A Guide to Moving Abroad: Everything You Need to Know
Author Bio: Jessica is the head of content for Hire A Box - her father’s moving company. In her spare time, she enjoys travelling around the world to different surf spots and tasting the local cuisine.
Many San Diego residents are moving outside America’s Finest City and venturing into other areas because of the increasingly alarming real estate prices.
According to CoreLogic, the average price of a San Diego County home reached $583,000 last August, the highest ever recorded. This is actually a good thing for the county, because it signifies job growth and economic improvement.
But unfortunately, this also means that if you're looking to live in San Diego, it isn’t only the real estate prices that have gone up, but the cost of daily needs as well. Previously, the 2017 San Diego consumer price index (CPI) reached a growth of 2.8 percent. This is enough to encourage some San Diego residents to sell their home at a high price and consider living and retiring abroad, where most necessities are more affordable.
If you're thinking of moving abroad from San Diego, here's everything you need to know.
Decide on the Location Where You Want to Live
Sometimes it's tempting to just point at a random spot on a map and move there without any research. But obviously, it’s better to be informed, and you can use the Internet to your advantage.
A simple search for local city forums on social media or search engines will give you a treasure trove of information about life in your prospective communities.
On these online platforms, you can ask questions ranging from weather conditions to legal support. With this information, it will be much easier to decide where to make your new home.
Get a Feel for This New Location
You love San Diego because you grew up in this location and have lived here since you were a child. What makes it home is that you have seen it grow, and it has grown right along with you.
Your research about your final location might make it easy to decide that you want to live in Norway or Japan. However, the biggest factor is whether you, your family, or anyone else living with you will feel comfortable in the new location.
The best thing to do is to spend at least two weeks to a month in your potential new city if possible. See the sights and get a feel for the place. See if you can picture yourself living there and calling it "home."
Know About the New Local Institutions Before You Move
At this point, you've decided on your country and have a rough idea of the living and moving costs and the country’s culture and customs. Now, it's time to build your "network."
Luckily, the Internet allows you to connect with people through forums. Go ahead and start a thread. Ask for help from former San Diego residents who are now based in your country of choice or have moved there in the past.
Of course, another way to achieve this is to head to the location and visit the local institutions personally. Local governments in different countries can inform you about the formal procedures of migrating into their country and to your desired location.
In addition, having a network of prospective neighborhood friends will also make it easier to adapt to your new home in the future.
Applying for Your Travel Visa
Many countries have stringent and somewhat difficult residency and citizenship requirements. For example, in Australia, you cannot have a permanent residency visa or earn citizenship without being hired by an Australian company. In addition, Australian applicants can only become a permanent resident if they have lived in the country for four years.
Unfortunately, each country has different grounds for permanent residency and eventual citizenship. It will be best to write down all the requirements and review them yearly. Doing so will help smoothen your process of moving abroad.
Stock Up on San Diego-Only Supplies
Traveling and living abroad means opening yourself up to new experiences, so it seems to miss the whole point carrying something from your past. But there are some comforts from San Diego that you'll never want to live without. For example, the special coffee beans from local suppliers are something you won’t find in your new home abroad.
Stock up on items you love from farmer's markets, craft beer makers, beauty brands, and other local establishments. You won't be seeing San Diego for a while, so make sure you bring plenty of the stuff you'll miss. If buying in bulk is your thing, consider renting a storage unit at Ballpark Self Storage in San Diego’s Gaslamp neighborhood.
Avoid Issues with Your Bank
Once you have everything ready and you're a week away from your flight, check in with your bank. Tell them you'll be moving abroad to avoid getting your accounts locked due to inactivity. This will help you avoid a host of problems once you've arrived overseas.
Final Thoughts
It's not too difficult to undergo the process of moving overseas. Let this list guide you as you embark on this new chapter in your life. With careful planning and preparation, you can be more confident that your move will be smooth and hassle-free, so that you can focus on planting new roots and building a new home.
