Buying Properties Abroad - To Live In!

A third major reason for buying properties abroad is the biggest step of all. You're planning to sell up in your home country and to move into your new home permanently.

As I mentioned a few days ago, this is something Brits have been doing for several decades now. Most of them have made the move for their retirement, but an increasing number find it possible to live in France and commute to Britain, or else carry on working from their home or set up businesses in their new country. The largest number probably move to Spain, but lots also find homes in France, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria and other European countries, Turkey, and even further afield in countries like Thailand.

Now it seems that more and more people in the USA are having the same idea. The most common reason for British people is probably the British climate! They fancy the idea of moving to the sun. The main reason why it has increasingly been catching on in the USA in the past 12 months is probably the problems in the property market. You can often get more house for your money in many of these countries. But many people are also becoming more and more attracted to a more relaxed and less pressured lifestyle.

For those buying properties abroad to live in permanently, there are a number of things to look out for. It's really not a good idea to spot a property in a place where you have enjoyed a couple of weeks' vacation, and decide this is where you want to live.

First and foremost, you need to be hard-headed about the decision. Go home, get out of your holiday frame of mind, and make a list of the pros and cons.

You must get to know the area before you can decide if it's a place where you want to live. You can manage without good shopping facilities for a couple of weeks, but would the shops meet your needs on a permanent basis? Visit at different times of year to see if you can handle the climate in the off-peak season. Can you get along easily without speaking the language? If not, is it an easy language to learn?

Are you sociable people? Are you happy with your own company or do you need to have friends around? If you need folks around, are there plenty of congenial people in the neighborhood whom you know you can get along with? If not, you could get very lonesome and start missing life back home - this happens to many people but they only realize when it's too late. If you have hobbies, are there the facilities there for carrying on your hobby?

And DO check out tax, pension and health care arrangements. Many people have been caught out by finding out too late that their pension is not payable in full in another country. Find out what medical facilities are available and how much medical care costs, especially if you have a medical condition.

Many, many people find a happy, fulfilling life in another country - but they are the ones who have considered it carefully beforehand. Don't be one of the ones who live to regret it! Take lots of advice and make sure it's the right decision for YOU. And when you've made your decision, find your property at http://www.bizwrite.co.uk/realestate/propertyabroad.html or http://www.bizwrite.co.uk/realestate/overseasproperty.html