Moving to a country with a slower pace of life, sun, sea, beaches, friendly people and a better quality of life is an idyllic dream for many, and for many every year that dream comes true. Sometimes however, things do go wrong. Things usually go wrong due to a lack of research, forward planning, or knowledge. Here are some of those things and tips on how you can avoid it happening to you.

Removals:

Too often, many people don’t realise the importance of the removals company they use to take their worldly belongings across the water to another country. Fact is, if you choose a company based on price rather than reputation, you may end up paying for it. You first need to decide whether to fly or ship your belongings; due to price, shipping is by far the most cost effective and more popular choice. You need to ensure that your shipping company is approved by the BAR (British Association of Removers). This means that they will adhere to certain standards and specifications when it comes to your belongings. Never take the first quote you are given; ring a few companies as more often than not they will be happy to match or beat a quote for you. You will also need to get your estimated delivery date in writing, as failure to do so can result in a long wait for your things!

Legal Issues:

Perhaps the sole most important issue when buying a property anywhere in the world, is the legal issues. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is that you seek professional, independent legal advice from a solicitor when purchasing property abroad. Many countries work on a Notary system; however you should employ a solicitor as well as this. Some European countries have big problems with Title Deeds, and many foreigners naively buy property in countries such as Cyprus, only to find that they do not own the Title Deeds, which means that their property is not in their name. This makes it difficult to sell on (unless for a huge loss) and no changes or amendments can be made to the property. A solicitor will do all the necessary checks into the legality of your purchase and protect you from losing money.

Money:

Moving money abroad is often the last thing people think about. Because of this, they tend to go straight to their high street bank thinking that it is the quickest and easiest way to do it, and once they realise the poor exchange rates offered by the banks, they soon realise that they will be losing more money than they originally thought. Many people do not realise that there are specialist companies who can move any amount of money overseas, or exchange currencies, all for around 4% better than bank rates on average. Using a specialist over a bank is also quicker as they take 2-3 days for transactions to complete, whereas banks can take up to 5 working days. For every £100,000 you move abroad, specialist companies can save you around £4000, which soon adds up to a very large amount if you are moving your life savings.