House-Hunting Abroad
The first time I traveled outside the United States was when I moved to England. Sure, my husband’s company sent me there for a long weekend to check out the area. But a couple days can barely prepare you for several years of living on another continent. What surprised me most and what I liked least are the same thing: searching for a place to live. At the time, there was no centralized system for finding rental housing, so the process was tedious and exhausting. Thankfully, the process is easier now. However, the efficiency of finding real estate from state to state or country to country can vary widely.
Twenty-seven years ago, there was no Multiple Listing Service (MLS). No Zillow. No Air BNB, Hot Pads, VBRO or anything like we have now. Despite the lack of technology, our steps taken mirror those of today. First, we needed to narrow our town of residence—a daunting task when you have zero knowledge of an area. Should we live in London or outside the city? Did we want to rent an apartment or a home? We knew we had to live within 30 minutes of Heathrow Airport for business purposes and not too far from my husband’s company located in Maidenhead. But where to begin?
Next, we had to decide whether to buy or rent a home. This really depends on: 1) How long you’re going to live there, 2) Do you feel you need to own a space to make it your own, and 3) Does buying make good financial sense? In most cases, I suggest renting before you buy, especially if you’re moving to a place where you’re unfamiliar with the area. Otherwise, how could you possibly know where you want to live? Also, remember that housing markets and exchange rates can shift greatly from month to month. If you’re not going to live in a country or state very long, the market may not be favorable when it’s time to move on. If you still feel drawn to buying a home, I highly advise speaking with a financial advisor who can provide more perspective on the housing market and help you avoid being on the short end of the equation when it’s time to sell.
Once we started our search, we quickly learned that each house was represented by a different estate agent. I don’t remember how many agents I had to contact and meet to search for rental properties, but the list was endless. I always say that my house-hunting experience back then prepared me well for a career in real estate. Helping people find the perfect home with minimal stress has become my passion with roots that stem from our international move. Luckily, house-hunting abroad is much like it is in the U.S. How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you need? Is the kitchen big enough? Will you be entertaining or hosting overnight guests? Do you want to live in the country, a neighborhood or the city? Do you need a furnished home or are you taking furniture with you? And the biggest question of all: what is your budget? Narrowing your choices helps narrow your search.
In our case, we chose to look for a furnished rental home, ideally within walking distance of shops since we would be sharing a car. This would help minimize the items we needed to purchase or bring with us. Our first residence, while we were house-hunting, was The Complete Angler, a hotel in the village of Marlow. We lived there almost two months, and surprisingly, the staff was very helpful in finding rental agents for estates. The hotel served high tea, the perfect indoctrination into British life, and we found the food far better than expected. By the time we left, the hotel staff felt like family.
Once we started touring actual rental homes, we realized we wanted an authentic English experience with extra space for a home office and guests, so we could have family and friends visit often. Some days I would visit one home. Other days, I could tour four or five. After patiently searching, we found a lovely approximately 2,800-square-foot home or, in this case, cottage. It was a true piece of England—160 years old in a charming hamlet called Bourne End.
Bright and airy with three bedrooms, the home had everything we could have wanted including office space for my husband and room for a nursery when our first child was born overseas. Even though the house was more than a century old, the kitchens and bathrooms had been renovated. We lived a few blocks from the Thames River, which we walked along frequently, and across the street from the town pub. The house also came complete with a gardener, Cyrill, who was about as old as the house. He was the nicest man on earth, but every time he mowed the lawn or did yardwork, we worried he might expire!
As for typical American conveniences, we made sure we had the basics like a washer and dryer. (Interestingly, our washer both washed and dried clothes in one unit. Strange, but it worked.) You also may have heard that refrigerators and freezers in Europe are small. Well let me tell you, my son’s college refrigerator is bigger than the one we had in our cottage. We bought an outdoor grill and a small chest freezer for extra storage, and like many Europeans, learned to shop almost daily for most of our food. The High Street in town was the hub of all activity and markets in the village. We got to know the fish monger, meat butcher, and produce suppliers well, and eventually the size of the fridge became completely unimportant.
Our experience living in a new place was unique, but no doubt you’ll find your own hidden treasure with patience and by knowing your “must-haves” and what you can live without. You may be surprised that the little things in life can easily fill major voids, and you’ll never miss a thing.
A global relocation resource, Hali Jaffe loves helping people and provides experienced advice to ease the burdens of a personal or corporate move. You can contact her at hali@REALocationwithHali.com.