NEWSFLASHES

Broken dreams: What happens when a new life abroad turns into a nightmare?

We have become a nation of nomads. Even countries to which we would once never have considered moving, such as Turkey and North Africa, are now welcoming our exiles. We'll go anywhere, it would seem, guaranteed to have a bit of sun and where we can buy a seafront chalet or farmhouse for less than the price of a two-bedroom flat in almost any UK town.

So what's driving us away? A better quality of life is the reason most often given when people are surveyed on why they want to leave Britain, closely followed by more time with the family and having more freedom. Many people also cite the British weather as a prime motivator, not hard to believe after our recent miserable summers.

There is the sense that the grass may be greener overseas – that the locals of almost every other country live at a slower pace, with less crowding, more green space and a lower cost of living. And though the numbers of people leaving the country in 2008 were slightly down on previous years, the recession has caused many more people affected by unemployment this year to consider trying their luck elsewhere.

"Moving abroad has become increasingly economically viable," says Paul Owen of the Association of International Property Professionals, an independent body that advises people looking to purchase property overseas. "The ability to work remotely, the availability of budget travel, fast communications networks and simply aspects such as being able to draw your pension abroad have allowed people to consider moving further afield."

However, Owen says too many émigrés base their decision on little more than a particularly enjoyable two-week holiday. "People need to do proper research before they give up everything in Britain," he says. "I'm amazed by the number of Brits who want to relocate with no idea of what they are actually going to do once they get there."

Anecdotal evidence from property agents suggests the typical expat is no longer just the retiree seeking a quiet life by the sea; instead they are people in their thirties and forties, often with children. These families aren't so much looking for a way to wind down as a fresh start – and they often want to start a business, or to buy a property that offers some form of income. This comes with a new set of challenges of which many buyers are not even aware.

"As a sales agent I often had to talk someone out of buying a business," says Owen. "At one stage everyone wanted to buy a gîte in France, but many knew nothing about the local economy, had never run any kind of business and didn't even speak the language"

When planning their overseas escape, people also fail to take into account all the things that can go wrong. You might miss the support of friends and family, or struggle with the unfamiliar bureaucracy or the costs involved in moving your entire life elsewhere. Right now, the strong Euro is eating into pensions and nest eggs, and the rules governing what British citizens living overseas can claim in terms of benefits or tax relief are also subject to change.

Owen suggests people should draw up a checklist of issues that includes their long-term finances, medical care, language learning and whether they are really ready to give up everything in the UK. "Healthcare, for example, is something Brits take for granted because we have the NHS," he says, "but in other countries the care may be very good but you might need insurance to access it."

However, even the best prepared can come unstuck because life itself is unpredictable. The global recession of the past year has left many expats struggling to cope with financial difficulties. The catch is that unless they sell up, they have no way out – but in such a poor market, they're can't sell at a price that will leave them with any capital.

Hard work and good planning can't always guarantee success. The grass, it seems, may be the same colour wherever you live. As Paul Owen says: "Things in life aren't always better just because the sun is shining."

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/
Date of Publication: 16 October 2009
 

More news