Of the hundreds of thousands of people who buy a second home or move abroad every year, the majority have a success story to share at the end of the process. However, every now and then things can go wrong; this can be down to a number of reasons, though the most common is a lack of knowledge about the journey on which they are embarking.

When things do go wrong, life for those involved can turn into a living nightmare and when moving abroad, a small glitch can have colossal effects. From problems with estate agents or solicitors, to losing money, the range of things that can go wrong is extensive, though thorough research should eliminate most of these potential problems.

Research should play a huge part in your overseas purchase or move abroad; as this is the best protection you can give yourself against things going wrong. If you have researched into dos and don’ts for every aspect of your move, if something does go wrong you will be prepared to fix it, which can really take the stress off an already stressful event.

You might think that buying or moving abroad is simple, and in many ways it is, but have you considered things such as which account is your deposit money going into? What happens if the ship transporting your belongings is damaged or sinks? What healthcare is available in your new country? And how do you know that the land you are buying doesn’t have rights of way attached to it?

One of the most common horror stories you hear happening in a range of countries is that of people investing their life savings into a move abroad, only to have all or much of it taken from them by rogue estate agents, developers and, some extreme cases, even lawyers. Title deeds can also be a major problem in a range of countries, and the problem leaves many with a home they can’t sell or make any changes to. It is really important that the people you entrust with your money are reputable and reliable, it is also important to ensure that any funds you send are going into a client account rather than the personal account of the developer.

There are also very different laws and rules that you will need to be aware of, depending on which country you move to. Things such as regulations on the amount of land you can buy, or the authorisation you need to acquire before you are legally allowed to purchase in a country. A good estate agent with a proven track record, along with highly reputable solicitors are the key to things going smoothly, as they are the ones who you will trust to notify you of any possible obstructions to the purchase of the property. Another key consideration should be how you transfer funds, either for a one-off purchase or regular payment, between the UK and the country in which you are buying. We always advise using a currency specialist, such as Smart Currency Exchange, as they offer better exchange rates than banks and have solutions to suit a range of needs.