Relocation Recommendations: How to Know if a Place is Right for You

Relocation Recommendations: How to Know if a Place is Right for You

The recent curtailments of the pandemic aside, we are lucky to live in a time where global travel and international relocation is so highly accessible.  This integration of societies and opportunity is not only good for individuals and families looking to experience new places, it can be immensely valuable for companies who don’t want their talent search limited by geographical borders.  A new experience or environment can be character building and a more diverse workplace is likely to have a positive impact on a business’s bottom line.  But international relocation can be a big undertaking, both for the organization and the individual.  Uprooting your life, and possibly a family, to an entirely new place is a risk, so working out how to mitigate that as much as possible is vital.  With our background in global mobility we wanted to use this article in our ‘relocation recommendations’ series to help assignees and new expatriates know what to look out for to determine if a place is right for them.

The Right Kind of Questions

Whenever anyone is considering moving, especially abroad, the first step has to be to make sure you are asking the right questions.  At this point, you probably have the job aspects covered, ie if it is the right fit, good for your career etc.  But the level of success you will have at the expat life will need to cover more than just the proposed role.  You need to make sure you will be able to enjoy the right work/life balance and find an environment in which you can be happy and flourish.  The first thing to look at is what type of lifestyle you are looking for?  Do you want adventure and travel, a laid-back atmosphere, a place with lots of exciting activities or a strong sense of community?  Will it just be you moving or will you come with the family?  If you are moving with a family, will your partner or spouse be able to find work (if necessary) or fulfilling things to do?  Will your children be able to get the right type of education, make friends and be able to enjoy the activities they like? What will your financial situation be like in the new place, what is the cost of living, will you be able to save?  Preparing a wish list with ‘dealbreakers’ and ‘like to haves’ will help you measure any potential location’s suitability.

The Right Kind of Research

Once you have determined what you want to, and hope to, get out of this experience, you need to explore what you can expect from your potential home.  This is where enlisting expert, quality advice can be invaluable.  Although your future employer will be able to offer guidance, their knowledge may be limited in terms of what you specially want to know.  It is also vital to work with a company who has up to date information on official and legal information you will need.  The more information you can get before committing to, and before starting, a new role the better prepared you will be and the more likely you are to feel comfortable, which will definitely impact your performance and happiness.  If where you live is high on your priorities list, you can utilize services like EER’s Virtual Home Search to get a sense of the type of properties that would be in your budget.  Conducted with one of our expert consultants, this search can also include deep dives into specific com

munities, nearby schools and what the environment will be like.  The right team will also be able to answer questions on what to expect, the cost of living and what key documentation you will need to in order to start a life, open a bank account, rent a home or get your kids in school.

The Right Approach  

Once you have taken the plunge, it is crucial to understand the challenges, as well as the many benefits, of expat life.  Embracing a positive and engaging attitude will help you navigate the everyday and taking time to connect with your new world will open up doors to experiences and people that could surprise you.  International relocation can be extremely enriching, especially given the fluid possibilities of global mobility and generous immigration options, but it isn’t always easy.  Adapting to a new schedule or different ways of doing things can be daunting, but leaving yourself open to possibilities could result in a surprisingly good change in perspective.  It is also important to put the effort it when it comes to making new friends and exploring new hobbies or adventures.  By taking advantage of the unique qualities of the destination you pick, you could end up developing a different side of your personality or discovering a new passion, not to mention meeting people who could end up becoming life-long friends and confidantes.

At EER we can offer expert advice on relocation in Dubai and the Middle East.  If you are looking into relocation or global mobility and want to find out more, get in touch today on info@eerme.com  or +971 (0)4 421 819