Living Abroad - Ideas and Advice For A Great Lifestyle Overseas

As part of our week long programme of articles and reports for the 42% of over 55s in the UK who are reportedly thinking about moving abroad pre or post retirement, today we’re going to be focusing on where you can afford to live abroad in retirement with a weak pound in your pocket.

Until just a few years ago we Britons were fairly blessed, we had a healthy currency and plenty of equity in many of our homes that we could cash in and turn into bricks and mortar anywhere abroad.  Now the tables have really turned in a dramatically negative fashion.  Many of us are restricted by a weakened currency and have little or no cash to play with in our properties because no banks are lending – and the only way we can release equity is to sell in a stagnant and deflated market.

In their survey of over 55s, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office determined that 42% were actively keen to move abroad – but money matters could hold them back.  However, as we are about to reveal, you needn’t put your life plans on hold just because the pound is no longer riding high.  There are places in the world where you can afford to live, and there are ways you can afford to move abroad and live elsewhere in your retirement…

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One of the last things that anyone thinks about when they move overseas is the fact that the laws of succession abroad can differ greatly to those we’re familiar with back home – and that this fact can have a dramatic, and sometimes devastating impact on your family and loved ones if you die overseas or die leaving assets abroad.

Getting the correct legal advice about matters of life and death in Spain relating to the likes of probate, wills and inheritance can seem difficult.  If you search on the Internet for example, you’ll find contradictory half stories at best.  So, at Shelter Offshore we have teamed up with Legal4Spain.com to get a correct and complete understanding of the situation affecting expatriates living in Spain, as well as those onshore with assets such as property in Spain.

It is critical that you understand your position and that of your future heirs and beneficiaries if you want to save them time, stress, worry and even money, and if you want to correctly order your affairs, ensuring you have control over how your estate will be divided up when you die.  We appreciate that this is not a particularly positive subject matter – but at the same time, we are acutely aware that this is a topic that has to be touched upon, therefore we will do so in as full and comprehensive a manner as we possibly can to directly assist you.

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A new survey conducted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has revealed that almost half of over 55s in the UK are seriously and actively contemplating relocation abroad, with well over a third planning to move within the next five years if they possibly can.  The only thing holding many Brits back appears to be the weak pound…

The statistics and figures from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have been published to make us all aware of the fact that Britons are no longer happy living in Britain.  However, judging by the correspondence we receive on a daily basis, we at Shelter Offshore knew this already!  It seems that the likes of rising crime, unemployment and personal debt, coupled with a poor climate and a broken economy are driving more and more Brits to seek a haven overseas.

The trouble is – where in the world can Brits affected by the weak pound live affordably abroad, and how can they make the move safely and successfully?  Well, the good news is that we’re here to help the 42% of British over-55s who want to emigrate and retire abroad with practical support and advice.  And all this week we’re going to be running a series of articles and reports aimed at directly assisting those seeking a move overseas.  We will focus on where to live with a weak pound, how to find the best country for you, understanding the bureaucracy and legalities of your move, getting your money matters in order, and today we’ll begin by looking at reasons to relocate or remain in Britain so that you can ensure you’re making the right choice.

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