Packing up and moving away can, in many instances, be a fresh start. The opportunity to create a better life somewhere new and exciting. Unfortunately it can also throw up problems: What do you do about schooling? What happens if an elderly relative falls ill and you’re thousands of miles away?
Many family issues won’t go away simply because you’re in Australia or New Zealand. Coping with them can be incredibly difficult as you may not know where to turn when a problem arises.
With this in mind, here’s our advice for resolving your problems while overseas.
Where do you send your children to school?
If you have school age children coming with you a prime consideration is where they’ll be educated. You will have to decide whether you want to put them into an International School, or a local one. An International School will provide a familiar curriculum and language and if they are in their teens and at a crucial stage of their education, this could be the best choice. However, if your kids are younger, going to a local school could be a great learning experience. See this website for detailed information about schooling in numerous countries: https://www.gov.uk/browse/abroad/living-abroad/help-for-british-nationals-living-overseas
What if your children don’t like their new home?
Moving away from family and friends is a big deal and even harder for children who may have had very solid friendship groups back home. There will of course be a period of transition for everyone but children in particular will need help to adjust. A new school may provide friends but they may also need a nudge towards a favourite sport or hobby. Check out local websites such as http://goodsports.com.au/find-a-club/ to find something of interest for your child.
An elderly parent falls ill back home, what do you do?
If you have parents back at home there’s a chance that they may fall ill while you are away. Other family members may be able to help if there is an emergency, but you can’t rule out jumping on a plane at some point to deal with a crisis. Don’t forget to have some money set aside if you suddenly need to buy a flight. Time differences can make communication difficult so schedule in appointments for any discussions and organise your Skype (https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA79/how-do-i-install-skype?) and FaceTime https://www.apple.com/uk/ios/facetime/ accounts to keep cost to a minimum.
How will you pay for your healthcare?
If you are going to be living in another country it’s important to have all your healthcare plans in order from the beginning. Every country has a different way of doing this (and paying for it), so do your research carefully. http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/movingabroad/Pages/Introduction.aspx has lots of helpful information.
What happens if your relationship looks to be heading for trouble?
Moving to another country can put a strain on relationships as the stress of living with new challenges can prove too much for some couples. Statistically expat marriages are more likely to run into trouble. If the worst does happen remember that laws overseas regarding separation, divorce and child custody vary enormously so take expert advice. Check out http://www.family-lawfirm.co.uk/how-we-help/international-expat-divorce/international-divorce-questions
Thinking of moving abroad? PSS International removals is a family run company and our desire is to ensure your family receive a friendly, professional and stress free overseas move. We have specialised in international removals for over 32 years, so whether you are planning on sending a full or part household removal, excess baggage or a vehicle we recognise the importance in ensuring that our customers receive the same level of care and attention that we would expect ourselves.
Contact us now for a free estimators survey, online moving and baggage quote.
