Tips for moving abroad & finding a new home

Now some of you may already know I am originally from South Africa and lived in Cape Town for almost 20 years although moved over to the Europe/UK permanently in 2006 and have been lucky enough to live in more than one city since. I spent some time living in Edinburgh (for around 18 months) as well as Falmouth, Amsterdam and the South of France but have now settled in Wales. Moving home let alone another country can be stressful and finding a place to call home in a new city can be daunting. I really loved my flat I shared with a friend near Leith in Edinburgh as well as the fun shared house in Falmouth and tiny studio in Amsterdam, learning about new places, navigating your way, building friendships, I wouldn't of changed my nomadic ways at all, in fact I still feel like there could be another big move but this time as a family.

Having rented many places, opened new bank accounts, had things shipped, posted and moved a variety of times I thought I would share a few times son finding a new home in the city you choose to take your new adventures in. Even though any kind of relocation, no matter how close or far it can be stressful but it does not have to be an overwhelming one if you make a checklist of what you need to do and tackle each entry on that list one at a time. If you already have a decent budget and/or have decent capital after selling a home then things will be easier for you, and going with a local estate agent in the location you are moving to can help massively with the move. Perhaps you are looking for a complete change and to jet off somewhere warm so, with the advice from someone like this Sunset Beach NC Real Estate agency, you could be lounging in a beachside home in the US in next to no time.

 

These tips can also be applied to whether you are moving or are simply searching for your first apartment or home, following each of these steps in order will make your efforts much easier:


1. Determine Your Budget

First and foremost, you need to determine how much money you are willing to spend on a new apartment or house. This is because setting a budget will allow you to immediately narrow your options when you begin the apartment hunting process, while also ensuring that you don’t spend money you don’t have. It may seem like an obvious step although you will be surprised how many people don't have a clear idea of their finances and what things really cost, so checking local costs of things like groceries, transport, council tax etc will give you a clearer idea.

Also bare in mind not only does your budget need to take into account the base rent, it also needs to include expenses such as internet and cable, storage and parking fees, utilities, and a down payment or deposit you may have to make when you first sign off with your new landlord.

2. What Amenities Do You Want or Need?

Next, you need to decide which amenities or luxuries you need or want although you do need to be flexible on this one as no single property will fit your needs entirely. Examples of amenities for you to take into consideration include whether the apartment or house is pet friendly if it has a gym room or fitness centre, a swimming pool, a laundry room, enough parking space, security, and any shops or stores that are within easy walking distance. Do you have kids and are there good schools close by as well as public areas such as parks and museums.   

I loved living in Amsterdam even though my studio flat was tiny.

3. How Far is if  From Work?

The next thing for you to consider is the distance between your apartment and wherever it is you work. If you freelance from home this won’t be an issue, but if you work in a separate physical location it is definitely one of the biggest factors you will need to keep in mind. The distance between your apartment and your place of work not only determines how long it’s going to take you to get to work, but how much money you’re going to be spending on gas or public transport each month as well.

4. Book mark any properties you see online as reference points

Both John and I love the idea of moving to Toronto one day (or anywhere in Canada for that fact) so every now and then I have little search to see what things cost and what we could get for our money and bookmark them for future reference and as a guide. All you need to do is research local estate agents or online property websites so for example when I search by looking at Toronto apartments online and making a list from there. You’ll want to start with a fairly large list and then narrow it down to three to five based on the last three steps. 

5. Once you're in the city take your time to view potential properties

Once you’ve narrowed your selection based on your research online, it’s time to pay that apartment and houses in your favourites list a visit. The best thing is to act quickly once you are in the position to move forward so do make sure you have time allocated for viewing properties, ask plenty of questions and take notes throughout the touring process. Also, write down a list of pros and cons for any area you are considering moving and do as much research as possible. In doing so, this will be able to give you a good idea of all of the reasons to live in Delaware or wherever it is you want to move to.

These 5 steps should really help get you on your way to settling into your new place. I also recently wrote a post about 5 tips on helping children adjust when you move - this may be particularly helpful if you're making a move with your family in tow. Life is an adventure so don't regret not taking the chance on somewhere new if the time is right!

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