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Buying properties abroad is not a very easy task. An investor must be willing to spend at least a year from the time a decision was made to buy to the actual moving in date. Here are a few things to consider:

• Even if you have made up your mind to live abroad, it is a sound decision to still keep a property or two in your country (if you can afford to), just in case, things don’t pan out in your chosen country. That way, you can still come back home.
• Try renting a house in the area you wish to buy property in and get to know the place. Take note of modes of transportation, shopping malls and recreational complexes. Have a seasonal try-out period. The place could look alive and kicking in season but, how would it look off season?
• Read an English newspaper in the area just so you know what is going on in there. By reading the local paper, you will know things like the lifestyle of the community, the security status of the area. Is it a safe place to live in?
• It will be good if you could talk to other expatriates who have bought property in the same or nearby area. You could compare notes and whatever information you get here is first hand.
• Find out also if your state pension is payable in full in the country you are moving to or not if you are buying this property as your retirement home.