Finding the right house in the right area is incredibly
important for expats moving abroad. For most people, the attitude to
looking for a place seems to go one way or the other – either settling for the
first thing you see just so that you have one less thing to think about, or
suffering sleepless nights and stressed days desperately scanning for every
single reference to the country on forums, websites and Twitter. Your dream
house may or may not exist, but following some of the below tips may help you to
navigate some of the challenges.
- Visit the city or area before making any commitments. Plan your trip carefully and give yourself at least a few days to scout different areas. When there, talk to local residents, nip in for a latte at a nearby café, talk to shop owners and have a drink or two in a bar after dark.
- Read voraciously but methodically.
Websites, online articles and newspapers are all ideal, but make sure you
expose yourself to a range of sources to make an informed choice. And, even
though they’re aimed at tourists, don’t dismiss guidebooks. They often contain
useful information about different areas and amenities, and at the very least
will throw up a few great restaurants you can visit when you get there. Reports are also a great way of
understanding what to expect. For example our latest HSBC
Overseas Property Report shows which cities and countries give you the most
bang for your buck when it comes to buying property as well as countries that
may have high fees associated with buying a home.
- Speak to the local council. In some countries like the UK, the state school your children
attend depends on where you live. See which catchment area you fall into, what taxes you’ll have
to pay, and get a general sense of how your area is governed.
- Connect with local bloggers (particularly expats) and ask their
advice.
Chances are, they’d be happy to help you out and share all the information they
know.
- Once you’ve found a nice-sounding street, look it up on Google
maps.
Something that bills itself as ‘set within a quiet residential area’ may well
be on the busiest street!
What
tips do you have? Leave us a comment below!
Posts
Please make sure you see the area you are going to move to at different times of the day/week.
ReplyDeleteWhat it the are like on Saturday night? In the morning when you leave for work? Sometimes somewhere looks great in the daytime but at night can be lonely or busy with bars?
If you can catch any of the neighbours to chat to this could prove very useful before signing any contract too.