessons is a great way to meet new people. It’s best to make a conscious effort to be laid back and tolerant of people’s differences. You may find when you move that things are done differently, so remember that you are the visitor.

It’s worth paying a courtesy call to your new neighbours – they will appreciate it and it is essential to be on friendly terms with them if you want to be part of the community. You also never know when you may need their help. Don’t hesitate to ask them for guidance. People are usually only too pleased to help and thrilled to be asked. But remember small rural communities can be slow to welcome “outsiders”.

Try to have fun and keep busy. Find activities such as sports clubs, dance classes, Rotary, volunteering, music clubs or bands. Alternatively, take an online degree, write a novel, take up photography, paint, find an amateur dramatics society or join a gym.

And finally, if you can, take some time off when you first arrive in your new country before starting a new job. Spending a few days unpacking and discovering your local shops and amenities with the whole family is more fun than going straight into work or leaving one partner to do it all alone.

With any luck, before you know it, you will look round and realise you feel completely at home!

Kim Brown
The Overseas Guides Company
Have you been to the main website yet? http://www.Emigrationguide.com

Moving abroad with or without your children

One of the most important aspects of a move abroad is your children and their happiness, so you need to plan well in advance. If you want your child to be able to return to the UK eventually to finish their schooling, you will need to make sure they keep up to the required educational standard.

Children often settle into a new place better than most adults. Generally they make friends and pick up new languages much more quickly than their parents. They, however, do need to hear about the move from you early on in the decision-making process and to be included in conversations and decisions about the move. You will need to be confident and upbeat about the exciting journey ahead of you. If you have misgivings, keep them to yourself, or your children will pick up on them.

If your child is staying in the UK, make sure you:

• Arrange boarding school places well before you move - most have very long waiting lists.
• Appoint a legal guardian that the school can contact locally in emergency.
• Give your child a mobile phone with numbers inserted of locally resident family and friends.
• Give someone locally a cash fund for emergencies.
• Inform the school of the names of any adults permitted to take the child off school grounds for days/weekends away.
• Arrange an account at a stationery and/or bookshop for any schooling requirements.
• If your child is moving with you, you will need to:
• Sort out school registration in your new country well in advance. You will need to take this into consideration. If you are in contact with an estate agent or developer they may be able to advise you of good schools or put you in touch with clients who have previously moved to the country you’re moving to. Otherwise the local UK Embassy of your chosen country may be able to help, or the British Embassy in your new country. Expat websites are good points of contact and people are happy to help, since they probably experienced the same problems themselves when they first moved. There are international schools in a number of countries and some countries have English language schools, usually near big towns. Bear in mind that these can be expensive and you will need to consider where you will be living in relation to the school’s location.
• Find out if your child is up to the required standard in your new country – and get extra lessons if not. Ideally you should enrol the child in language lessons before setting off and if you all did it as a family this could be viewed as an adventure.
• Take along school reports from the past year if you still have them and give them to the child’s new school, as this will give them an idea of your child’s capabilities.
  

Before moving overseas it’s important to prepare! Start the emigration process off on a solid footing – get your Emigration Guide today at: http://www.EmigrationGuide.com/Guide.htm

Kim
The Overseas Guides Company
Visit my main website at: http://www.emigrationguide.com/

Reasons to Emigrate

In a survey recently carried out it was found that 31 percent of those questioned cited the poor state of the British economy as the reason that they were thinking of emigrating, with 23 percent blaming the lack of job prospects and a further 19 percent saying that they had concerns as to whether the new government coalition could effectively manage to run the country.

Over the years we at the OGC must have spoken to thousands of people who were, or are, planning a move abroad. In the course of the conversation I am always very interested in finding out exactly why it is that people want to quit these shores. What I have found is that there are a number of reasons that most people seem to have in common:

Climate
The endless grey, chilly winters and the unpredictable summers that fly by almost unnoticed come top of most people’s reasons for wanting to leave the UK.

Community spirit
Many people have told me that they long for a time when neighbours were friends and doors could be left unlocked with no problem. People really miss the community spirit that somehow seems to be lacking in parts of the UK yet still seems to exist in many other countries abroad.

Outdoor Activities
When my kids were younger, all that excess energy was worked off at the end of the school day with mandatory sports at schools throughout the country. The climate makes this impractical here, but not only are outdoor activities good for you but they are such fun and a wonderful way for families to do things together – it’s just so much easier in sunnier climates.

Children's welfare
Many people have complained to me that the UK is a very sophisticated, materially driven society and that they worry about the opportunities and choices their children will face (or the lack thereof!) as they get older

Property costs
Even with the recent drop in property prices in the UK, you get far more for your money abroad.

Work opportunities
The perception seems to be that people with skills are welcomed abroad and jobs are more readily available.

Transport
The recent tube strikes plus the threatened BA strikes each holiday season have really highlighted the drawbacks in the transport system in the UK, a system that many claim to be the worst – and most expensive - in Europe. This makes commuting really tiresome and adds hours to an already long working day.

Public behaviour
A complaint I hear often is that people are fed up with the increasingly rude, aggressive and loutish behaviour in the UK. This seems to be a growing concern.

I suppose the grass is always greener on the other side but I do know of a number of people who have relocated and couldn’t be happier. My colleague and her husband now live in France and are a case in point - they moved fairly recently and absolutely adore everything about it.

Other friends of mine were not so fortunate…I think that you need to do your homework really thoroughly and not rush into anything. Many people have made happy and successful lives for themselves abroad and there is no reason why you should not be one of them. Planning and ample forethought will guarantee you a successful move, and please remember that the OGC is ready to help where they can.

Happy planning and warm wishes from me,

Kim Brown
http://www.emigrationguide.com