Tips for Moving Overseas By Robert Moreschi

We've all been there before: taking a vacation to a far-away exotic place and becoming so enchanted with it that visions of moving there and beginning a new life begin to take over your thoughts. It's common to have those dreams of running off, leaving everything behind and starting over again in a strange place, learning a new language and soaking up the exotic culture of a new land.

Sometimes, these dreams even become reality. For whatever reason - work, school, family, or just plain boredom - many people dig up their roots from their home soil and cast their sails toward a foreign land. While it can be incredibly exciting to move overseas and experience a new country with new adventures awaiting you, it can also be scary and overwhelming if you're not fully prepared for it.

Just as with anything else that's new and strange in your life, adjusting to a new life in a foreign country can take some time to get used to. There is a period of time when the initial "honeymoon phase" of the move eventually wears off and you are left to fully accept the fact that you are now a citizen of a new country. To be able to cope with this period, you have to prepare yourself, to not only make sure you adjust to your new home properly, but to also prepare yourself for what might happen if the glamour has worn off and you want to return home.

If the above scenario does occur, and you're suddenly hit with the realization that what you really wanted was a long vacation and not an entirely new life in a new country, what do you do? If you purchased a home or apartment in your new country upon moving, things can get difficult. You have to deal with the added stress of putting your home back on the market and hoping that you get a buyer who is interested so you can return home. However, sometimes this is easier said than done.

So what is the best course of action to take to avoid this potential headache? Well, the most obvious solution would be to rent first, before buying. When you first arrive overseas, this initial excitement might cause you to make impulse decisions you might not normally make, such as buying a house. Instead, try renting for the first few months, at least until that initial "honeymoon" feeling wears off. Once you have been living in your new country for a few months and you have allowed yourself to become fully accustomed to the new way of life, only then should you consider purchasing a house. Once the initial feeling of culture-shock has worn off, you will be better equipped for handling decisions like buying a house.

Plus, if after a few months of renting you decide that this new country isn't for you and this new life isn't all you thought it would be, renting a place would allow you to move back home much more easily without having to worry about selling your home.