Many Britons have long expressed an interest in living in an exotic foreign city and have fallen asleep night after night with visions of white sand beaches, sun dappled palm trees or age worn stone fortresses dancing in their heads.
For many, these dreams have remained out of reach, but increasingly more people are finding a way to save their pennies, reprioritise their daily needs and take off – not on vacation, but on a whole new journey in their lives. So before you utter the words ‘Let’s emigrate’ to your loved ones there are some serious things to consider.
Record numbers leaving Britain for employment
While immigration numbers into the UK are covered daily in the national news, the numbers of Britons leaving home has had relatively little coverage. In 2013 over 154,000 UK nationals chose to leave this country in order to settle abroad, a figure that broke down to over 400 per day.
Not every person who chose to emigrate did so in order to live in a tropical paradise – in fact, the vast majority were highly skilled and trained workers who elected to find a career in other countries around the world. The Telegraph has previously reported that almost one in ten British graduates from top tier institutions was working overseas in the five years after their commencement.
If you intend on being away from home for long periods of time, yet are planning on returning in the future, the option of guardian home rentals is certainly one to consider. Hiring someone to live in your vacant property while you are out of the country is an excellent way to keep it safe and will also prevent squatters.
Adrenalin, excitement and living your dreams
While many of the above mentioned career expats are certainly enjoying their lives abroad, traveling to a big city for corporate employment is certainly not as carefree as the idea of living on a paradisiacal beach surrounded by swaying palms and colourful fish. The idea of abandoning the rat race and settling down in a Himalayan mountain resort, an Andean lake hut or on a tiny island in the Bay of Thailand is becoming a reality for more and more people. Enticed by the prospect of long languid evenings in a hammock on the sand, leaving for a beautiful outpost abroad can have really positive effects.
No age limit on travel
Leaving your home country for a new life abroad age specific dream or desire – more retirees than ever are now expressing interest in moving abroad to sun destinations, cultural hotspots and international cities. Savvy planners who have budgeting accordingly throughout their working years are picking up and leaving the UK, prompting grown children to visit them in their new exotic digs. The key is making sure you’ve really considered your retirement finances, and drawn up a checklist for moving abroad.
Travel is for the young – and the young at heart – alike. Do you feel the call of foreign shores, and if so, why?
