You just found out that you got a promotion at work, which is great. But it comes with a price – you have to move to another country. This is a huge step for you and your family. First, you will want to share the news with your friends and family. But once the initial excitement is over, chances are that you are going to start feeling a bit nervous. So here are some steps that you can take to make things easier.
Selling Your House to Move Abroad – Save Money
Though this may not be as bad if you need to move because of work, since some or all of the costs may be covered by your company, it’s still a good idea. It costs a lot to simply move to another state or across the country. But the prices for moving to another country are going to be a lot more. These can be things such as:
- Visa application
- Plane tickets
- Housing
- Emergencies
- International shipments
Even if some or all of your expenses are being covered by the company that you work for, you want to make sure that you have some money put aside in case of emergencies. You never know what might come up.
Selling Your House to Move Abroad – Renew/Apply for Passports
Before you’re able to apply for your visa, it’s important to have an updated passport. Some of the countries require that your passport be valid for at least 6 months longer than the travel date. If there’s no set return date and you have a passport that expires while you are abroad, it can be renewed at the local U.S. consulate general or embassy.
Selling Your House to Move Abroad – Apply for Your Visa
First, you want to check the government website of the country to which you’re moving to find out which supporting documents are going to be needed for sending in the application. This is going to vary based on your visa. You also might need to get fingerprinted by Homeland Security.
Selling Your House to Move Abroad – Plan for Your Healthcare
When you’re living abroad, at some point you’re going to need a doctor. Before leaving, see if the healthcare provider you currently have is going to cover you in another country. Get your medical records from your doctors as well as any necessary immunizations. You also have to find out about your prescriptions and if they’re allowed in the new country. If they’re not allowed or accessible, make sure that you bring some with you.
You can get a list of hospitals and doctors from the embassy for your country. Go to the website of the embassy and find out about the medical resources that are available. You also want to check any requirements for that country. Some of them will require that you’re able to fund your own healthcare, even if there’s socialized medicine for citizens.
Selling Your House to Move Abroad – Register with the STEP
This is going to help you with getting the most updated information about the safety conditions in the new country. It also is going to help the embassy with notifying you quickly about emergencies, such as family emergencies or natural disasters.
Selling Your House to Move Abroad – Do Some Research
You might be quite familiar with the country you’re going to. But you want to do quite a bit of research so that you’re able to plan for your huge move and then make the transition a lot easier into the new home. Some of the questions that you should consider and ask yourself are the following:
Ship/Store/Sell?
Are you going to ship the belongings to the new home or are you going to store them back home? it’s important to weigh the costs and logistics of each of these options because they can be quite expensive. It’s also possible you’ll want to sell them if you are moving permanently. If you’re planning to move to another country with just luggage, you want to find out where you’re able to buy items such as utensils, kitchen appliances, bedding, and furniture.
Transportation
Are you going to drive in your new country, or are you going to take public transportation? If you are planning to drive, it’s important to consider the advantages and disadvantages of buying a brand new car, renting one, or shipping the one you have. It’s possible that you’ll need an IDP before moving and a new license once you get there, based on the country you’ve moved to.
If you are going to take public transportation, you want to learn a lot about it. Some things to consider:
- Bus vs metro
- Monthly vs annual pass
This will help you with saving money and preventing confusion.
Culture
Become acclimated with your culture in the new country prior to moving. research its history and the way that the government is currently operating. Become familiar with etiquette and social norms. Read movies and books that are taking place in the destination country. If the country isn’t an English-speaking country, you want to learn a few phrases and words. Researching the culture and understanding it even a bit is going to help with offsetting culture shock as well as minimizing some faux pas.
Selling Your House to Move Abroad – Contact Phone Providers & Banks
It’s a good idea to keep current bank accounts so that your credit score’s maintained and that outstanding loans and ongoing bills are paid. Tell your credit card companies and banks about your travel dates and think about getting international credit cards. this will help you with avoiding fees for foreign transactions. Also look at banks in the new city, finding out what kind of paperwork that’s needed for setting up a checking or savings account. Since this might take some time even if it’s not possible to do it before leaving, gathering up the paperwork is going to help with making the process simpler.
Since an international plan for your cell phone can be pricey, it’s also a good idea to ask your provider to unlock the phone before your trip. After you’re abroad, you’ll be able to go to the local carrier and buy a new SIM card
Selling Your House to Move Abroad – Make Some Copies of Your Important Documents
These are things like your driver’s license, passport, immunization records, and birth certificate. These may be needed when you’re not expecting them. Having copies will make life a lot easier.
Selling Your House to Move Abroad – Have a Goodbye Party
The final thing that you want to do when you are moving abroad is to have a goodbye party. After all, it could be a long time before you sell your friends and family again!
These are some of the steps that you want to take when you are selling your house to move abroad. If you are having trouble finding someone to buy your house and you want some help, we are happy to give you a cash offer for your house. Contact us today and we’ll give you a fair cash offer. Things are quick and easy, and you can sell your house fast.
