Your Guide to Moving Abroad

Moving house has been proven to be one of the most stressful periods in anyone’s life. Right up there with things like starting a new job, heading off to University and having a child, moving house brings about a whole range of emotions that leave many questioning whether it’s worth all the hassle. It also brings back memories that you’ve had in that particular home, either as an individual, a couple or as a family - putting it all into a box can seem like the end of an era.

But it can also seem like a brand new chapter in your life, especially if you’re doing something as drastic as moving overseas. According to the foreign exchange company World First, there are “around 4.7million British nationals living outside the UK on a permanent basis. In the year to June 2012, 352,000 people left the UK.” That’s quite a startling figure however you look at it, and many will be left wondering just why so many people are packing up and heading abroad.

If you’re thinking of doing the same thing, you’ll have your own reasons. It might be that you’ve found a new job or you’re looking for better prospects overseas. You could simply be tired of the cold weather and want somewhere warmer to live. Or maybe you’re looking for a more relaxed environment than the one you’re in at the moment, ensuring your children have the best chance of having an enjoyable life, getting a good education and going on to find careers they enjoy.

Before you go, however, you might want some help with reducing the stress that will inevitably build. It’s a big step leaving your friends and family behind, so take a look through the worldfirst.com guide to moving abroad which is full of advice on where to go, what you need to do before you leave and when you get there, and how to go about finding work – if you haven’t already of course – as well as more really useful information.

A lot of people struggle to adapt to their new surroundings, especially in the early days. While you’re moving into your new home and getting used to the unfamiliar surroundings, you will inevitably start to miss your friends and family from back home. The key to battling these hard times is to prepare yourselves in advance by coming up with a method of coping, a bit like breaking up with a partner! You either throw yourself into your new project, taking on the challenge with both hands and trying to transform your house into a home, and getting out to meet new people in the local area by introducing yourselves, trying to speak the language and even visiting local bars to try and make some new friends.

You may have your own plans in place to help you deal with the early days of your new venture, but the important thing is that you do as much preparation before you go away as possible. If you can get certain items before you travel, do so, if nothing else it will give you piece of mind that everything is hand. The last thing you want to be doing is worrying, you want to be filled with that nervous excitement ahead of a big event so you can really enjoy life in a new country.

Bon voyage!