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Beware The Mortgage Payment Holiday For Buy To Let

With the current Covid crisis many banks are offering mortgage payment holidays in accordance with UK government policy. However, the consequences for buy to let investors need to be considered to ensure it does not impact your credit for future investments. As England moves into its latest full lockdown and banks once again offer...

Expat Lenders Keep Expat Mortgage Deal Flowing During COVID-19

Just one month after the UK government effectively put large parts of the UK property market into a form of hibernation, evidence is emerging that many specialist UK expat mortgage lenders are finding ingenious ways of keeping expat house purchases moving and delivering completions. Written for Expat Network by Guy Stephenson of Offshoreonline With much...

High Risk Insurance For An Increasingly Volatile World

Standard travel insurance does not generally cover you for high risk areas, such as warzones, crisis and disaster relief zones and specialist providers have developed to meet the need. Kidnap and ransom can happen anywhere, but there are higher risks in some areas, and policies to support you and pay the ransom, if the need...

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.