KNS Financial

Personal Finance From a Biblical Perspective

Would You Be Willing To Move To Another Country?

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So the other day I talked about being reminded about contentment by watching House Hunters. Thinking about the show made me reflect on conversations that my wife and I would have while watching “Househunters International“.

This is where people would either make a permanent move to another country, or just purchase a vacation home. The people who were making a permanent move didn’t seem to have any real connections in the states and seemed at ease with their decision.

My wife and I would watch this show sometimes and think about whether we could really pick up and move to another country. I couldn’t imagine going about my life in the U.S. and then waking up one day and trying to find a home and establish a new life in a new place. I know that something as basic as car insurance laws and other specifics differ from state to state in the U.S., so I can only imagine the headache of trying to get that sorted out in another country.

Moving Foreign Country

And if we don’t manage to get on the show (does that even come on anymore?), then we will have to deal with learning all of the real estate laws for ourselves. Even a move to Canada (which is on the same continent) would probably be too much for me.

I couldn’t imagine us being that far away from our family. My wife and I have lived a combined 59 years in the U.S. (all of them in New Jersey), and I think it would be too much of a shock to go and live somewhere else. Also, if we don’t move to another country where English is the official language, we may have a hard time adapting. Also, we would have to worry about finding a strong, biblical church with expository preaching wherever we go…something much more difficult to do in another country.

I don’t even want to think about serious issues such as visas, dual citizenship, wills & estates, and all the other things which may be handled differently in the new country. There are other things that take up a lot of time and/or money right now that people have to contend with when they move to another country – even if the native language is English.

So when I think about it, I don’t think I will ever be in the position of the people on this show – willingly, cheerfully, and voluntarily moving to another country (it will probably be a necessity if it ever happens).

I don’t even feel comfortable with the idea of moving to another state! 😉

So What About You?

  1. Would you ever permanently move to another country?
  2. What would be some of the things that might stop you from making that move?
  3. For those of you who moved to a different country as an adult, why did you move and how difficult was the transition?

5 Tips to Prepare for an Impending Move

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I have been known to come down with fits of paranoia over one thing or another. I’ve  been called an alarmist, worrier, nag – you get the picture. On this occasion, though, it led me to a post idea!

Last year we moved into our lovely condo, opting to rent from a private owner. Our landlord mentioned that her and her husband were planning on retiring in Florida, but that she would not put the condo on the market as long as we were interested in staying here.

That sounded really good, and she has varied from her expected move date, which led me to consider what other plans may be subject to change. The condo has been on the market before, and it is possible that they may decide it would be easier in the long run to sell rather than keeping this as an investment property.

I have seen situations before (thank you HGTV) where renters had to move suddenly because the owners decided to sell, and although I am definitely putting the cart before the horse in my own case, I wanted to think through some things we could do to be prepared in case this is our last few months here.

Prepare for a Move

5 Tips To Prepare For A Move

Make Necessary Repairs

As far as I can see, all we need to do is cover up some nail holes in the walls and paint. Whatever you can do to return your rental to a condition worthy of receiving back your full security deposit should be done.

Taking care of those things now or slowly as the lease term comes up, will help you have less stress in case a move is imminent.

Save! Save! Save!

There are so many costs that arise with moving that if you know a move is coming, you might as well start saving right away. Consider the cost of the security deposit and first month’s rent, packing materials, rental truck or cost of movers, and purchases needed to accommodate your new rental (e.g. curtains, furniture, etc.).

Although all these may not apply to your situation, make sure you save what you can for the ones necessary to you.

Sell Your Extra Stuff

If you’re like us, and lived somewhere for an extended period of time, chances are you have accumulated a lot of ‘stuff’ you don’t necessarily need. With a few months to go before a move, it is the perfect time to start selling things on EBay or Craigslist that you don’t want to take with you to a new home.

This is helpful so you’re not just carrying things from place to place that you will never use again. Also, this is a good way to make extra money toward your move.

Start Packing the Non-Essentials

You know you don’t need EVERYTHING that’s hanging around the house right now! If you know a move is imminent, start packing up those items you don’t need on a day, or even a weekly basis. Things like out-of-season clothes, books, bed linens, curtains, and decorative items can be given a bit of time every week.

This will relieve the stress of packing all at once.

Use a Real Estate Agent

While we were looking for a new home I decided to contact an agent to help me find rentals. It was a really good experience, and one that I will employ again.The benefits were that he was able to take me to multiple listings on the same day instead of my having to contact each agent individually and  set up appointments based on their schedules.

Also, on many listings the landlord paid the full agent fee, so I didn’t have to worry about paying for the agent’s services. Since planning ahead, an agent can be looking out for upcoming listings that suit your needs, doing leg work so that your time can be used elsewhere.

Moving can be such a strenuous experience that it’s best to get ahead of the game if you can. If the situation is unexpected, it is best to organize and priorities to the best of your ability. Giving these tips your time before you’re in a crunch will definitely help to take the edge of the experience.

photo credit: Freedigitalphotos.net

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