Four Things To Do Before You Become an Expat

With the internet now littered with information, it is becoming much easier for people to move abroad. You can find all the information you need to become an expat within a matter of minutes.

Some people choose to become an expat for the experience, whereas others are following their life long dream and potential career break. Whatever the reason for moving, you need to ensure that you don’t rush the process. Moving to another country can be exciting, but only for those people that have made the necessary preparations.

Property Management

If you own a property it is likely that you will be relying on rental income from that property when you move to your new country. Don’t risk leaving the property under the management of family and friends. Although they will do everything in their power to ensure that the rental runs smoothly, their best is probably not going to be good enough.

What you really need is a professional property broker. They will be able to ensure that you achieve the maximum rental value possible for your property. At the same time, they will be able to ensure that there are rarely any months when the property is free.

Selling Unwanted Items

eBay is a great tool to get rid of all your unwanted items. Use eBay to clearout items that you have not been using over the last 12 months. This will help to generate some much needed funds when it comes to the big move. It is likely that many of the things in the home are not going to be used and are going to lose value. This includes things such as your TV and CD player. It is better to sell them now and if you ever do come back, you can easily replace them.

Putting Items Into Storage

If your long term plan is to come back to your native land, then it is likely that you are going to need some kind of storage facility. Although friends and family might have a garage that they are not using, this is not likely to be big enough. You want to find a local cheap storage facility that can house all your items. That way, if you do come back in a hurry, you know that you are not going to have any hassle when it comes to accessing all of your items.

Check Out Visa Requirements

You will need to check the visa requirements for the country that you are visiting. Some countries are much stricter than others. For instance, an EU citizen moving to another country in the EU can easily get hold of both a residency and a working visa for their stay. Travelling to countries that are outside the EU is generally where the problems occur, as the process and requirements are a lot stricter.

Make sure that you don’t just check basic visa requirements. If you plan to work in the country, you need to ensure that you have a valid work permit. For instance, if you are travelling to South Africa, then you will need to research work permitrequirements South Africa before you leave.

Bio

Alex has been writing for lots of top blogs on the internet for a number of years. Since 2007, he has been writing for blogs, including his own. During this time he has had over 100 pieces published online. Although he writes in niches such as construction and finance, his favourite subjects are relocation and travel.