Hey – how are you?
Well, it’s the end of a busy time for me. Last week I went to a lecture on ancient maps at the British Library and also went to see the amazing Japanese Kabuki at Sadler’s Wells. It was stunning – very strange and unlike anything I had seen before, but fascinating. Three of the actors came from families that had been involved in Kabuki for generations…we listened to a translation in one ear and caught the sounds in the other – it was brilliant!
Not so our daily intake of news! Are you, like me, rather tired of the constant gloomy headlines in our newspapers and on TV? Sterling seems to vacillate constantly against other currencies and just seems to have added to our woes. If you are keen to have your very own place abroad but feel it to be something of a distant dream, please do not despair!
Your main expense, namely a property abroad, is generally speaking, a lot cheaper than in the UK. If you own a property here this might mean that you will free up quite a sum of money – always useful. And if you don’t have capital to free up, there is very little doubt that it will be less expensive to get your foot on the property ladder abroad. Also remember that the price of property worldwide has been affected by the credit crunch – nowadays it is possible to make cheeky offers and sometimes get real bargains.
The other thing you might think about is ‘testing the waters’. You may want to rent abroad and see whether it suits you and whether indeed it is a viable option to move? You could rent out your property in the UK (if indeed you have one) for a set period of time, rent abroad for the same period of time and that way give yourself time to assess what you really want to do.
That way you will have the opportunity to try out an area before making a commitment to buy. You'll gain an insight into your neighbourhood: is it friendly and crime free or noisy and disorderly? Whether you are going to be living there yourself or buying as an investment it is vital that transport is readily available. Also things grocery stores, schools and other facilities – if it’s a holiday investment, is it near holiday amenities?
The real bonus with this strategy is that if you don't like the area you've decided to settle in overseas, or worse - you don't like the country - you can leave without the burden of selling a property. Most overseas tenancy contracts will tie you into a six or 12 month period rather than the indefinite, and often costly, amount of time it takes to sell a property.
It will also allow you to judge those indefinable things. For instance, have you considered how much you will miss all that is familiar to you? I moved to the UK from South Africa a number of years ago now, and the reason I moved was to be nearer my family, especially my grandchildren. I had no sooner settled than my son-in-law was transferred to Dubai…
My story had a happy ending in that I love London, have made new friends and see my son on a regular basis but you might find that all is not as you perhaps thought it would be.
So…plan on! Only you can make it happen and I am here to tell you that you can change your life if you want to – it’s just a matter of setting your goals and steadily working towards them.
Let me know how your plans are going…I’d love to hear your news…
Have a great week and best regards,
Carol.
http://www.GreeceBuyingGuide.com
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