People relocate overseas for various reasons and when the time comes to actually move out of the country you need to be fully ready and prepared for the new country you will moving to. The first most important thing to consider will be finding your perfect home, and preparing that before you arrive. This will make settling in and adapting a lot easier and quicker.
The first big obstacle will be finding the home in the first place, these are a few thing things to consider.
Specifications:
If you are moving in with the family or just your husband you should consider the needs of the family first. Write down the specifications that you want to get out of your dream home. For example, how many rooms you are looking for, if you want a big entertaining area, an open plan kitchen etc.
Finances:
The next thing to consider is going to be financial factors. How much can you afford to pay and still live comfortably with the payments you will be making on a monthly basis? This is a big discussion point that needs to be analysed in detail. For example, you may want to renovate part of the home first, do you have the extra money and savings for that as well? So your first specifications that you write down will also come into play here. Take into consideration the value of your current money in the new country; you may be able to get a more expensive home if the value of your money is worth more. For example, in South Africa you would be able to buy some of the top homes with the best views if you are coming to the country with the English pound.
The new country:
The country you are going to be living in may be completely different to yours, in terms of transport, bonds, cost of living, neighbourhoods etc. This needs to be researched thoroughly before making any big decisions. For example, the cost of a home may be cheaper or more expensive than what you expect in your own country.
Visit the country:
I would always recommend that you visit the country before making final decisions. View many apartments and get a feel for the town, city and neighbourhood of that particular country. It is a good idea to research which are the top real estate companies in the country and book a few appointments with them.
Nicole de Freitas enjoys writing about real estate issues and highly recommends morning side property.